GovHandbook

Prince George secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?

Prince George, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Yes, in most Prince George residential zones. A secondary suite is allowed in the AR, RS, RT and RM1 to RM8 zones, among others, and a carriage or cottage house in AR3, RS, RT, Z9 and Z14. You need a building permit, and a plumbing permit and water meter for a suite.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedYes. A secondary suite is a secondary use in the AR, RS, RT and RM1 to RM8 zones, Z9, Z14, Z19 and some other zones, in some only within a single detached house. Not allowed with an agri-tourist accommodation, bed & breakfast, community care facility, or boarding or lodging house.New Housing Legislation, Bill 44: Residential Development (web page); City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), s. 5.7.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
RS1/RS1m: Suburban Residential
RS4: Urban Residential
Secondary suites in single detached dwellings or duplexes;
A secondary suite is not permitted in conjunction with an agri-tourist accommodation, bed & breakfast, community care facility, boarding or lodging house.
Coach house or garden suite allowedYes: a carriage house (above a detached garage) or one-storey cottage house, on the same lot as the main dwelling. The City's guide lists AR3, RS, RT, Z9 and Z14 as the main eligible zones, and asks about existing suites, other accommodation uses, accessory buildings (90 m² combined) and parking.Information Guide, Secondary Dwellings, Information Guide: Secondary Dwellings; City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), s. 5.6.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
A secondary dwelling is a self contained building that is detached from the principal dwelling.
AR3, RS, RT, Z9, or Z14
Is the combined gross floor area less than 90 m2?
Can adequate parking be provided for the secondary dwelling?
The principal and secondary dwelling shall be located on the same lot.
LimitsWhere small-scale multi-unit housing applies: 3 dwelling units on a parcel of 280 m² or less, 4 on a larger parcel. Where exempt: one main dwelling plus one suite or secondary dwelling. A secondary dwelling is up to 100 m² ground floor and 8.0 m high, on top of the accessory-building limit. No suite size or owner-occupancy rule found.City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), s. 10.1.6, s. 10.1.5; Information Guide, Secondary Dwellings, Eligibility chart · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
In addition to 10.1.6 1., the maximum ground floor area is 100.0 m2.
The maximum height is 8.0 m.
except where Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing densities are exempt by Section 5.18, the maximum residential density is one principal dwelling and one secondary suite or dwelling.
The maximum residential density is three (3) dwelling units on a parcel 280 m2 or less, or four (4) dwelling units on a parcel greater than 280 m2
Is the combined gross floor area less than 90 m2?
ParkingParking must follow the Zoning Bylaw (s. 5.7.5). Table 7.4 requires 1 space per dwelling for single detached, two-unit and four-plex housing.City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), s. 5.7.5; Table 7.4; City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), Definition: Dwelling Unit · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Parking shall be in conformance with the regulations of this Bylaw.
Single Detached Housing 1 per dwelling
A secondary suite and a secondary dwelling are each considered a dwelling unit.
PermitsA building permit (the residential package covers secondary suites). A plumbing permit and water meter are needed when adding a secondary suite. A secondary dwelling may also need a Small Scale Residential development permit, only if it does not meet the guidelines.Building Permits, Applying for a permit; Projects that require a plumbing permit (web page); Information Guide, Secondary Dwellings, Information Guide: Secondary Dwellings · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Residential - Single-family dwelling, duplex, carriage and cottage houses, secondary suites
A water meter is required if you are adding three or more plumbing fixtures, making substantial changes to the plumbing system, or adding a secondary suite.
Building a secondary dwelling requires a building permit (BP) and may require a Small Scale Residential Development Permit.
A development permit is only required where the proposed development does not meet the overall intent of the Small Scale Residential DP guidelines.
BylawCity of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (ss. 5.6, 5.7, 5.18, zone sections); City of Prince George Building Bylaw No. 9482, 2024City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), ss. 5.6, 5.7, 5.18; City of Prince George Building Bylaw No. 9482, 2024, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 - CONSOLIDATED
This Bylaw may be cited as the "City of Prince George Building Bylaw No. 9482, 2024".

How it works

Bylaw 9466 (2024) changed the Zoning Bylaw to meet provincial Bill 44.

Secondary suite (inside the house): a secondary use in the AR, RS, RT and RM1 to RM8 zones, Z9, Z14, Z19 and some other zones, in some of them only within a single detached house.

Carriage house or cottage house: a carriage house sits above a detached garage; a cottage house is one storey. Both go on the same lot as the main dwelling. The City's guide lists AR3, RS, RT, Z9 and Z14 as the main eligible zones. It also asks about existing suites, other accommodation uses, accessory buildings (90 m² combined) and parking.

None of these is allowed together with an agri-tourist accommodation, bed and breakfast, community care facility, or boarding or lodging house.

Steps

  1. Check your lot's zone and size in PGMap.
  2. Confirm no exemption applies (see below).
  3. Choose the type: suite inside the house, carriage house or cottage house.
  4. Fill out the residential building permit application and email it to devserv@princegeorge.ca.
  5. Get a plumbing permit and water meter for a suite. A carriage or cottage house may also need a Small Scale Residential development permit if it does not meet the guidelines.

Good to know

  • Where small-scale multi-unit housing applies, a parcel of 280 m² or less may have 3 dwelling units and a larger parcel 4.
  • Exemptions include parcels over 4,050 m², lots with no City water or sewer, land outside the Urban Area, heritage-protected land, transit-oriented areas, and AG, AF, AR1, AR2 and AR4 zones. Then the limit is one main dwelling plus one suite or secondary dwelling.
  • A secondary dwelling may have up to 100 m² of ground floor and be 8.0 m high, on top of the accessory-building limit.
  • Parking must follow the Zoning Bylaw. Table 7.4 requires 1 space per dwelling for single detached, two-unit and four-plex housing, with no separate line for a suite. Confirm with Development Services.
  • We found no rule on suite size or owner occupancy.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Vanderhoof · Quesnel · Fort St James · Fraser Lake · Mackenzie · Tumbler Ridge

Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. New Housing Legislation, City of Prince George (read 2026-11-05)
  2. Information Guide, Secondary Dwellings, City of Prince George (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  3. City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  4. Building Permits, City of Prince George (read 2026-11-05)
  5. City of Prince George Building Bylaw No. 9482, 2024 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  6. Comprehensive Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 7557, 2004, Schedule A-1 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.