Pemberton ADUs, carriage houses & modular homes

Pemberton’s current small-scale multi-unit housing rules now apply in several residential zones, including R-1, R-2, R-3, RSA-1, RSA-2, RSA-3, RTA-1, RTA-2, and parts of CD-5.

• Those rules list carriage houses, garden suites, lock-off suites and secondary suites as accessory uses.
• That creates more flexibility than older “single house plus one suite” assumptions on many lots.
• Zone-specific rules still matter, so the right answer depends on your exact property.

For Pemberton’s current SSMUH framework, the broad numbers are helpful as an early filter.

• Maximum lot coverage: 40%
• Minimum front setback: 6 m for the principal building and 4 m for a carriage house
• Minimum rear setback: 5 m for the principal building and 1.5 m for an accessory building
• Minimum interior side setback: 1.5 m
• Minimum exterior side setback: 4.6 m

In Pemberton, these are not exactly the same thing, so the form matters.

• A carriage house is the dwelling space located on the second storey of an accessory building over a garage, storage building or similar.
• The residential dwelling portion of a carriage house is capped at 90 m².
• A garden suite is a one-storey detached accessory dwelling unit within the side or rear yard of a lot.
• Under the current SSMUH rules, carriage houses can be up to 2 storeys, while garden suites are limited to 1 storey.

Secondary suites have their own section in the bylaw and should not be treated as identical to detached units.

• They are permitted only in detached dwelling units and are accessory to the principal residential use.
• Unless a zone specifically says otherwise, the bylaw allows up to two secondary suites on a lot.
• In a detached dwelling, secondary suites are limited to a combined gross floor area of 90 m² and must be less than 40% of the detached dwelling, excluding the garage.

This is where the consumer language and bylaw language often drift apart.

• Pemberton’s zoning definitions include modular homes within detached dwellings.
• So a modular home can absolutely be relevant.
• But if someone says “cabin,” the real question is usually whether a detached dwelling, garden suite or other lawful housing form is allowed on that lot.
• That is why we treat “cabin” as a style or product direction, not as a zoning category.

Many people looking at a second unit also want flexibility, but the use rules matter as much as the building form.

• Pemberton’s bylaw says short-term rental is only permitted where the use is allowed in that zone.
• The bylaw also says a short-term rental must be in a lawful dwelling unit on the same lot as a principal residence.
• Even when a unit type looks possible, a project can still be limited by servicing, permit requirements, or the need for a variance if it does not meet bylaw rules.

Maybe, and on many lots it is now more realistic than people assume. Pemberton’s bylaw specifically uses the term carriage house and includes it in the newer small-scale multi-unit housing framework in several residential zones. The next question is whether your lot can actually support it once setbacks, servicing, existing buildings and access are tested.

In everyday conversation, people often use coach house, carriage house and laneway home interchangeably. In Pemberton’s bylaw, the official term to pay attention to is carriage house. That matters because the bylaw ties real rules to that form.

A carriage house is living space above an accessory building such as a garage. A garden suite is a one-storey detached accessory dwelling in the side or rear yard. So the same lot may support both ideas in theory, but they behave very differently in layout and design.

Yes, modular homes can absolutely be relevant in Pemberton. The bigger question is which building form the modular home is taking on that lot: a detached dwelling, a detached accessory dwelling direction, or a different permitted housing type.

If by “cabin” you mean a small detached home, maybe. The zoning question is usually not “are cabins allowed,” but rather: what kind of dwelling can be built on this lot, and can a modular small-home product fit that form? That is exactly the kind of question we sort out early.

Not automatically. The use has to be permitted in that zone, and Pemberton’s bylaw says a short-term rental must be in a lawful dwelling unit on the same lot as a principal residence. This is an area where many people make assumptions too early, so it is worth checking before planning the project around STR income.

The current bylaw caps the residential dwelling portion of a carriage house at 90 m². Height, setbacks, lot coverage and the placement of the garage or accessory building below also matter.

Start with the zoning, then test the actual lot. The zoning tells you the theoretical envelope. The lot tells you what is practical after you account for setbacks, existing structures, access, utilities, parking, grading, and how the new unit needs to work with the main home.