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Salmo secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Salmo?

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

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.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedYes: 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).Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 5.4.4(a), 5.6.4(a), 5.12.3(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
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)
Coach house or garden suite allowedYes, 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 5.4.4(d), 5.4.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
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.
LimitsOnly 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 5.4.4; definition of Secondary Suite; s. 4.29.4(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
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)
ParkingOne additional off-street parking space for each secondary dwelling unit.Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 4.29.2(b), 5.4.10 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
One (1) additional off-street parking space must be provided for an accessory dwelling.
PermitsA 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.Building Inspections, Building Inspections page; Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 4.29.2(a), 5.4.7 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
create a secondary suite
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.
BylawZoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (ss. 4.29, 5.4); Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618.Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, Citation; Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
The Village of Salmo Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026
This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the "Building Bylaw (2010)"

How it works

The Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 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.

Steps

  1. Call the Village Office at 250-357-9433 to confirm your zone and what applies.
  2. For a secondary house, cabin or garage suite, apply for a Development Permit when there is already a dwelling on the lot.
  3. Apply for a building permit; the Village lists "create a secondary suite" as needing one.
  4. Sewage and water supply approval may be needed.

Good to know

  • 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.
  • One extra off-street parking space is required for each secondary dwelling unit.
  • 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.
  • No owner-occupancy rule was found in the Zoning Bylaw.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Fruitvale · Montrose · Castlegar · Nelson · Trail · Warfield

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

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Building Inspections, Village of Salmo (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618 (PDF), Village of Salmo (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.