---
title: Tofino secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Tofino?"
place: Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/tofino
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Tofino
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Tofino secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Tofino, https://tofino.ca)  
**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:**
- Phone: Planning Services, 250-725-3229
- Phone: Building Inspector, 250-726-6349
- Online: Zoning map and GIS portal, https://tofino.ca/business-development/maps-zoning/

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF), Parts 8 to 20](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF), Part 2 and s. 4.1.6](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF), Part 2 (definition) and s. 9.1](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Permits:** 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.
  - Source: [Building Permits and Inspections, Is a Building Permit Required?](https://tofino.ca/business-development/building-development/building-permits-inspections/)
  - Official wording: "Secondary Suites" … "New or converted secondary suites"
  - Source: [Building Permit Guide, Building and Development Administration](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/180182/)
  - Official wording: "Legitimizing or installing a secondary suite in an existing building"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (as amended by Bylaw No. 1286) and Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF), Title](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019, Title](https://tofino.civicweb.net/filepro/document/94955/Building%20Bylaw%20No.%201256,%202019.pdf)
  - Official wording: "District of Tofino Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The 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.

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 is allowed per single-family dwelling.

The 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.

## Steps

1. Look up your zone and confirm it allows a suite (see zoning-lookup). Ask Planning Services whether a development permit area applies.
2. Apply for a building permit through the District's permit portal.
3. Build to the permit, and book inspections.

## Good to know

- The Zoning Bylaw states no suite parking rate, no owner-occupancy rule and no suite floor-area limit that we found. Ask Planning Services.
- 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.
- Separate rules limit short-term rental use of suites (see short-term-rental).

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (PDF)](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/)
- [Building Permit Guide (PDF)](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/180182/)

## Related questions

- [Tofino building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/building-permit.md)
- [Tofino zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Tofino short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/short-term-rental.md)
- [Tofino permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Ucluelet](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ucluelet/secondary-suite.md)
- [Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/secondary-suite.md)
- [Port Alberni](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/secondary-suite.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/secondary-suite.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/secondary-suite.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 770, 1997 (consolidated, PDF)](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/157800/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 1256, 2019 (PDF)](https://tofino.civicweb.net/filepro/document/94955/Building%20Bylaw%20No.%201256,%202019.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permit Guide (PDF), District of Tofino](https://tofino.civicweb.net/document/180182/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permits and Inspections, District of Tofino](https://tofino.ca/business-development/building-development/building-permits-inspections/) (read 2026-11-08)

_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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Tofino. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/secondary-suite/_