SSMUH Explained: Adding a Modular Second Dwelling on the Coast

Adding a Second Home Just Got More Interesting

If you own a lot on the Sunshine Coast, you may have heard that the rules around building a second home have loosened. That’s broadly true – British Columbia’s Bill 44, the law behind “small-scale, multi-unit housing” (SSMUH), is reshaping what a single residential lot can hold across the province. But the Coast is its own story, with its own timeline and its own quirks. This guide walks through what Bill 44 actually changed, where our region sits today, and how a factory-built modular home can be one of the simplest ways to add a legal second dwelling.

What Bill 44 Actually Does

Bill 44 – formally the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 – is part of the province’s broader push to add “gentle density” in established neighbourhoods. In plain English, it requires local governments to update their zoning so that most lots zoned for a single house can also accommodate more than one home.

The baseline the province set is straightforward: every single-family residential zone must allow at least a secondary suite or an accessory dwelling unit – effectively two homes per lot. On larger urban lots, and on lots near frequent transit, the minimums climb to three, four, or even six units. (Those higher tiers are aimed at town centres, not rural acreage.) You can read the province’s own plain-language overview on the B.C. small-scale multi-unit housing page.

Where the Sunshine Coast Stands Right Now

Here’s the part that matters locally. Most B.C. municipalities had to bring their bylaws into line by mid-2024. The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) – which governs the rural electoral areas through Zoning Bylaw 722 (Areas B, D, E and F) and Bylaw 337 (Area A) – asked the province for more time and was granted an extension. Its full SSMUH and Official Community Plan work is now expected to land later, with Coast Reporter reporting a push toward 2027, tied to the OCP renewal.

That doesn’t mean you’re stuck waiting. The SCRD already permits a secondary suite as an auxiliary use to a single-unit dwelling on most parcels (one per lot), and its electoral areas have the building bylaws and inspection services in place – which is why the Coast was eligible for the provincial secondary suite incentive program. The big change still working its way through the system is the broader multiplex zoning, not the basic right to a second dwelling. If you’re inside one of the towns – District of Sechelt or Town of Gibsons – their own bylaws apply, so the details shift block to block.

Bottom line: the safest move is to confirm what your specific zone and parcel allow before you plan anything. That’s exactly what a zoning check is for.

Secondary Suite vs. a Second Home – and Where a Modular Fits

“Two homes on one lot” can mean a few different things, and the distinction changes your options:

• Secondary suite – a self-contained unit inside the main house (think a basement or above-garage suite). One kitchen, one entrance, shared structure.
• Accessory / auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU) – a separate building: a garden cottage, a laneway-style home, or a standalone modular home placed elsewhere on the parcel.

That second category is where Eco Fab comes in. A detached ADU doesn’t have to be stick-built on site over many months. A CSA-certified modular home – built in a factory and placed on your lot – can serve as the second dwelling, whether it’s housing for family, a mortgage helper, or a downsizing move that lets you rent out the main house.

Why a Factory-Built Modular Makes a Smart Second Dwelling

Modular homes built to CSA A277 (modular) or CSA Z240 (manufactured) standards are the building types the BC Building Code recognizes for permanent dwellings – the same standards Eco Fab supplies. A few reasons they work well as a second home on a Coast lot:

• Speed and predictability. The home is built indoors while your site work happens in parallel, so weather delays matter less.
• A smaller footprint by design. Single-section homes suit tighter setbacks and the kind of leftover yard space an ADU usually occupies.
• A distinctive warranty note. Z240 and A277 homes are exempt from BC’s 2-5-10 home warranty – a quirk worth understanding before you buy, which we cover in our warranty explainer.

One honest caveat: Eco Fab supplies and places the home – we’re not a general contractor and don’t do the site civil work. We coordinate transport and setting with trusted partners, but permitting, septic, water, and foundation work run through your own local trades. We have an affiliated project manager who can manage both of these, we’re happy to point you in the right direction.

The Catches: Servicing, Setbacks, and Streams

Zoning permission is only half the picture. A second dwelling almost always triggers a fresh look at servicing and site constraints:

• Water and septic. A second home usually means more demand on a well and a septic system sized for the added bedrooms – often the single biggest cost and feasibility question on a rural lot.
• Development Permit Areas. On the Coast, building within 30 metres of any wetland, stream, or ditch can require a development permit – a common surprise on treed Coast parcels.
• Setbacks, height, and lot coverage. Even where a second unit is allowed, where it can physically sit is governed by the zone’s dimensional rules.

Quick FAQ

Does Bill 44 mean I can automatically build a second home on my Coast lot?

Not automatically. The province set the direction, but the SCRD’s full SSMUH zoning is still being finalized under an extension. A secondary suite is already permitted on most single-dwelling parcels; a detached second dwelling depends on your specific zone. Always confirm before planning.

Can a modular home be the “second unit”?

Yes – a CSA A277 or Z240 home placed on a permanent foundation, with approved sewerage and a building permit, is recognized as a permanent dwelling under the BC Building Code.

Who handles the septic and site work?

Your local trades. Eco Fab supplies and places the home and coordinates transport and setting; we don’t act as the general contractor or do civil site work. That’s for the project manager!

Start With a Free Zoning Lookup

Before you fall for a floor plan, find out what your land allows. Eco Fab’s free Zoning Lookup is a quick desk check for Sunshine Coast and Gulf Islands lots – zone, overlays, and whether a second dwelling is realistic. From there, a meeting at our showhome followed by a Site Feasibility Report digs into servicing and placement, as well as what you actually want out of a new home. Reach us at 778-910-4663 or sales@ecofab.ca, serving Gibsons to Lund and the Gulf Islands.