Radium Hot Springs secondary suite and carriage house rules
Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Radium Hot Springs?
Yes. Radium Hot Springs allows an attached suite (in a basement, a storey or a converted garage) with a one-unit or two-unit home in the R2, R3, R4, R5, RTA and AG zones. A detached suite (coach house or garden suite) is allowed only where the zone lists it. A building permit is needed.
Key facts
| Secondary suite allowed | Yes. An attached accessory dwelling unit (in a basement, a storey, or a converted garage) is allowed as an accessory use to a one-unit or two-unit residential building, one per principal dwelling unit. It is a listed accessory use in the R2, R3, R4, R5, RTA and AG zones.Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 4.1.1; Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 6.7.2 (R2) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingNot more than one Accessory Dwelling Unit (Attached) is permitted per Principal Dwelling Unit on a Parcel is only permitted within a Residential Building (1- Unit) or Residential Building (2-Units) The following Uses are permitted as accessory to the Principal Uses in the R2 Zone: c) Accessory Dwelling Unit g) Tourist Accommodation (Bed and Breakfast) |
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| Coach house or garden suite allowed | Yes, a detached accessory dwelling unit (coach house or garden suite) is allowed only on a parcel with a one-unit residential building, where the zone lists it as an accessory use, and not on a parcel that has an attached suite. It must be on the community water and sewer systems.Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingAn Accessory Dwelling Unit (Detached) is only permitted on a Parcel with a Residential Building (1- Unit) unless otherwise permitted by this bylaw. shall be connected to the community water system and community sewer system. |
| Limits | Attached suite: up to 100% of the basement (or first storey) for existing buildings; for new construction, 100 m² or 50% of the first storey, whichever is greater. Detached suite: 95 m² on parcels under 1,000 m², 140 m² on larger ones, and no more than 75% of the main dwelling's floor area; at least 3.0 m from the house; separate entrance; no roof-top deck. No suite may be subdivided or stratified. R2 allows 2 dwelling units per parcel, R3 allows 3, including suites.Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 4.2.4, 4.2.5, 4.2.7; Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 4.1.2; Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 6.7.6, 6.8.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingis 95 m2 on Parcels less than 1,000 m2 and 140 m2 on Parcels greater than 1,000 m2. be greater than 75% minimum distance of 3.0 m from the 100.0 m2 or 50% of first Storey area of the a) Dwelling Units 2 per Parcel including Accessory Dwelling Units a) Dwelling Units 3 per Parcel including Accessory Dwelling Units |
| Parking | One off-street parking space per bedroom of the suite, up to a maximum of 2. No visitor parking is required.Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, Table 2, row 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording3) Accessory Dwelling Unit 1 per bedroom up to a maximum of 2 |
| Permits | A building permit is required for new construction and for changes, alterations or additions to existing buildings. The Village also has a "Secondary Suite" type on its Report a Problem form.Building Permits; Report a Problem, Report a Problem form · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingChanges, alterations, reconstruction or additions to existing buildings or structures New construction of buildings or structures - Type of Problem*Accessibility IssuesIllegal Dumping/LitterGarbage/RecyclingGraffiti/VandalismNoiseWeeds/Invasive SpeciesParksPlayground Repairs/MaintenancePotholes/Roads MaintenanceMunicipal FacilitiesSecondary SuiteSnow/IceSports Field/Sports Court MaintenanceStreetlightsStreet ParkingStreet SignsTrails/PathwaysTreesTripping HazardsUnsightly PremisesConstruction Site SafetyWater LeakWater - OtherOther |
| Bylaw | Village of Radium Hot Springs Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, ss. 4.1 and 4.2 (suites), Table 2 (parking) and the zone sections.Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 1.1.1; Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026, s. 4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingVillage of Radium Hot Springs Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026 4.1 Accessory Dwelling Units (Attached) 4.2 Accessory Dwelling Units (Detached) |
How it works
Suites are regulated in ss. 4.1 and 4.2 of the Zoning Bylaw No. 528.
Attached suite. An attached accessory dwelling unit (in a basement, a storey or a converted garage) is allowed as an accessory use to a one-unit or two-unit residential building, one per principal dwelling unit. It is a listed accessory use in the R2, R3, R4, R5, RTA and AG zones. Size: up to 100% of the basement (or first storey) for existing buildings; for new construction, 100 m² or 50% of the first storey, whichever is greater.
Detached suite (coach house or garden suite). Allowed only on a parcel with a one-unit residential building, where the zone lists it, and not on a parcel that has an attached suite. It must be on the community water and sewer systems. It may be 95 m² on parcels under 1,000 m² or 140 m² on larger ones, and no more than 75% of the main dwelling's floor area. It must be at least 3.0 m from the house, have a separate entrance and have no roof-top deck.
No suite may be subdivided or stratified. R2 allows 2 dwelling units per parcel and R3 allows 3, including suites.
Parking: one off-street space per bedroom of the suite, up to a maximum of 2. No visitor parking is required.
Steps
- Check your zone. See the zoning-lookup answer.
- Confirm the size limits above.
- Apply for a building permit; one is needed for new construction and for changes, alterations or additions to existing buildings.
- Ask Building and Development Services whether a development permit is also needed.
Good to know
- Whether the C zones allow a suite was not checked here.
- The Village's pages do not say whether a development permit (the wildfire area covers all Village land) is needed for a suite. Wildfire development permit applications have no fee.
- We did not find a rule requiring the owner to live on the parcel for a long-term suite. An owner or long-term tenant must live there for a short-term rental suite; see the short-term-rental answer.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Invermere · Canal Flats · Golden · Kaslo · Elkford · Kimberley
Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
- Building Permits, Village of Radium Hot Springs (read 2026-11-08)
- Report a Problem, Village of Radium Hot Springs (read 2026-11-08)
- Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 530, 2026 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
- Building Permit Guide, Village of Radium Hot Springs (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
- Building and Development Services, Village of Radium Hot Springs (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.