---
title: Silverton secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Silverton?"
place: Silverton, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/silverton
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: shared
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Silverton secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** Yes. Silverton's Zoning Bylaw allows a secondary suite or a carriage house wherever a single detached dwelling is allowed (R-1, C-1, I-1), if it is built to the BC Building Code under a permit, one unit is lived in long-term, and servicing is assessed as adequate.

**Who handles it:** More than one level of government  
**Cost:** Building permit fees are set by the RDCK; see the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** Not stated by the Village. Ask the RDCK Building Department about permit timing.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village Office, 250-358-2472
- Phone: RDCK Building Department, Nakusp office, 250-265-4111
- Email: Village Office, info@silverton.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Yes. An Additional Dwelling Unit, including a secondary suite, is permitted in zones that permit single detached dwellings (R-1, C-1, I-1), if built to BC Building Code under permit, at least one unit is lived in long-term, and servicing (including on-site sewerage) is professionally assessed as adequate.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, ss. 3.5, 6.1](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/)
  - Official wording: "An Additional Dwelling Unit is permitted in Zones permitting Single Detached Dwellings provided that:" … "at least one Dwelling Unit on the Parcel must be occupied long-term;" … "servicing capacity, including on-site sewerage, is professionally assessed to be" … "Additional Dwelling Unit (Attached)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Yes. A detached unit (carriage house or suite above a stand-alone garage) is permitted in R-1, C-1 and I-1, on the same conditions as a secondary suite.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, ss. 3.5, 6.1(d); definitions](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/)
  - Official wording: "Additional Dwelling Unit (Detached)" … "and may include a carriage house or suite above a stand-alone garage."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** A secondary suite may be no more than 40% of the principal building's floor area and needs its own entrance. No more than two additional units per parcel: one secondary suite and one carriage house. At least one unit must be occupied long-term.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Definitions; s. 3.5](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/)
  - Official wording: "shall not comprise more than 40% of the total floor area of the principal Building within which it is located" … "not more than two Additional Dwelling Units shall be permitted per Parcel, where one of the units is a Secondary Suite and the other is a Carriage House."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** Zoning: at least one standard parking space on the parcel for each dwelling unit, unless exempted by provincial legislation. (Sources differ: The OCP (Bylaw 562) policy says Additional Dwelling Units need no parking beyond the existing use; the zoning text requires one space per dwelling unit. Value follows the Zoning Bylaw.)
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, s. 3.23(a)](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/)
  - Official wording: "a minimum of one Standard space shall be provided on the same Parcel as the Dwelling Unit unless this requirement is exempted through provincial legislation;"
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026, s. 6.3.2 Policy 3](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22148/)
  - Official wording: "ADUs shall not require any additional parking to be provided on site beyond the"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** A building permit (the RDCK lists creating a secondary suite as needing one); the unit must be built to BC Building Code under permit. A wildfire development permit applies where a building permit is required.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, ss. 3.5(a), 4.23](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/)
  - Official wording: "the Additional Dwelling Unit is built to the standards of the BC Building Code" … "no new construction of a dwelling, addition, or accessory Structure for which a building permit is required is allowed without a Wildfire Protection Development Permit."
  - Source: [Building Permit brochure (PDF, March 2024), Regional District of Central Kootenay, When is a building permit required](https://rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-03-15-Building_Brochure_03-24.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Renovate your dwelling to create a secondary suite"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, s. 3.5; Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Title](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026"
  - Source: [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026, Title](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22148/)
  - Official wording: "Village of Silverton Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Silverton calls these Additional Dwelling Units. Under [Zoning Bylaw No. 563](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/), a secondary suite or a detached unit (a carriage house, or a suite above a stand-alone garage) is permitted in zones that allow single detached dwellings: R-1, C-1 and I-1.

Conditions: the unit is built to the BC Building Code under a permit, at least one unit is lived in long-term, and servicing (including on-site sewerage) is professionally assessed as adequate.

Limits: a secondary suite may be no more than 40% of the principal building's floor area and needs its own entrance. No more than two additional units per parcel: one secondary suite and one carriage house.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone with the Village Office.
2. Have your servicing assessed, including on-site sewerage if you have no village sewer.
3. Apply to the RDCK for a building permit; the RDCK lists creating a secondary suite as needing one.
4. Get a wildfire development permit, which applies where a building permit is required.

## Good to know

- Parking: the Zoning Bylaw requires at least one standard parking space per dwelling unit, unless provincial legislation exempts it. The Official Community Plan says no extra parking is needed, so confirm with the Village.
- The bylaw has no owner-occupancy rule for suites.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/)
- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22148/)

## Related questions

- [Silverton building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/building-permit.md)
- [Silverton zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Silverton short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/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)
- [New Denver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-denver/secondary-suite.md)
- [Slocan](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/slocan/secondary-suite.md)
- [Kaslo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kaslo/secondary-suite.md)
- [Nakusp](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/secondary-suite.md)
- [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/secondary-suite.md)
- [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Village of Silverton](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22147/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026, Village of Silverton](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22148/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permit brochure (PDF, March 2024), Regional District of Central Kootenay](https://rdck.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-03-15-Building_Brochure_03-24.pdf) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with any government. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/secondary-suite/_