{"title":"Princeton secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/princeton","name":"Princeton","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"Town of Princeton","url":"https://www.princeton.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes, in Princeton. A secondary suite is allowed inside a single detached dwelling or half duplex in the FG, RC, RS1, RS2, RD, RM2 and RM3 zones. A carriage house is allowed in FG, RC, RS1, RS2 and RM2. You need a building permit and the suite must meet the BC Building Code.","aliases":["basement suite princeton","carriage house princeton bc","secondary suite bylaw princeton","legal suite princeton"],"cost":"Building permit fees apply (see the building-permit-fees answer). No suite-specific fee found.","how_long":"Not stated.","where":[{"type":"email","label":"Planning Department","value":"planning@princeton.ca"},{"type":"email","label":"Building Department","value":"building@princeton.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Town Hall","value":"250-295-3135"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF)","url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/"},{"title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF)","url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Princeton building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/building-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Princeton building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/building-permit-fees/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Princeton zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Princeton permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/deck-shed-garage-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/keremeos","name":"Keremeos","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/keremeos/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/summerland","name":"Summerland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/summerland/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/hope","name":"Hope","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hope/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/penticton","name":"Penticton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/penticton/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/peachland","name":"Peachland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/peachland/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/oliver","name":"Oliver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oliver/secondary-suite/"}],"topic":{"title":"Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite/"},"facts":{"suite_allowed":{"label":"Secondary suite allowed","value":"Yes, in the FG, RC, RS1, RS2, RD, RM2 and RM3 zones, subject to the suite rules in ss. 6.30 to 6.32. It must be inside a single detached dwelling or half duplex.","short":"Yes, in FG, RC, RS1, RS2, RD, RM2, RM3 zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 9.1.12, 10.1.10, 11.1.4, 12.1.3, 14.1.4, 15.1.4, 16.1.3","quotes":["Secondary suite, subject to Sections 6.30, 6.31, and 6.32","secondary suite, subject to Section 6.30, 6.31, and 6.32;","home occupation, minor; .4 secondary suite."]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.30.1","quotes":["A secondary suite shall be entirely contained within a single detached dwelling or"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"A carriage house (detached dwelling unit in an accessory building) is allowed in the FG, RC, RS1, RS2 and RM2 zones (RM2 only on a parcel with a single detached dwelling), subject to s. 6.7.","short":"Yes, carriage house in FG, RC, RS1, RS2, RM2","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 9.1.3, 10.1.4, 11.1.3, 12.1.2, 15.1.3","quotes":["carriage house subject to Section 6.7;","carriage house, subject to Section 6.7;","carriage house, on a parcel with a single detached dwelling, subject to Section 6.7;","carriage house;"]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 4 (definition)","quotes":["“CARRIAGE HOUSE” means an accessory building located on a residential parcel, that is"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"Suite: one per dwelling, not together with a carriage house on the same lot; 32 m² minimum; 125 m² maximum or 40% of the main dwelling's floor area, whichever is less. Carriage house: one per parcel; 100 m² maximum or 15% of parcel area, whichever is less.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.31.1, 6.32.1-6.32.2","quotes":["Only one secondary suite is permitted per dwelling unit and shall not be allowed in","The Maximum Gross Floor Area is 125 m2 (1345 sq. ft.) or 40% of the total gross","The Minimum Gross Floor Area is 32 m2 (344 sq. ft.)"]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.7.1-6.7.4 and 6.7.8","quotes":["not more than one carriage house shall be permitted on any parcel of land;","The maximum gross floor area for carriage houses is 100 m2 (1075 sq. ft.) or 15% of the","The distance between a principal dwelling and a carriage house in any zone shall be 3.0m or"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"One additional parking space for the suite (and one additional space for a carriage house), with at least one space for each unit having direct access to the street.","short":"1 extra space for the suite","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.32.4","quotes":["One additional parking space is required for the secondary suite on the subject"]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 6.7.11","quotes":["One additional parking space is required for the carriage house on the subject property."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A building permit is needed before building or altering a building or changing its use or occupancy, and a suite must meet the BC Building Code. A development permit is needed first if the property is in a development permit area.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 7.1 and s. 10.1(a)","quotes":["changing the use or occupancy of a building or real property unless the works are","the owner must apply for and obtain a development permit if the building or structure is in an area designated by the Town of Princeton Official Community"]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 4 (definition of Secondary Suite)","quotes":["is meeting all the applicable requirements from the BC Building Code."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (ss. 6.7, 6.30 to 6.32, as amended by Bylaw No. 1022, 2022); Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013"]},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","section":"cover page","quotes":["(Including Amending bylaws up to and including Bylaw No. 1032, 2022)"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe Town of Princeton's [Zoning Bylaw](https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/) allows one secondary suite inside a single detached dwelling or half duplex in the FG, RC, RS1, RS2, RD, RM2 and RM3 zones (ss. 6.30 to 6.32). A carriage house (a dwelling unit in an accessory building) is allowed in the FG, RC, RS1, RS2 and RM2 zones; in RM2 only on a parcel with a single detached dwelling (s. 6.7). It is not listed in RD, RM3 or the commercial zones.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Confirm your zone with Planning (see zoning-lookup).\n2. If the property is in a development permit area, get that permit first.\n3. Apply for a building permit before building, altering or changing the use of a building.\n4. The suite must meet the BC Building Code.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Suite: one per dwelling, not together with a carriage house on the same lot; 32 m² minimum; 125 m² maximum or 40% of the main dwelling's floor area, whichever is less.\n- Carriage house: one per parcel; 100 m² maximum or 15% of parcel area, whichever is less. It must be 3.0 m from the rear line (1.5 m if on a lane) and connected to town sewer and water when available.\n- Each of the main dwelling and the suite or carriage house needs 15 m² of private amenity space.\n- Parking: one additional space for the suite (and one more for a carriage house), with at least one space for each unit having direct access to the street.\n- The bylaw read sets no owner-occupancy requirement.","sources":[{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/11311/","title":"Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://princeton.civicweb.net/document/38942/","title":"Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/princeton/secondary-suite.json"}}