Kelowna · British Columbia
Carriage Houses & Garden Suites in Kelowna
Kelowna has long permitted carriage houses, and the Okanagan's rental demand and family-property patterns make backyard homes a natural fit — from student and workforce rentals to guest houses on acreage and vineyard properties.
01 — Bylaws & feasibility
What Kelowna allows
Kelowna calls a detached backyard home a carriage house and permits one in the RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU5 residential zones as well as several rural and agricultural zones. A property can have either one carriage house or one secondary suite, not both, and a carriage house cannot be stratified. On an RU1 lot the ceiling is 100 square metres for a single storey or 90 for two, with the upper storey limited to 70 percent of the footprint below it, and height runs to 5.7 metres. Lane access is not required. Kelowna adopted its small-scale multi-unit housing amendments on 18 March 2024. The figures differ by zone, so we confirm what your specific lot allows during feasibility.
| What it is called | A carriage house. A property may have either one carriage house or one secondary suite, not both, and a carriage house cannot be stratified |
| Where it is allowed | The RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU5 residential zones, plus the A1, A2, RR1 and RR2 rural and agricultural zones subject to servicing conditions |
| Size on an RU1 lot | 100 square metres of net floor area for a single storey, or 90 square metres for two storeys, with any upper storey limited to 70 percent of the footprint below it |
| Height on an RU1 lot | 5.7 metres, increasing to 6.1 metres where the roof slope is less than 3 in 12 |
| Lane access | Not required. A lane only earns a smaller rear setback, 0.9 metres instead of 1.5 |
| Other zones | Figures differ by zone and the bylaw's own tables are inconsistent for RU2, RU3 and RU5, so we confirm the numbers for your zone with the City rather than assuming the RU1 ones apply |
02 — Why modular here
Why modular here
Okanagan summers are prime rental season — a modular build means your unit is being finished in our Surrey factory while your site is prepped, compressing the calendar so you're not paying for a year of construction. Interior-highway transport is routine for our carriers.
Before you order: Bylaws change and every lot is different. We confirm the current rules for your exact address as the first step of every project — free.
03 — Modular models
Modular models suited to Kelowna lots
CSA A277 modulars — mortgage-financeable as real property.
12' × 44' · Foundation · CSA A277 modular
Mortgage-financeable as real property on a permanent foundation.
Launch pricing announced at consultation.
10' × 32' · Foundation · CSA A277 modular
Mortgage-financeable as real property on a permanent foundation.
Launch pricing announced at consultation.
04 — Common questions
Kelowna laneway & garden suite FAQs
Local answers, in plain language.
Can I put a garden suite on rural or vineyard property?
Often yes, but agricultural land (ALR) and rural zones have specific rules about additional dwellings. We'll review your parcel's classification before design.
Are your builds ready for Okanagan winters and summers?
Yes — high insulation values, heat-pump heating and cooling, and construction rated for interior BC's temperature swings are standard in our spec for the region.
05 — Working with the builder
Choosing a laneway suite builder
A search for a laneway suite builder in Kelownausually turns up two different things: general contractors who will build one on your site over several months, and resellers who sell units somebody else manufactured. We are neither. KYRAX builds every home in our own factory and delivers it finished.
That is what makes custom laneway suites genuinely custom here. Because we manufacture the unit, the layout, the exterior and the specification are adjusted to your lot and your budget instead of picked from a fixed catalogue, and modern designs are the default rather than an upgrade. Every home is built to CSA A277 and certified in the factory by a third party before delivery, so the build record follows the home to your address.
Our factory is in Surrey, which makes Kelowna a short delivery run and site visits easy.
06 — Other guides
Other laneway & garden suite guides
07 — Sources
Where these bylaw facts come from
The zoning and size figures on this page are researched claims, not boilerplate. Each links to the municipal authority it came from.
Zoning Bylaw 12375, consolidated 5 May 2026: carriage house defined as subordinate to the principal building and shall not be stratified; permitted as a secondary use in RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU5 and in A1, A2, RR1 and RR2; RU1 net floor area 100 sq m single storey and 90 sq m two storey; upper storey limited to 70 percent of the footprint; RU1 height 5.7 m, or 6.1 m with a roof slope under 3 in 12
apps.kelowna.caCity of Kelowna carriage houses and secondary suites page: a property can have either one secondary suite or one carriage house in addition to a single-family dwelling, and carriage houses cannot be subdivided or stratified
kelowna.caCity of Kelowna: on 18 March 2024 Council adopted amendments to the Zoning Bylaw to implement Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing and Transit Oriented Areas
kelowna.ca
What does your Kelowna lot allow?
Send us your address — we’ll review zoning, siting, and servicing and give you a straight answer. Free, no obligation.