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

# Sooke secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Sooke, https://sooke.ca)  
**Cost:** Building permit fees apply; see the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** Not stated on the District's pages.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Planning and Development, District of Sooke, 250-642-1634
- Email: Planning and Development, planning@sooke.ca
- In person: Municipal Hall, 2205 Otter Point Road, Sooke, BC V9Z 1J2 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, Schedules 101 to 105, 201 to 203, s. 5.1](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Large Lot Residential R1" … "g) Secondary suite" … "h) Small suite"
  - Source: [Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page](https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/)
  - Official wording: "Most residential zones in Sooke permit secondary suites and accessory dwelling units"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.28 and definitions](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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"
  - Source: [Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page](https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/)
  - Official wording: "Garden suites or carriage houses (detached units)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, ss. 3.27, 3.28](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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."
  - Source: [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, Schedule 201 (R1) s. 201.5](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)
  - Official wording: "For lots 280 m2 or smaller: 3 dwelling units" … "For lots larger than 280 m2: 4 dwelling units"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Parking:** 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).
  - Source: [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 4.7 parking table](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Suite or Small Suite 1 per suite"
  - Source: [Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page, Parking Considerations](https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/)
  - Official wording: "One space for the principal dwelling, and" … "One additional space for the suite or ADU."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permits:** 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.
  - Source: [Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page, FAQ](https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/)
  - Official wording: "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."
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020, s. 11(1)(a)](https://www.sooke.ca/media/mkzjluxa/building-bylaw-no-780-2020-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "the owner must apply for and obtain a development permit"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013 (ss. 3.26 to 3.28), and Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020
  - Source: [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.27](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)
  - Official wording: "3.27 Suites - Secondary Suites"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020, title page](https://www.sooke.ca/media/mkzjluxa/building-bylaw-no-780-2020-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "BUILDING BYLAW NO. 780, 2020"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

[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.

- **Secondary suite:** inside the house, 40 to 90 m², and no more than 40% of the house's habitable floor area.
- **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.
- 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).
- The bylaw has no owner-occupancy rule that we found. Suites may be used as vacation accommodation.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone and sewer or septic servicing with Planning (planning@sooke.ca).
2. Apply for a building permit with drawings; a permit is required for any new suite or when converting space to a dwelling.
3. If you have a septic system, expect Island Health review. A development permit applies only if your lot is in a development permit area.
4. Do not occupy the suite until the final inspection is approved.

## Good to know

- 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.
- A bed and breakfast is not allowed in a house with a secondary suite.
- Fees are in the building-permit-fees answer.

## Official forms and pages

- [Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/)
- [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013 (PDF)](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Sooke building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/building-permit.md)
- [Sooke building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Sooke zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Sooke short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/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)
- [Metchosin](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/secondary-suite.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/secondary-suite.md)
- [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/secondary-suite.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/secondary-suite.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/secondary-suite.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/programs-services/building-and-renovating/secondary-suites-and-accessory-dwelling-units/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/media/4amdk3cw/bylaw-600-consolidation-to-2026-04-16.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020 (PDF), District of Sooke](https://www.sooke.ca/media/mkzjluxa/building-bylaw-no-780-2020-consolidated.pdf) (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 Sooke. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/secondary-suite/_