---
title: Sechelt secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Sechelt?"
place: Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/sechelt
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Sechelt
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Sechelt secondary suite and carriage house rules

**Question:** Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Sechelt?

**Short answer:** Sechelt permits secondary suites in all residential and rural zones, though not automatically on every property. Zoning allows one suite per dwelling unit in a single-detached or two-unit dwelling. Detached units such as carriage houses are allowed in some zones. A building permit is required.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Sechelt, https://www.sechelt.ca)  
**Cost:** Building permit fees depend on the value of the work (see building-permit-fees). Converting an unregistered suite costs $290.  
**How long:** The District says a building permit can take 2 to 6 weeks, possibly longer.  
**Where:**
- Online: Cloudpermit, https://ca.cloudpermit.com/gov/login
- In person: Municipal Hall, 2nd Floor, 5797 Cowrie Street, Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0 (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (days of the week not stated on the page))
- Phone: Planning Department, 604-740-8459
- Phone: Building Department, 604-740-8468

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** The District says it permits secondary suites in all residential and rural zones, but not automatically on every property. A suite must be inside the single-detached dwelling, and the zoning bylaw allows one secondary suite per dwelling unit in a single-detached or two-unit dwelling.
  - Source: [Secondary Suites, Secondary Suite Requirements](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites/)
  - Official wording: "the District of Sechelt permits secondary suites in all residential and rural zones." … "Properties located within the allowable zones are not automatically permitted to have a secondary suite:" … "The secondary suite must be located within the single-detached dwelling, which is a single real estate entity."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025), s. 2.3.2](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a) A maximum of one Secondary Suite is permitted per Dwelling Unit in a Single-Detached Dwelling or Two-Unit Dwelling."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** A Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (including carriage houses, laneway houses and garden suites) is an accessory use in zones such as R1 (on parcels 2,000 m² or larger) and R2. In R2 on water and sewer, a single-detached dwelling may have a suite plus two detached units. Infill housing such as laneway homes and coach houses needs a form and character development permit.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025), s. 1.1.3 (R1)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Parcels 2,000 m2 or larger One Single-Detached Dwelling One Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025), s. 1.2.4 (R2)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a) Single Detached Dwelling with a Secondary Suite plus two Detached Accessory Dwelling Units."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025), definitions](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "including guest cottages, carriage and laneway houses, and detached garage suites."
  - Source: [Development Permits, Form and Character Development Permits](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/planning-and-development/development-permits/)
  - Official wording: "infill housing such as laneway homes, cottages, and coach houses do require a form and character Development Permit under DPA 8"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** One secondary suite per dwelling unit in a single-detached or two-unit dwelling. A detached unit is limited to 120 m² floor area, including any attached garage or workspace. Neither may be divided off by strata. Zoning sets no floor-area limit for a suite, but the District's page says the suite plan must show a 40 percent total area limit and a 90 m² limit. (Sources differ: The District's page names a 40% / 90 m² suite limit that the Zoning Bylaw (consolidated May 2025) does not contain; those limits may come from the Building Code or older rules. No owner-occupancy rule found in Zoning Bylaw s. 2.3 or on the page.)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025), s. 2.3](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a) A Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit shall have a maximum Gross Floor Area of 120 m2." … "b) A Secondary Suite does not contain a Gross Floor Area maximum." … "must not be divided from the primary Dwelling Unit to create two separate parcels within a building strata."
  - Source: [Secondary Suites, Floor Plans for Building Permit](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites/)
  - Official wording: "floor plans of the complete house to determine the 40 percent total area limit of the suite, and the 90 m2 limit."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Parking:** The District's page says the property must allow three off-street spaces: two for the main house and one for the suite. The Zoning Bylaw requires 1.0 space per secondary suite and 2.0 per single-detached dwelling, but only 0.5 space for suites in a Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) zone.
  - Source: [Secondary Suites, Secondary Suite Requirements](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites/)
  - Official wording: "The property must allow for three (3) off-street parking spaces (2 are required for the primary residence and 1 for the secondary suite)."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025), s. 3.13](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Suite and Detached 1.0 per Dwelling Unit" … "Single-Detached Dwelling, Two- 2.0 spaces per dwelling" … "Secondary Suites and Detached 0.5 spaces per Dwelling Unit" … "Accessory Dwelling Units within a SSMUH zone"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permits:** A building permit must be applied for before any work to build or legalize a suite, through Cloudpermit. Plumbing, gas and electrical permits are also needed (gas and electrical by a licensed contractor), a separate meter and panel for new dwellings with a suite, and a septic assessment on septic systems. Converting an unregistered suite costs $290.
  - Source: [Secondary Suites, BUILDING / UPGRADING A SECONDARY SUITE](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites/)
  - Official wording: "Before commencing with any work associated with the legalization of a secondary suite, a Building Permit must be applied for." … "For safety reasons Gas and Electrical Permits must be taken out by a licensed contractor." … "a septic assessment is required before a secondary suite can be approved."
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 575, 2019 (PDF, consolidated March 2026), Schedule F, item 11](https://sechelt-ca.govstack.com/media/bz5dgd1e/575-2019-fees-and-charges-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Conversion of an unregistered secondary 11 $290.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (ss. 2.3, 3.13 and the zone sections) and Building Bylaw No. 409, 2003
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025), s. 2.3](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "2.3 Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites, and Caretaker Dwelling Units"
  - Source: [Secondary Suites, Secondary Suite Requirements](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites/)
  - Official wording: "District of Sechelt Zoning Bylaw 580, 2022"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The District of Sechelt permits secondary suites in all residential and rural zones, but not automatically on every property. A suite must be inside the single-detached dwelling. [Zoning Bylaw 580](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf) allows one secondary suite per dwelling unit in a single-detached or two-unit dwelling. Some zones add conditions, so check yours.

A Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (carriage house, laneway house or garden suite) is an accessory use in zones such as R1 (on parcels 2,000 m² or larger) and R2. In R2 on water and sewer, a single-detached dwelling may have a suite plus two detached units. A detached unit is limited to 120 m² of floor area, including any attached garage or workspace, and neither type may be strata-divided. Laneway homes and coach houses need a form and character development permit.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone and whether a suite or detached unit is allowed (zoning-lookup answer).
2. Apply for a building permit through Cloudpermit before any work to build or legalize a suite.
3. Get plumbing, gas and electrical permits (gas and electrical by a licensed contractor). New dwellings with a suite need a separate meter and panel; septic systems need an assessment.

## Good to know

- Suite size: the District's page says the suite plan must show a 40 percent total area limit and a 90 m² limit. The Zoning Bylaw sets no floor-area limit for a suite. Confirm with Planning.
- Parking: the page says the property must allow three off-street spaces (two for the house, one for the suite). The Zoning Bylaw requires 1.0 space per suite and 2.0 per single-detached dwelling, but 0.5 for suites in a Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing zone. Ask Planning which applies.

## Official forms and pages

- [Secondary Suites, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Sechelt building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/building-permit.md)
- [Sechelt building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Sechelt zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Sechelt short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/short-term-rental.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Gibsons](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/secondary-suite.md)
- [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/secondary-suite.md)
- [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/secondary-suite.md)
- [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/secondary-suite.md)
- [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/secondary-suite.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Secondary Suites, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 580, 2022 (PDF, consolidated May 2025)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/rdjpiexj/580-2022-zoning-bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 575, 2019 (PDF, consolidated March 2026)](https://sechelt-ca.govstack.com/media/bz5dgd1e/575-2019-fees-and-charges-consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Development Permits, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/planning-and-development/development-permits/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building and Renovating, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/business-and-development/building-and-renovating/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Contacts Directory, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/contacts-directory/) (read 2026-11-06)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Sechelt. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/secondary-suite/_