{"title":"Tofino secondary suite and carriage house rules","question":"Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Tofino?","slug":"secondary-suite","place":{"path":"ca/bc/tofino","name":"Tofino","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 Tofino","url":"https://tofino.ca"},"short_answer":"In Tofino a secondary suite inside a house is a permitted use in the R1 and R2 residential zones and several others, and needs a building permit. The Zoning Bylaw does not name carriage houses or garden suites. Check your zone first.","aliases":["secondary suite tofino","basement suite tofino","carriage house tofino","legal suite tofino"],"cost":"Building permit fee of $9 per $1,000 of construction value, $120 minimum. See building-permit-fees.","how_long":"The District does not state a processing time.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Planning Services","value":"250-725-3229"},{"type":"phone","label":"Building Inspector","value":"250-726-6349"},{"type":"online","label":"Zoning map and GIS portal","value":"https://tofino.ca/business-development/maps-zoning/"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (PDF)","url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/"},{"title":"Building Permit Guide (PDF)","url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/180182/"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Tofino building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/building-permit/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Tofino zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"short-term-rental","title":"Tofino short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/short-term-rental/"},{"slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","title":"Tofino permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/deck-shed-garage-permit/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/ucluelet","name":"Ucluelet","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ucluelet/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/gold-river","name":"Gold River","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-alberni","name":"Port Alberni","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/cumberland","name":"Cumberland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/courtenay","name":"Courtenay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/secondary-suite/"},{"place":"ca/bc/comox","name":"Comox","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/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":"A secondary suite inside a house is a permitted use in the R1 and R2 residential zones, the R4, RM2 and RM3 zones, and the A1 to A4 and RA1 to RA3 zones, and in several comprehensive development zones.","short":"Yes, in R1, R2, R4, RM2, RM3, A and RA zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF)","section":"Parts 8 to 20","quotes":["Secondary Suite.","One Secondary Suite in a single family dwelling or Secondary Suites in a two family","One Caretakers Cottage or One Secondary Suite; and,","Secondary Suites."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"detached_allowed":{"label":"Coach house or garden suite allowed","value":"The bylaw does not name coach houses or garden suites. A secondary suite must be inside a building. A separate 'caretaker cottage' of up to 70 m² footprint is allowed in RA1 to RA3, R4 and A1 to A4 zones, but not where a suite exists in the main dwelling.","short":"Not named; caretaker cottage up to 70 m² in some zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF)","section":"Part 2 and s. 4.1.6","quotes":["SECONDARY SUITE means a self-contained dwelling unit located within a building or portion of a","A maximum of one caretaker cottage is permitted per lot in RA1, RA2, RA3,","The maximum building footprint of a caretaker cottage is 70 m2 (753 ft2)","A caretaker cottage not permitted where a Secondary Suite is permitted and","An accessory building or structure shall not be used as a dwelling."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"limits":{"label":"Limits","value":"A suite is a self-contained unit within a building, behind a 1-hour fire separation, in a building with only one other dwelling unit, and both units must be one real estate entity. One suite per single-family dwelling.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF)","section":"Part 2 (definition) and s. 9.1","quotes":["SECONDARY SUITE means a self-contained dwelling unit located within a building or portion of a","of only residential occupancy that contains only one other dwelling unit and common","where both dwelling units constitute a single real estate entity.","One Secondary Suite in a single family dwelling or Secondary Suites in a two family"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"parking":{"label":"Parking","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"permits":{"label":"Permits","value":"A building permit is required for a new or converted secondary suite. The zone must allow the suite, and a development permit may also be needed in a development permit area.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tofino.ca/business-development/building-development/building-permits-inspections/","title":"Building Permits and Inspections, District of Tofino","section":"Is a Building Permit Required?","quotes":["Secondary Suites","New or converted secondary suites"]},{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/180182/","title":"Building Permit Guide (PDF), District of Tofino","section":"Building and Development Administration","quotes":["Legitimizing or installing a secondary suite in an existing building"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (as amended by Bylaw No. 1286) and Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF)","section":"Title","quotes":["Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997"]},{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/filepro/document/94955/Building%20Bylaw%20No.%201256,%202019.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019 (PDF)","section":"Title","quotes":["District of Tofino Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe District of Tofino's [Zoning Bylaw No. 770](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/) allows a secondary suite inside a house in the R1 and R2 residential zones, the R4, RM2 and RM3 zones, the A1 to A4 and RA1 to RA3 zones, and several comprehensive development zones. Zones not listed, such as commercial zones, were not fully checked. Find your zone on the District's zoning map.\n\nA suite is a self-contained unit within a building, behind a 1-hour fire separation, in a building with only one other dwelling unit, and both units must be one real estate entity. One suite is allowed per single-family dwelling.\n\nThe bylaw does not name coach houses or garden suites, and a suite must be inside a building. A separate caretaker cottage of up to 70 m² footprint is allowed in RA1 to RA3, R4 and A1 to A4 zones, but not where a suite exists in the main dwelling, and it is for caretaker accommodation.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Look up your zone and confirm it allows a suite (see zoning-lookup). Ask Planning Services whether a development permit area applies.\n2. Apply for a building permit through the District's permit portal.\n3. Build to the permit, and book inspections.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The Zoning Bylaw states no suite parking rate, no owner-occupancy rule and no suite floor-area limit that we found. Ask Planning Services.\n- For a suite built without permits, the guide says the District will not issue an Occupancy Permit but may allow conversion to a long-term suite if upgraded, with a Notice on Title. Such a unit should not be used for a short-term rental licence.\n- Separate rules limit short-term rental use of suites (see short-term-rental).","sources":[{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/filepro/document/94955/Building%20Bylaw%20No.%201256,%202019.pdf","title":"Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/180182/","title":"Building Permit Guide (PDF), District of Tofino","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://tofino.ca/business-development/building-development/building-permits-inspections/","title":"Building Permits and Inspections, District of Tofino","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/secondary-suite/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/secondary-suite.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/secondary-suite.json"}}