Sooke secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

Sooke, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

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.

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.Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, Schedules 101 to 105, 201 to 203, s. 5.1; Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Large Lot Residential R1 g) Secondary suite h) Small suite Most residential zones in Sooke permit secondary suites and accessory dwelling units
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.Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.28 and definitions; Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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 Garden suites or carriage houses (detached units)
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.Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, ss. 3.27, 3.28; Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, Schedule 201 (R1) s. 201.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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. For lots 280 m2 or smaller: 3 dwelling units For lots larger than 280 m2: 4 dwelling units
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).Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 4.7 parking table; Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page, Parking Considerations · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Secondary Suite or Small Suite 1 per suite One space for the principal dwelling, and One additional space for the suite or ADU.
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.Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, Secondary Suites and ADUs page, FAQ; Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020, s. 11(1)(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 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. the owner must apply for and obtain a development permit
Bylaw	Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013 (ss. 3.26 to 3.28), and Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026, s. 3.27; Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020, title page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording 3.27 Suites - Secondary Suites BUILDING BYLAW NO. 780, 2020

How it works

Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600 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

Confirm your zone and sewer or septic servicing with Planning (planning@sooke.ca).
Apply for a building permit with drawings; a permit is required for any new suite or when converting space to a dwelling.
If you have a septic system, expect Island Health review. A development permit applies only if your lot is in a development permit area.
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

The same question in other places

Metchosin · Langford · Colwood · Highlands · View Royal · Esquimalt

Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Secondary Suites and Accessory Dwelling Units, District of Sooke (read 2026-11-06)
Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013, consolidated to April 2026 (PDF), District of Sooke (read 2026-11-06)
Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020 (PDF), District of Sooke (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. How answers are checked.