Home/Modular Homes by City/Barrie
Serving Barrie & Simcoe County
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Barrie, Ontario
Factory-direct modular and manufactured homes, delivered along the Highway 400 corridor to Barrie and Simcoe County — the highway our homes travel from the factory to your lot. Here's what you can build, what it costs, and the local rules that actually apply.
What you can build in Barrie
Full modular homes — from $175,696. 29 models from 560 to 1,405 sq ft, 1–3 bedrooms — factory-built to the Ontario Building Code and set on a permanent foundation (a real, permanent house, not a “trailer”).
Backyard suites (ADUs) — from $96,244. 7 compact models built for garden-suite and in-law-suite use, sized to fit what Barrie's by-law allows.
All homes are CSA-certified (A277 modular / Z240MH manufactured), finished in the factory, and delivered ready for foundation and hook-up. What's the difference between modular, manufactured, and mobile? →
Find your backyard suite — 3 quick questions
We'll narrow the models that fit a typical Barrie backyard allowance to the ones that fit your life. No email needed.
1 · Who's it for?
2 · What layout?
3 · What size feels right? (Barrie lots typically allow up to ~700 sq ft)
The numbers above use Barrie's typical allowance. Your exact lot may allow more or less — get the real number for your address in seconds.
Check your exact Barrie address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Barrie backyard?
Often, yes — Barrie permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Barrie Zoning By-law 2009-141 (as amended by By-law 2024-043):
| Max size | No fixed square-footage cap — governed by lot coverage: all detached accessory structures together ≤ 10% of the lot. On a typical 650 m² (≈7,000 sq ft) lot that's ~65 m² (≈700 sq ft); on a minimum 560 m² (≈6,030 sq ft) lot, ~56 m² (≈600 sq ft). |
|---|---|
| Max height | 4.5 m (≈15 ft) |
| Setbacks | 3 m (≈10 ft) rear and side (Salem & Hewitt's Secondary Plan areas differ — exterior side 1.5 m / ≈5 ft, rear/interior 1.2 m / ≈4 ft) |
| Parking | 1 space per unit |
| Minimum lot | 560 m² (≈6,030 sq ft) area, 17 m (≈56 ft) frontage — smaller lots don't qualify |
| Servicing | Separate service connections from the street required (can't run off the main house) |
| Also note | No basement permitted in a detached suite; DADU registration required (automatic on final inspection); an Ontario Land Surveyor must confirm setbacks/coverage before permit |
| Conservation | Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) — a permit is required for work within 120 m (≈394 ft) of Lake Simcoe or Kempenfelt Bay |
Getting your building permit in Barrie
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Barrie's process actually works — verified against the Barrie building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Barrie?
Through APLI (Barrie's online permit application system) (application portal ↗). Applications are submitted online through APLI; Service Barrie (705-726-4242) handles questions before or during an application. Barrie's building-permit page ↗
- Verify property lines, setbacks, and zoning for your lot — an Ontario Land Surveyor is recommended to confirm setbacks, coverage, and parking dimensions before you apply
- If the lot is near a watercourse or shoreline, get Lake Simcoe Region (LSRCA) or Nottawasaga Valley (NVCA) conservation-authority sign-off first
- Choose a design — a standardized City-provided ARU design or a custom set from your designer
- Submit the building permit application online through APLI with all required documents and fees
- Respond to plan-review comments from Building Services (multiple review cycles are common)
- Once the permit issues, book inspections as construction proceeds
- After final inspection, the detached unit is automatically registered with the City and assigned a municipal address
What does a Barrie ADU permit application need?
- Building permit application + the detached-ARU / New Residential Dwelling Unit checklist
- Applicable Law Checklist (conservation-authority approval and other laws)
- Site plan showing the suite, all structures, setbacks, and the required parking space (min. 5.5 m × 2.7 m)
- Schedule 1: Designer Information form
- Owner Authorization form if the applicant isn't the property owner
- Full drawings and specifications demonstrating Building Code and Zoning By-law compliance, plus a grading plan where applicable
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Barrie?
Barrie prices permits per square metre under its Fees By-law (Schedule K) rather than publishing one flat number — get an estimate from Building Services before budgeting. The 2026 incentive changes the math: eligible ARU permits get 50% off the application fee, and the rest is rebated in full if the unit is occupied within 12 months.
| Permit fee | Per-m² residential rate under Fees By-law Schedule K — confirm the current rate with Building Services |
|---|---|
| 2026 ARU incentive | 50% off the building-permit application fee for eligible ARU permits issued in 2026 |
| 2026 full-fee rebate | The remaining 50% is rebated if the unit reaches occupancy within 12 months of permit issuance (documentation due within 30 days of that milestone) |
Additional residential units are broadly development-charge exempt under provincial rules; Barrie's DC by-law exempts up to two ARUs per lot — confirm current terms with the City's finance department before relying on it.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Barrie?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. The 10-day clock is the provincial standard for house-class permits and only runs on a complete application — plan-review comment cycles add time, so confirm current turnaround with Building Services.
Registration: A new detached accessory dwelling unit is registered automatically once construction passes all inspections — no separate registration application or fee for a newly-built unit.
Worth knowing before you apply
- The 2026 ARU fee incentive has a hard window: permits issued by Dec 31, 2026 and projects completed by Dec 31, 2027 — it is not a permanent discount
- The detached suite needs its own utility lateral connections from the street — it can't simply tap through the main house's services
- Lots near Lake Simcoe, Kempenfelt Bay, or a watercourse need LSRCA/NVCA sign-off before the permit can issue
- An Ontario Land Surveyor's confirmation of setbacks and coverage is strongly recommended — a wrong site plan is the most common rejection
- A new driveway or utility connection in the City right-of-way needs a separate ROWA permit
- Heritage-designated properties need heritage approval before a permit can issue
Fees and timelines are estimates from Barrie's published schedules, verified July 4, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Barrie
County of Simcoe Secondary Suites Program — forgivable funding toward a new suite (confirm current intake).
Barrie Bonus for Affordable ARUs — a one-time municipal top-up (requires an approved Simcoe County loan first).
2026 building-permit fee: 50% reduction, with a full rebate if the unit is occupied within 12 months of permit issuance (a federal Housing Accelerator Fund incentive).
See every program → Ontario ADU Grants Directory
A modular or prefab home on a permanent foundation is financed like any house. CMHC Prefab Plus allows an insured mortgage with as little as 5% down on the first $500,000, with construction funds released in stages. How modular home financing works →
Thinking of the suite as a rental? Run the numbers →
Barrie modular homes — FAQ
Can you put a modular home in Barrie, Ontario?
Yes. On land you own, a modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout Barrie and Simcoe County, subject to standard zoning and permits.
How much does a modular home cost in Barrie?
Modular home models start at $175,696 and run to about $338,000 for the largest layouts; backyard ADU models start at $96,244. Site work, foundation, delivery, and permits are additional.
Do I need a permit for a garden suite in Barrie?
Yes — a building permit, plus DADU registration and an Ontario Land Surveyor’s confirmation of setbacks and coverage. Barrie caps detached accessory structures at 10% of lot area (no fixed square-footage limit) and 4.5 m (≈15 ft) height.
Can I get a mortgage on a modular home in Barrie?
Yes — on a permanent foundation it is financed as real property, including via CMHC Prefab Plus (5% down on the first $500,000).
Local rules summarized from Barrie Zoning By-law 2009-141 (am. 2024-043); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the City of Barrie before you build.