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Port Moody, BC suite & ADU rules

Permission first. Construction second.

Port Moody’s current SSMUH guidance describes three-, four- and six-unit maximums on qualifying properties, with exemptions and site-specific conditions. The City adopted a dedicated SSMUH guide in 2025.

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Four short steps. Answer what you know and choose “Not sure” for anything you have not checked.

Step 1 of 4Property basics
Step 1: Property basics

Use the parcel area from your property record, assessment or municipal mapping tool.

This does not change the provincial unit-count math. It only tailors the next-step checklist in your result.

Step 2: Basic zoning checks

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What does this mean?

If you have never checked this on a municipal map or plan, choose Not sure.

Why are we asking?

Think houses, duplexes or small multiplexes. If you only know the zone code, choose Not sure.

Step 3: Possible exceptions

This is about subdivision rules, not the size of your current lot. Choose Not sure unless you know.

A TOA is a special mapped area around major transit. If you have never checked the map, choose Not sure.

Choose Yes only if the municipality has specifically confirmed it. Otherwise choose Not sure.

Step 4: Frequent bus check

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Municipal rules · reviewed September 28, 2026

Port Moody: the local rules that change the property answer

Port Moody has both a long-standing internal secondary-suite pathway and a newer SSMUH framework. These should be shown as related but different rules.

1. Internal secondary suites

  • Port Moody states that secondary suites are permitted in all single-detached residential zones and, since 2018, in its duplex zone. A suite is a separate living area contained within the single-detached home or duplex.
  • The suite still requires the current permit/code path; an internal suite is not the same thing as a detached garden/coach house.

2. SSMUH unit-count framework

  • Amendment Bylaw No. 3460 (2024) updated Zoning Bylaw No. 2937 for SSMUH. The City describes 3-, 4- and 6-unit maximums on qualifying former single-detached/duplex lots depending on lot size and frequent-transit proximity.
  • The SSMUH page and guide identify affected zones and exemptions. Exact zoning must be confirmed before turning the citywide framework into a property result.

3. Parking and development permits

  • For the qualifying six-unit frequent-transit branch, provincial rules prohibit a local residential parking minimum. Other Port Moody parking standards remain form/zone specific.
  • Hazardous lands, steep slopes, floodplain and environmentally sensitive areas can trigger Development Permit requirements even when the housing use is otherwise supported.

4. Practical approval sequence

  • Start with the current zoning/SSMUH map, determine the housing form and unit count, then confirm any Development Permit and Building Permit requirements.
  • Do not use the 2024 SSMUH amendment as proof that an old unpermitted suite is legal; existing work still has to meet City and Building Code requirements.

Port Moody property-check FAQ

Can I put a secondary suite in a Port Moody duplex?

Yes, the City’s current secondary-suite page says suites have been allowed in the duplex zone since 2018, subject to the current zoning/building requirements.

Does a six-unit SSMUH result automatically mean six units fit on the site?

No. It establishes a land-use density path on qualifying property, not the buildable envelope or permit approval.

How this guide was verified

Guide verification: Official-source research summary. This guide provides linked municipal research; a complete enacted-bylaw, zoning-map and amendment cross-check has not been documented for this municipality.

Property confidence: Not assessed. City-wide guidance does not confirm permission for a particular parcel. Check official zoning, overlays and permits. How verification works →

Official Port Moody sources

Rule sources used for this municipal guide.

Port Moody — Secondary Suites ↗Port Moody — Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing ↗B.C. SSMUH framework ↗

Reviewed September 28, 2026. These links are the planning starting point; current parcel zoning, title constraints, servicing and permit requirements can still change the answer.

V69.61 targeted primary-source review · October 12, 2026: Port Moody confirms Bylaw 3460 (2024) and its guide adopted July 22, 2025; 3/4/6-unit rules vary by parcel and transit, with provincial eligibility exceptions. Official municipal record ↗ Not yet verified: Check exact RS/RT/RM/CD parcel zone, frequent-transit map, slopes/environmental development-permit areas and later bylaw amendments. No comprehensive current-by-law signoff or parcel approval is claimed.