{"title":"Sooke secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Sooke?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/sooke","name":"Sooke","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":"District of Sooke","url":"https://sooke.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes. In Sooke, most residential zones allow a secondary suite inside the house and a detached \"small suite\" of up to 90 m². Either needs a District building permit, and the suite may not be lived in until it passes final inspection. Confirm your zone first.","aliases":["secondary suite sooke","basement suite sooke","carriage house sooke","garden suite sooke","accessory dwelling unit sooke"],"cost":"Building permit fees apply; see the building-permit-fees answer.","how_long":"Not stated on the District's pages.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Planning and Development, District of Sooke","value":"250-642-1634"},{"type":"email","label":"Planning and Development","value":"planning@sooke.ca"},{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Hall","value":"2205 Otter Point Road, Sooke, BC V9Z 1J2","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke","url":"https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/"},{"title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013 (PDF)","url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Sooke building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/building-permit/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Sooke building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/building-permit-fees/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Sooke zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"short-term-rental","title":"Sooke short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/short-term-rental/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/metchosin","name":"Metchosin","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/colwood","name":"Colwood","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/highlands","name":"Highlands","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/esquimalt","name":"Esquimalt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/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":"Secondary suites (inside the house) are listed as accessory uses in the rural zones (RU1 to RU5) and the small-scale multi-unit residential zones R1, R2 and R3, among others. The District says most residential zones allow them; confirm your zone and servicing.","short":"Yes, in RU1 to RU5 and R1 to R3 zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf","title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"Schedules 101 to 105, 201 to 203, s. 5.1","quotes":["Large Lot Residential                                    R1","g) Secondary suite","h) Small suite"]},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/","title":"Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke","section":"Secondary Suites and ADUs page","quotes":["Most residential zones in Sooke permit secondary suites and accessory dwelling units"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"Yes. A 'small suite' is a detached accessory dwelling of up to 90 m², either freestanding or combined with an accessory building, permitted in the same residential zones. On lots under 1 ha it must be connected to a community sewer.","short":"Yes, small suite up to 90 m² in same zones as suites","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf","title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"s. 3.28 and definitions","quotes":["SUITE, SMALL means an accessory dwelling unit not exceeding 90 m 2 in floor area,","A small suite shall be freestanding or combined with an accessory building.","For lots less than 1 ha (10,000 m2) in area, a small suite must be connected to"]},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/","title":"Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke","section":"Secondary Suites and ADUs page","quotes":["Garden suites or carriage houses (detached units)"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"A secondary suite may take up no more than 40% of the habitable floor area of the house and must be 40 to 90 m². Small suite: up to 90 m², a manufactured or modular one up to 13 m long. Neither can be stratified. Total dwelling units per lot are capped by zone (for example R1: 3 units on lots 280 m² or smaller, 4 on larger lots in the growth area, 2 on others). No owner-occupancy rule was found.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf","title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"ss. 3.27, 3.28","quotes":["A secondary suite shall not occupy more than 40% of the habitable floor area","The floor area of a secondary suite shall not exceed 90 m 2 or be less than 40","A small suite cannot be stratified from the principal dwelling."]},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf","title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"Schedule 201 (R1) s. 201.5","quotes":["For lots 280 m2 or smaller: 3 dwelling units","For lots larger than 280 m2: 4 dwelling units"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":"1 space per suite, in addition to the house's own parking (the District's page says one for the main dwelling and one for the suite).","short":"1 space per suite, plus the house's own","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf","title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"s. 4.7 parking table","quotes":["Secondary Suite or Small Suite             1 per suite"]},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/","title":"Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke","section":"Secondary Suites and ADUs page, Parking Considerations","quotes":["One space for the principal dwelling, and","One additional space for the suite or ADU."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A building permit is required for any new secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit, or when converting space into a dwelling unit. Occupancy only after final inspection approval. Septic properties typically need Island Health review. A development permit applies only if the lot is in a development permit area.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/","title":"Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke","section":"Secondary Suites and ADUs page, FAQ","quotes":["A building permit, in accordance with teh BC Building Code, is required for any new secondary suite or ADU","If the property uses an on-site septic system, review and approval from Island Health is typically required."]},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/mkzjluxa/building-bylaw-no-780-2020-consolidated.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"s. 11(1)(a)","quotes":["the owner must apply for and obtain a development permit"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013 (ss. 3.26 to 3.28), and Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf","title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"s. 3.27","quotes":["3.27   Suites - Secondary Suites"]},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/mkzjluxa/building-bylaw-no-780-2020-consolidated.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020 (PDF), District of Sooke","section":"title page","quotes":["BUILDING BYLAW NO. 780, 2020"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\n[Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf) lists secondary suites as an accessory use in the rural zones (RU1 to RU5) and the small-scale multi-unit residential zones R1, R2 and R3, among others. The District says most residential zones allow them, but confirm your zone and servicing.\n\n- **Secondary suite:** inside the house, 40 to 90 m², and no more than 40% of the house's habitable floor area.\n- **Small suite (detached):** up to 90 m², freestanding or combined with an accessory building. A manufactured or modular one may be up to 13 m long. On lots under 1 ha it must connect to a community sewer.\n- Neither can be stratified. Each zone also caps the total dwellings per lot (for example R1: 3 units on lots of 280 m² or smaller, 4 on larger lots in the growth area, 2 on others).\n- The bylaw has no owner-occupancy rule that we found. Suites may be used as vacation accommodation.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Confirm your zone and sewer or septic servicing with Planning (planning@sooke.ca).\n2. Apply for a building permit with drawings; a permit is required for any new suite or when converting space to a dwelling.\n3. If you have a septic system, expect Island Health review. A development permit applies only if your lot is in a development permit area.\n4. Do not occupy the suite until the final inspection is approved.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Provide 1 parking space for the suite, in addition to the house's own parking. The parking table's per-dwelling counts differ by zone, so check yours.\n- A bed and breakfast is not allowed in a house with a secondary suite.\n- Fees are in the building-permit-fees answer.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/","title":"Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf","title":"Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sooke.ca/media/mkzjluxa/building-bylaw-no-780-2020-consolidated.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020 (PDF), District of Sooke","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","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/sooke/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/secondary-suite.json"}}