Pre-Reviewed Accessory Dwellings

Building Plans are now available at City Hall

The City of Quesnel now has five pre-reviewed Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plans available to residents for no charge, and building permits shall be expedited for a quick turnaround!

Tony Osborn and his team at Tony Osborn Architecture & Design (TOAD) have collaborated with the community and City staff to create five (5) pre-viewed designs that the public may choose to develop. Please note that it is not required to use our designs to build an ADU, it is an alternative option that will save residents time and money when investing in their property.

The BC Energy Step Code will reduce the amount of energy required by new buildings. It will also offer a range of side benefits to occupants, the environment, and the economy. Step 3 represents a 20% greater efficiency than conventional building techniques, and Step 5 has an 80% greater efficiency. You can learn more about Energy Step Code and check out available rebates at https://energystepcode.ca/.

The plans are available as-is. You are responsible for any changes, additions, or modifications your site requires beyond what the plans’ built-in adaptability can accommodate. Book a meeting with the Development Services team to discuss your intentions. developmentservices@quesnel.ca or call 250-992-2111

For residents in the Cariboo Regional District Fringe Area, you must contact the Williams Lake planning department at planning@cariboord.ca or call 250-392-3351. You cannot obtain plans from the City of Quesnel.

Any structural changes will require you to contact Tony Osborn directly to adjust the plans at a rate set by the Architect – this will not be considered a pre-reviewed plan or eligible for the benefits listed above.

If you want to use the ADU designs as your principal dwelling, you can contact Tony Osborn directly at tony@toad.design to purchase the plans.

Water and sewer connections

A homeowner should investigate the potential costs associated with servicing. All ADU’s must connect to community water and sewer services if available in the area. ADU’s will connect to the same service line as the principal dwelling, a secondary connect from the mains is not available. To get a quote, please contact a plumbing company.

For properties with wells or septic systems, it may be more difficult to develop if your lot does not have enough space to accommodate an additional septic system or if your well cannot support two dwellings. You need to retain a Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner (ROWP) or Professional Engineer for a septic review. You also need to retain a well professional to do a drawdown of the well to determine the adequacy of the well to supply an ADU.

Electrical servicing

For electrical servicing inquiries, reach out to BC Hydro (1-800-224-9376) to determine requirements and get an estimate connection cost.

Gas installation and gas line location

Contact Fortis BC for information regarding gas installation and line locations, visit Contact us at fortisbc.com. Call before you dig 1-800-474-6886.

Step-by-step guide

The summary below provides an overview of the steps specific to the pre-reviewed plan program. It is not necessarily comprehensive of all the steps required to build. More information is available in the City’s building plans and by talking to the Development Services team.

Visit City Hall to review the different sets of drawings, pick up a Building Permit application, and sample site plan.
While at City Hall, a planner can review your lot to confirm compliance to allow a carriage home or secondary dwelling, i.e. zoning, service connections, lot capacity, etc.
Revisit City Hall to submit a completed application and site plan or send it by email. If you are looking for quotes, we can supply a digital set for this use. Copies will have a watermark and cannot be distributed.
Provided you do not want to alter the drawing sets, your application will be reviewed and building permit within 3 days of submission. Building Plans are supplied digitally; the owner is responsible for printing if desired. We can send the plans to a local printing company or bring in a USB.
Once you have determined who is building your ADU and you have picked up your permit from City Hall, you can get started building!
1. A Building Inspector will be inspecting the development at various stages of construction. All inspections are required as provided on the building permit.
2. An Energy Consultant (EA) will also need to inspect and test at various stages to insure it meets the appropriate Step Code. The rebate is not available if the development fails.

Building Plans

There are two carriage house plans and three secondary dwellings to choose from. View the individual plans below or view the comparison document [PDF/236KB] to view all of the details at once. The plans below are renderings, not building plans.

Width: 11.3m
Length: 6.9m
Height: 7.2m, 2-storey
Building Footprint: 78m2
Floor area: 90m2 + 31.6m2 garage
Rough cost estimate: $217k – $313k*

2 bed,
1.5 bath &
1 car garage

* Rough cost estimates based on the Altus Group Cost Guide with adjustments for inflation (August 2022). Please note these are estimates only and are a ballpark figure to give the owner's a sense of the investment to be made.

Download Floor Plan

Download Sample Building Plans

Width: 12.2m
Length: 7.5m
Height: 8.35m, 2-storey
Building Footprint: 91.5m2
Floor area: 87m2 + 67m2 garage
Rough cost estimate: $273k - $365k*

2 bed,
1 bath &
2 car garage
Option – 1 bed & 3 car garage

* Rough cost estimates based on the Altus Group Cost Guide with adjustments for inflation (August 2022). Please note these are estimates only and are a ballpark figure to give the owner's a sense of the investment to be made.

Download Floor Plan [PDF/317KB]

Download Sample Building Plans [PDF/3MB]

Width: 10.7m
Length: 8.5m
Height: 7.2m, 1-storey
Building Footprint: 91m2
Floor area: 70m2
Rough cost estimate:
1 bed: $125k - $200k*
2 bed: $139k - $222k*

Fully Accessible 1 bed & 1 bath
No garage
Option – 2 bedroom

* Rough cost estimates based on the Altus Group Cost Guide with adjustments for inflation (August 2022). Please note these are estimates only and are a ballpark figure to give the owner's a sense of the investment to be made.

Download Floor Plan [PDF/328KB]

Download Sample Building Plans [PDF/2.8MB]