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

# Warfield secondary suite and carriage house rules

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

**Short answer:** Yes. Warfield's Zoning Bylaw allows a secondary suite inside a single detached or semi-attached home, and an accessory suite (garden suite, laneway home, carriage house or garage suite) in an accessory building. Table 5-1 lists both in the R1 and R2 zones. A building permit is required.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Warfield, https://warfield.ca)  
**Cost:** A building permit fee applies; see the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** Not stated by the Village.  
**Where:**
- Phone: RDKB Building Department, 250-368-9148
- Phone: Village Office, 250-368-8202
- Email: Village Office, info@warfield.ca

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Yes. A secondary suite (inside the house) is permitted in single detached and semi-attached dwellings. Table 5-1 lists it in the R1 and R2 zones; the zone descriptions also name secondary suites in R3, R3-M and RIH.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), ss. 5.6.1(a), 3.3.2; Table 5-1](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf)
  - Official wording: "secondary suites are permitted in single detached and semi-attached dwellings" … "Secondary Suite P P" … "including secondary suites and accessory suites"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** Yes. An accessory suite (garden suite, laneway home, carriage house or garage suite) in an accessory building on a parcel with a single detached or two-unit dwelling. Table 5-1 lists it in the R1 and R2 zones.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), ss. 2.3, 5.7.1; Table 5-1](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf)
  - Official wording: "accessory suites are permitted on parcels where a single detached or two-unit dwelling is located" … "an accessory suite is permitted within an accessory building on the same parcel as the principal residential use" … "Accessory Suite P P"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** Secondary suite: one per principal dwelling, at most 50% of the house floor area or 90 m² (whichever is less), separate exterior entrance and fire separation, no subdivision or strata. Accessory suite: one per parcel, at most 75% of the house floor area or 90 m², at least 3 m from the house, no strata.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), ss. 5.6.1, 5.7.1](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a maximum of one secondary suite per principal dwelling unit per parcel is permitted" … "a secondary suite must not exceed 50% of the principal building’s floor area or 90m2, whichever is less" … "a secondary suite must have an entrance from the exterior of a building which is separate" … "an accessory suite must not exceed 75% of the principal building’s floor area or 90m2, whichever is less" … "a maximum of one accessory suite per parcel is permitted" … "an accessory suite must be located a minimum of 3m from the principal building"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** In addition to the principal dwelling's spaces: none for a single secondary or accessory suite; 1 extra space if there is more than one secondary suite and/or accessory suite.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), s. 4.10; Table 4-1](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Accessory and Secondary Suites In addition to the spaces required for the corresponding" … "Once secondary suite or secondary suite: 0" … "More than one secondary suite and/or accessory" … "accessory Bylaw 959 suite: 1"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** A building permit is required for a secondary suite or an accessory suite, and the suite must meet the BC Building Code. An accessory suite must connect through the principal building's water and sewer service connections.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), ss. 5.6.1(i), 5.7.1(h), 4.6.2](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf)
  - Official wording: "the establishment of a secondary suite requires a building permit" … "the establishment of an accessory suite requires a building permit" … "any accessory suite must also be" … "connected via the connections serving the principal building"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (ss. 5.6, 5.7) and Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), s. 1.1.1](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as “Village of Warfield Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021.”"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026, with backgrounder, s. 1.1](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Building-Bylaw-No.-988-2026-Backgrounder-QA-Signed.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited as “Village of Warfield Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026”."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under the Village's [Zoning Bylaw No. 896](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf), a secondary suite (inside the house) is permitted in single detached and semi-attached dwellings. An accessory suite (garden suite, laneway home, carriage house or garage suite) is permitted in an accessory building on a parcel with a single detached or two-unit dwelling. Table 5-1 lists both in the R1 and R2 zones; the zone descriptions also name secondary suites in R3, R3-M and RIH.

A building permit is required, and the suite must meet the BC Building Code. An accessory suite must connect through the main building's water and sewer service connections.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone with the Village Office (250-368-8202).
2. Check the limits below.
3. Apply for a building permit through the RDKB Building Department (250-368-9148).

## Good to know

- Secondary suite: one per main dwelling, at most 50% of the house floor area or 90 m² (whichever is less), a separate exterior entrance, fire separation, and no subdivision or strata.
- Accessory suite: one per parcel, at most 75% of the house floor area or 90 m², at least 3 m from the house, and no strata.
- Parking: no extra space for a single suite; 1 extra space if there is more than one secondary and/or accessory suite. The main single-unit home needs 2 spaces.
- The bylaw copy on the Village's site is consolidated to June 2024; confirm later changes with the Village.
- The Village's pages do not say whether a development permit is also needed.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024)](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf)
- [Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026, with backgrounder (PDF)](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Building-Bylaw-No.-988-2026-Backgrounder-QA-Signed.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Warfield building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/building-permit.md)
- [Warfield zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Warfield building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/building-permit-fees.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/secondary-suite.md)
- [Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/secondary-suite.md)
- [Montrose](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/secondary-suite.md)
- [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/secondary-suite.md)
- [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/secondary-suite.md)
- [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 896, 2021 (PDF, consolidated June 2024), Village of Warfield](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Warfield-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidation-FINAL_2024_06_27.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 988, 2026, with backgrounder (PDF), Village of Warfield](https://warfield.ca/wp-content/documents/bylaws/Building-Bylaw-No.-988-2026-Backgrounder-QA-Signed.pdf) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Warfield. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/secondary-suite/_