Building or Renovating: What to Consider
Are you thinking of adding a carriage house to your property? A carriage house is a separate, secondary living space that’s located on the same property as a principal dwelling. To be considered as a carriage house, the space needs to have its own kitchen, bathroom and living space. It may be purpose built or a conversion of a pre-existing accessory building. Carriage houses cannot be sold separately. Building permits are required to create a carriage house.
Also note that to rent out your carriage house short-term (less than 90 days) , a business licence is required.
Let's Get Started
Start by researching your lot to determine what you can build. You will work with your designer using the Official Community Plan design guidelines and Zoning Bylaw regulations to design a carriage house that fits with the overall character of the neighbourhood.
We encourage all property owners to speak with your neighbours as part of the initial design process so that any concerns can be identified at an early stage. We also encourage the layout of parking and amenity areas in a way that will not infringe on a neighbour’s privacy and will not change the neighbourhood character. Adherence to the City’s regulations must be clearly shown on building plans that are drawn to scale and include a zoning compliance table.
How to Get Started
- Reference our Property Viewer under "Research Your Lot" for current zoning, servicing and other information.
- Download the Carriage House Bulletin, which will walk you through the steps to get started.
- You may also wish to review the Zoning Bylaw.
Carriage houses are permitted on lots that contain a single detached dwelling in any of the following zones:
Rural Zones: FG (Forestry and Grazing), A (Agriculture), and RC (Country Residential).
Please note that if your property is in the ALR, you will need to confirm your proposal meets the ALC regulations prior to constructing a carriage house.Urban Residential Zones: R4L (Small-Scale Multi-Unit Residential - Large Lot); R4-S (Small-Scale Multi-Unit Residential - Small Lot).
If your property is located in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), their regulations for secondary residences will apply in addition to the City of Penticton carriage house regulations. Please refer to the ALR website for more information.
Prior to making plans to create a carriage house, speak with your neighbouring property owners to take into consideration any concerns they may have. Integrate parking and amenity areas in a way that will not infringe on the privacy of neighbouring residents or in a way that changes the character of the existing neighbourhood. City staff are available to help with planning for your carriage house.
Next Steps: Permits & Licensing
Once you have confirmed your property is eligible for a carriage house, you can start taking steps towards having it built. There will be building permit applications, construction and inspections before anyone can occupy the space. The steps below outline the process for building a carriage house.
A building permit/plumbing permit must be applied for and issued prior to constructing a carriage house.
To apply for a building permit from the City of Penticton, you’ll need to supply the following:
- A completed application package, available apply using our online permit portal - Online Permits page.
- Agency agreement (if the property owner wishes to assign an agent to make the application on their behalf)
- Confirmation of the requirement for BC Housing New Home Registration. Any questions regarding requirements or other unique warranty circumstances should be directed to BC Housing.
- One digital sets of plans including site (with setbacks), elevation and floor plans.
Please note that incomplete application packages will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant. Be sure to check the Building Bulletins page for new rules or bylaws that may affect your project. Contact us with any questions you may have.
Additional Requirements for Carriage Houses
Please note the following additional requirements for carriage houses.
- Proof of Registration from Licensing and Consumer Services through BC Housing. Formally known as Home Protection Office (HPO). Any questions regarding these requirements or other unique warranty circumstances should be directed to BC Housing Licensing & Consumer Services or at 1-800-477-7757.
- One digital set of drawings including site, elevation and floor plans. See the checklist for the complete list of requirements.
- Once your permit has been reviewed and any revisions completed, the permit will be issued. Inspections will be conducted at certain benchmarks to ensure compliance with City of Penticton Regulations and BC Building Code requirements.
Once a building permit is issued and construction has begun, a Building Official will conduct inspections at certain benchmarks to ensure compliance with BC Building Code requirements. These inspections will be outlined in your permit condition letter when your building permit is issued.
An occupancy certificate is required prior to anyone occupying the new space.
If you plan on renting out your carriage house for less than 90 Days, please note a business licence is required. It's the owner’s responsibility to renew the business licence yearly.
Your Licensing Options
Short-term Rentals: A short-term vacation rental (STR) is defined as furnished space rented to the vacationing public for less than 90 consecutive days at a time. The City offers two different licensing categories: Major Short-Term Rental and Major Short-Term Rental – High Occupant. To learn more about these categories, please refer to our Short-Term Rentals page. If you would like to do a mixture of long-term and short-term rentals, you must be licenced to the highest level STR.
Long-term Rentals: A long-term rental is defined as a property that will be rented out for more than 90 days or more at a time. Visit our Long-Term Rentals page for further details.
Visit our Apply for a Business Licence page for further details.
Additional Building Permit Information
All permit applications need a non-refundable fee. You can by debit, cheque, cash, or credit card (with service fee). For a full list of fees, see the Building Permit Fee page.
While there are no guaranteed timelines for building permits, we strive to issue permits in a timely manner. The timeline for all building permits depends on the completeness of the application, how quickly the City's comments are responded to, and volume of applications to be reviewed by each review group.
Use CloudPermit to check on the status of your building permit, find out who the permit it has been assigned to, see any fees and charges and schedule inspections once permit is issued.
Upon receiving a completed permit application, the building department endeavours to provide confirmation that a permit can be issued, or a written deficiency list provided within the noted time frames.
Xpress Permits (including demolition permits): Other Residential and Commercial Xpress 5-14 days New Construction: Residential and Commercial Xpress (part 9) 21 days Major Renovations: Residential and Commercial Xpress (part 9) 21 days Some projects requiring multi-department reviews may take longer. Please contact our office if you are making a large project application to arrange for a pre-application meeting.
Fast Track Your Application
Your project may qualify for a Residential Xpress (RXp) Building Permit, with the City's goal to review eligible applications within 1-14 business days. To learn more, visit our Building Permit Timelines page.
Have Questions?
Building Department
Phone: 250-490-2501
Email: buildinginfo@penticton.caPlanning Department
Phone: 250 490-2501
Email: planning@penticton.caFor information involving business licences, contact:
Business Licensing
Phone: 250-490-2488
Email: businesslicences@penticton.ca