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Serving the City of Belleville (Hastings County)
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Belleville, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the City of Belleville — the Bay of Quinte city in Hastings County, Eastern Ontario. Belleville's Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-100 (§16.13) permits accessory dwelling units as-of-right, including a detached suite in your backyard — up to three on a fully-serviced urban lot, or one on a private well+septic rural lot. Here's what the by-law allows, what it costs, and the rules that apply.
What you can build in Belleville
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 Belleville'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 Belleville 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? (Belleville lots typically allow up to ~1,000 sq ft)
Belleville caps a detached backyard suite at 100 m² (≈1,076 sq ft) and no larger than your main home (§16.13). On a private well+septic lot a septic-capacity review applies. Enter your address for the specifics. Your exact lot may allow more or less — get the real number for your address in seconds.
Check your exact Belleville address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Belleville backyard?
Often, yes — Belleville permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from City of Belleville Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-100, §16.13 — Accessory Dwelling Units (in effect April 3, 2024):
| Max size | A detached backyard suite may be up to 100 m² (≈1,076 sq ft) and no larger than your main dwelling’s gross floor area; a unit built entirely in a basement has no size cap (§16.13, Table 15-1). |
|---|---|
| Where it goes | Inside the house OR in one detached accessory building. Up to 3 ADUs on a lot with full municipal water & sewer, or 1 ADU on a private well+septic / partially-serviced lot. The suite must sit within 45 m of the main house with a 1.2 m access to a public street. |
| Height & setbacks | A detached suite follows your zone’s accessory-building standards for height and setbacks (§16.13(10)); it may cover up to 40% of the yard it sits in, and at least 37.5% of the front yard must stay soft landscaping. A suite above a garage on a lane has its own 0.6 m setback rule. |
| Parking | No parking space is required for the first ADU (1 space per additional unit). |
| Servicing | On full municipal services a typical urban lot qualifies. On a private well+septic lot (most of rural Belleville) the septic must be shown to have capacity, and the City may require a hydrogeological or functional servicing study (§16.13(13)). |
| Conservation | Quinte Conservation. ADUs are barred on natural-hazard lands — wetlands, unstable bedrock, erosion hazards, or floodplain, including the Bay of Quinte–Lake Ontario shoreline (§16.13(11)); a lot near a watercourse or the Bay may need a permit. |
Getting your building permit in Belleville
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Belleville's process actually works — verified against the Belleville building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Belleville?
Through City of Belleville Building Services — City Hall, 169 Front St; building@belleville.ca / 613-967-3200 ext. 3230. Belleville's building-permit process is a three-step application (complete the required forms → check applicable fees → submit online). Confirm the current submission portal and forms on the City's 'Applying for a Building Permit' page. ADU/zoning questions go to Planning (613-967-3200 ext. 3288); permit questions to Building Services (ext. 3230 / building@belleville.ca). Belleville's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm zoning — a detached ADU is as-of-right under Zoning By-law 2024-100 §16.13 (100 m² cap, ≤ your main dwelling's gross floor area, ≤40% of the yard it's in, within 45 m of the house, up to 3 units on full municipal services or 1 on private services).
- Servicing: on a private well+septic lot demonstrate the septic has capacity for the added unit; the City may require a hydrogeological or functional servicing study (§16.13(13)). A new or upgraded septic needs a separate Sewage System Permit.
- Confirm the lot is not in a natural-hazard area (wetland, floodplain, erosion hazard, or the Bay of Quinte–Lake Ontario shoreline, §16.13(11)) — a lot near a watercourse or the Bay may need Quinte Conservation permission first.
- Retain a qualified BCIN designer for the Ontario Building Code construction drawings.
- Complete the required forms, calculate the fee, and submit the building-permit application online; respond to any review comments.
- Book building inspections through construction, plus a separate ESA electrical inspection, to occupancy.
What does a Belleville ADU permit application need?
- Application to Construct or Demolish form + Schedule 1 Designer Information (BCIN) on the drawings
- Plot plan / site plan showing property lines, all structures, the distance from the main dwelling to the suite, the septic and well locations, and the parking
- Full construction drawings — foundation plan, floor plans, elevations, and cross-sections
- On a rural lot: a private-services capacity demonstration / septic evaluation (plus a hydrogeological or functional servicing study where required), and a Sewage System Permit for a new or upgraded septic
- Quinte Conservation permit or written consent where a natural-hazard / floodplain / shoreline overlay applies to the lot
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Belleville?
