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Tumbler Ridge secondary suite and carriage house rules

Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Tumbler Ridge?

Tumbler Ridge, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

Yes. Tumbler Ridge's Zoning Bylaw allows one secondary suite inside the main building, and one garden or carriage suite in a rear yard or accessory building, in the R1, R2, R3 and RR zones. A building permit is needed. A development permit may also apply in mapped areas.

Key facts

Secondary suite allowedYes, a secondary suite (inside the principal building) is allowed in the R1, R2, R3 and RR zones, with a maximum of one per parcel. A single-detached dwelling or a two-unit dwelling can have one.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.4.2, 5.5.1(a), (e) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Parcels zoned as R1, R2, R3, or RR can contain a secondary suite, an accessory suite, or both concurrently.
A maximum of one secondary suite is permitted per parcel in those residential zones where secondary suites are
permitted: R1, R2, R3, and RR.
and located within the principal building;
Coach house or garden suite allowedYes. A garden suite (stand-alone, rear yard) or carriage suite (second floor of an accessory building) is allowed in R1, R2, R3 and RR zones, one per parcel. It may be built on site or as a modular building.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Are permitted in the following zones: R1, R2, R3, and RR;
A maximum of one Accessory Suite is permitted per parcel;
An Accessory Suite may be constructed on-site or as a modular building.
A Carriage
Suite is located on the second floor of an accessory building
LimitsSecondary suite: one per parcel, inside the principal building, fully separated by walls or floors, sharing utility connections, with its own fire-separated entrance; may not be subdivided or strata titled. Accessory suite: 20 m² minimum, 125 m² maximum, stand-alone. One of each is allowed on the same parcel.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.5.1(e), (g), (j), 5.6.3(g), (h), (j) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Must be fully separated from the associated principal use by walls, partitions and/or floors, and located within the
Must share common utility connections with the principal building;
Shall not be subdivided or strata titled.
Must have a minimum floor area of 20 m2;
Must have a maximum floor area of 125 m2;
ParkingOne extra off-street parking space on the parcel for each suite, in addition to the minimum required for the principal use.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.5.1(i), 5.6.3(i), Table 7-1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
One off-street parking space must be provided on the parcel for the secondary suite in addition to the minimum
Accessory Dwelling Unit: Secondary Suite / Accessory Suite 1 per Accessory Dwelling Unit
PermitsA building permit is needed (Zoning s. 5.4.3; Building Bylaw s. 15.4.13: basement suites need permits and all inspections). A development permit may also be needed for a new detached suite in a mapped OCP development permit area; interior alterations are exempt.Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.4.3; Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 600, 2013, s. 15.4.13; Official Community Plan, OCP s. 5.7.1, 5.7.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Safety standards for accessory dwelling units will be met through the Building Permit process, governed by the BC Building
basement suites shall require permits and all inspections.
construction, addition or alteration of a building or other structure; or,
interior alterations to buildings;
the construction of new buildings or structures less than 10 square
BylawZoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.4 to 5.6; Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 600, 2013, s. 15.4.13Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025, s. 5.4, 5.5, 5.6; Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 600, 2013, s. 15.4.13 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
5.3.6 Minimum parcel coverage requirements shall not apply to temporary and permanent swimming pools or hot tubs. 5.4 ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS 5.4.1 Accessory dwelling units can be in the form of a 'secondary suite' as per Section 5.5 or an 'accessory suite' as per Section 5.6,
Code (BCBC), as amended from time to time. 5.5 SECONDARY SUITES 5.5.1 Where permitted, secondary suites must comply with the following regulations:
DISTRICT OF TUMBLER RIDGE ZONING BYLAW No. 747, 2025 A Bylaw to regulate the location and use of buildings and structures and the use of land including the surface
basement suites shall require permits and all inspections.

How it works

The District of Tumbler Ridge's Zoning Bylaw No. 747 allows, in the R1, R2, R3 and RR zones:

  • A secondary suite inside the principal building (a single-detached or two-unit dwelling), one per parcel. It must be fully separated by walls or floors, share the utility connections, have its own fire-separated entrance, and cannot be subdivided or strata titled.
  • A garden suite (stand-alone, in the rear yard) or carriage suite (second floor of an accessory building), one per parcel, 20 m² minimum and 125 m² maximum. It may be built on site or as a modular building.

One of each is allowed on the same parcel. Suites do not count toward density limits.

Steps

  1. Confirm your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
  2. Check the Official Community Plan's development permit areas (aquifer protection and hazardous lands) for your lot. Maps are at Town Hall.
  3. Apply for a building permit at Town Hall (250-242-4242). Basement suites need permits and all inspections under the Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 600. A new detached suite in a mapped area may also need a development permit; interior alterations are exempt.

Good to know

  • Each suite needs one extra off-street parking space on top of the 2 required for the main dwelling.
  • No size limit for a secondary suite and no owner-occupancy rule were found in the adopted bylaw. Confirm with the Building Official.
  • A business licence is not required for a long-term suite. A short-term rental needs one, and cannot run in a building with an occupied secondary suite.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Chetwynd · Dawson Creek · Pouce Coupe · Hudson's Hope · Mackenzie · Taylor

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

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2025 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 600, 2013 (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Official Community Plan (PDF), District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Building & Utilities Permit Applications, District of Tumbler Ridge (read 2026-11-08)

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.