{"title":"Salmo secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Salmo?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/salmo","name":"Salmo","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":"Village of Salmo","url":"https://salmo.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes. Salmo's Zoning Bylaw allows a secondary suite in a single detached house in the R-1, RM-1 and RR-1 zones, and a detached secondary house, cabin or garage suite as an accessory building. You need a building permit, and a Development Permit for the detached types.","aliases":["secondary suite salmo","basement suite salmo","carriage house salmo","garden suite salmo"],"cost":"Building permit and Development Permit fees are not stated here; see the building-permit-fees answer.","how_long":"The Village does not state a processing time.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Village Office","value":"423 Davies Avenue, PO Box 1000, Salmo, BC V0G 1Z0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. daily and on statutory holidays)."},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250-357-9433"},{"type":"email","label":"Village Office","value":"info@salmo.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf"},{"title":"Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618 (PDF), Village of Salmo","url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/618-Building-Bylaw-2010.pdf"},{"title":"Building Inspections, Village of Salmo","url":"https://salmo.ca/services/building-inspections/"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Salmo building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/building-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Salmo building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/building-permit-fees/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Salmo zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Salmo permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/deck-shed-garage-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/fruitvale","name":"Fruitvale","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/montrose","name":"Montrose","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/castlegar","name":"Castlegar","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/nelson","name":"Nelson","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/trail","name":"Trail","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/warfield","name":"Warfield","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/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: a single detached house may contain a secondary suite in R-1 (Single and Two-Family Residential), RM-1 (Multi-Family Residential) and RR-1 (Rural Resource).","short":"Yes, in R-1, RM-1 and RR-1 zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","section":"s. 5.4.4(a), 5.6.4(a), 5.12.3(a)","quotes":["one (1) single detached house, (which may contain a Secondary Suite) with attached Garage or Carport;","One (1) single detached house (which may contain a Secondary Suite or suite above the garage)"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"Yes, in R-1: a detached or two-storey secondary house, a cabin, or a garage with a suite above, as one permitted accessory building, no larger than the principal dwelling. A Development Permit is needed for these when there is already a dwelling.","short":"Yes, in R-1, as one accessory building","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","section":"s. 5.4.4(d), 5.4.7","quotes":["a two-storey Secondary House or Garage with suite above, no larger than the principal dwelling;","unless a Development Permit is granted for a Secondary House, Cabin, or a Garage with suite above."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"Only one secondary dwelling unit per lot (an exception may allow two if parking and other requirements are met). A secondary suite must be inside the single-detached dwelling and smaller than 40% of its habitable floor space. A secondary house is limited to 92.9 m² on lots under 0.2 ha (111.5 m² on larger lots) or 80% of the main house footprint.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","section":"s. 5.4.4; definition of Secondary Suite; s. 4.29.4(a)","quotes":["Only one (1) secondary dwelling unit is permitted (e.g.: a Secondary Suite in the house or a separate Secondary House).","having a floor space less than 40% of the total habitable floor space of that building.","Maximum footprint for a Secondary House is 92.9m2 (1,000ft2) on lots under 0.2 hectare (.5 acre)"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"One additional off-street parking space for each secondary dwelling unit.","short":"1 extra space per secondary unit","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","section":"s. 4.29.2(b), 5.4.10","quotes":["One (1) additional off-street parking space must be provided for an accessory dwelling."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A building permit (the Village lists \"create a secondary suite\") and a Development Permit for a secondary house, cabin or garage suite. Approval of sewage and water supply may be needed.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://salmo.ca/services/building-inspections/","title":"Building Inspections, Village of Salmo","section":"Building Inspections page","quotes":["create a secondary suite"]},{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","section":"s. 4.29.2(a), 5.4.7","quotes":["subject to approval from the Village and/or the regional health authority for sewage disposal and water supply","unless a Development Permit is granted for a Secondary House, Cabin, or a Garage with suite above."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (ss. 4.29, 5.4); Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","section":"Citation","quotes":["The Village of Salmo Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026"]},{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/618-Building-Bylaw-2010.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618 (PDF), Village of Salmo","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the \"Building Bylaw (2010)\""]}],"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 [Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026](https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf) lets a single detached house in Salmo's R-1 (Single and Two-Family Residential), RM-1 (Multi-Family Residential) and RR-1 (Rural Resource) zones contain a secondary suite. In R-1, a detached or two-storey secondary house, a cabin, or a garage with a suite above is also allowed as one permitted accessory building, no larger than the principal dwelling. RM-1 and RR-1 have similar wording. Other zones were not checked.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Call the Village Office at 250-357-9433 to confirm your zone and what applies.\n2. For a secondary house, cabin or garage suite, apply for a Development Permit when there is already a dwelling on the lot.\n3. Apply for a building permit; the Village lists \"create a secondary suite\" as needing one.\n4. Sewage and water supply approval may be needed.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Only one secondary dwelling unit per lot (an exception may allow two if parking and other requirements are met).\n- A secondary suite must be inside the single detached dwelling and smaller than 40% of its habitable floor space.\n- A secondary house is limited to 92.9 m² on lots under 0.2 ha (111.5 m² on larger lots) or 80% of the main house footprint.\n- One extra off-street parking space is required for each secondary dwelling unit.\n- Development Permit Areas in the Official Community Plan (aquifer, flood, slope, wildfire) may also apply. We could not read that plan, so ask the Village.\n- No owner-occupancy rule was found in the Zoning Bylaw.","sources":[{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/773-Zoning-Bylaw-2026-Website-Copy.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://salmo.ca/services/building-inspections/","title":"Building Inspections, Village of Salmo","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://salmo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/618-Building-Bylaw-2010.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618 (PDF), Village of Salmo","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/salmo/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/secondary-suite.json"}}