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Princeton secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house?

Princeton, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

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.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedYes, 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.Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 9.1.12, 10.1.10, 11.1.4, 12.1.3, 14.1.4, 15.1.4, 16.1.3; Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.30.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
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.
A secondary suite shall be entirely contained within a single detached dwelling or
Coach house or garden suite allowedA 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.Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 9.1.3, 10.1.4, 11.1.3, 12.1.2, 15.1.3; Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 4 (definition) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
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;
“CARRIAGE HOUSE” means an accessory building located on a residential parcel, that is
LimitsSuite: 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.Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.31.1, 6.32.1-6.32.2; Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.7.1-6.7.4 and 6.7.8 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
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.)
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
ParkingOne 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.Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.32.4; Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 6.7.11 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
One additional parking space is required for the secondary suite on the subject
One additional parking space is required for the carriage house on the subject property.
PermitsA 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.Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020, s. 7.1 and s. 10.1(a); Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 4 (definition of Secondary Suite) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
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
is meeting all the applicable requirements from the BC Building Code.
BylawTown 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.Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, s. 1.1; Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013, cover page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Town of Princeton Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013
(Including Amending bylaws up to and including Bylaw No. 1032, 2022)

How it works

The Town of Princeton's Zoning Bylaw 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.

Steps

  1. Confirm your zone with Planning (see zoning-lookup).
  2. If the property is in a development permit area, get that permit first.
  3. Apply for a building permit before building, altering or changing the use of a building.
  4. The suite must meet the BC Building Code.

Good to know

  • 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. 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.
  • Each of the main dwelling and the suite or carriage house needs 15 m² of private amenity space.
  • 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.
  • The bylaw read sets no owner-occupancy requirement.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Keremeos · Summerland · Hope · Penticton · Peachland · Oliver

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

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw Number 880, 2013 (PDF), Town of Princeton (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Building Bylaw No. 976, 2020 (PDF), Town of Princeton (read 2026-11-08)

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.