Silverton secondary suite and carriage house rules
Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Silverton?
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.
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.Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, ss. 3.5, 6.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingAn 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) |
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| 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, ss. 3.5, 6.1(d); definitions · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingAdditional Dwelling Unit (Detached) and may include a carriage house or suite above a stand-alone garage. |
| 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Definitions; s. 3.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingshall 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. |
| 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, s. 3.23(a); Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026, s. 6.3.2 Policy 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordinga minimum of one Standard space shall be provided on the same Parcel as the Dwelling Unit unless this requirement is exempted through provincial legislation; ADUs shall not require any additional parking to be provided on site beyond the |
| 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, ss. 3.5(a), 4.23; Building Permit brochure (PDF, March 2024), Regional District of Central Kootenay, When is a building permit required · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingthe 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. Renovate your dwelling to create a secondary suite |
| Bylaw | Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, s. 3.5; Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Title; Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026, Title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingZoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026 Village of Silverton Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026 |
How it works
Silverton calls these Additional Dwelling Units. Under Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 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
- Confirm your zone with the Village Office.
- Have your servicing assessed, including on-site sewerage if you have no village sewer.
- Apply to the RDCK for a building permit; the RDCK lists creating a secondary suite as needing one.
- 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
The same question in other places
New Denver · Slocan · Kaslo · Nakusp · Nelson · Castlegar
Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Zoning Bylaw No. 563, 2026, Village of Silverton (read 2026-11-08)
- Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 562, 2026, Village of Silverton (read 2026-11-08)
- Building Permit brochure (PDF, March 2024), Regional District of Central Kootenay (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.