From the City's building-permit fee page (Consolidated Fees and Charges By-law, as amended). An ADU building permit is $7 per m² of floor area (minimum $100) — so a ~100 m² (≈1,076 sq ft) detached suite is roughly $700; a new one-to-three-unit dwelling is $12/m² and a detached accessory building $7.50/m². Plumbing is $15 per unit + $7 per fixture (minimum $50). On a rural lot a new septic (Class 2–5) is $640 (Class 1 no fee; a repair/alteration is $150). The big saving is development charges: a qualifying ADU is EXEMPT under Bill 23 — versus $22,244 (rural area) or $32,183 (urban area) that a new single/semi-detached house pays. All figures are estimates — confirm with Building Services (613-967-3200 ext. 3230).
| ADU building permit | $7 per m² of floor area (minimum $100) — a ~100 m² suite ≈ $700 |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permit | $15 per unit + $7 per fixture (minimum $50) |
| Sewage System Permit (rural lot) | new Class 2–5 septic $640 (Class 1 no fee); repair/alteration $150 |
| Development charges | EXEMPT for a qualifying ADU (Bill 23) — versus $22,244 (rural) or $32,183 (urban) for a new single/semi-detached house |
A qualifying additional residential unit is EXEMPT from development charges under the Development Charges Act (Bill 23) — a saving of $22,244 (rural area) or $32,183 (urban area) versus a new single/semi-detached house, per the City's fee schedule. Confirm the exemption for your project with Building Services.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Belleville?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. A house-class building permit is reviewed within the legislated 10 business days once a complete application is submitted (allow a little longer for a larger or more complex proposal). A septic evaluation / hydrogeological study or a Quinte Conservation approval can add time before the permit is issued.
Registration: Belleville does not publish a separate ongoing ADU registration or licensing fee — the building permit is the approval. The City also publishes free 'Near Permit-Ready' ADU designs. Confirm with Building Services.
Worth knowing before you apply
- The ADU building permit itself is inexpensive ($7/m², so roughly $700 for a 100 m² suite) — the real money is development charges, and a qualifying ADU is EXEMPT from them under Bill 23 (a saving of ~$22,244 rural / ~$32,183 urban vs a new house).
- On a private well+septic lot the septic must be shown to have capacity for the added unit, a new septic (Class 2–5) is a separate $640 Sewage System Permit, and a hydrogeological or functional servicing study may be required (§16.13(13)).
- An ADU is barred on natural-hazard lands — a lot near a watercourse, wetland, floodplain or the Bay of Quinte may need Quinte Conservation permission before the building permit.
- All drawings need a qualified BCIN designer (Schedule 1), and a separate ESA electrical inspection is required.
- The City publishes free 'Near Permit-Ready' ADU designs to speed up the permit — worth checking against a modular unit.
Fees and timelines are estimates from Belleville's published schedules, verified July 14, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Belleville
Free Near-Permit-Ready ADU designs — The City of Belleville publishes pre-reviewed ADU house designs to speed up your building permit — worth checking against a modular unit.
Development-charge relief for additional units — Under the Development Charges Act (Bill 23), a qualifying additional residential unit ancillary to your home is generally exempt from municipal development charges — confirm the current treatment with the City for your project.
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 →
Belleville modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in Belleville?
Yes — Belleville’s Zoning By-law 2024-100 (§16.13) permits accessory dwelling units as-of-right, and a suite may be in a detached accessory building (a backyard suite). You can add up to 3 ADUs on a fully-serviced urban lot or 1 on a private well+septic lot; a detached suite is capped at 100 m², needs a building permit, and can’t be severed off.
How big can a backyard suite be in Belleville?
A detached suite may be up to 100 m² (≈1,076 sq ft) and can’t be larger than your main dwelling’s gross floor area (§16.13, Table 15-1). A unit built entirely in a basement has no size cap. Height and setbacks follow your zone’s accessory-building standards — enter your address for the specifics.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in Belleville?
Yes — on a private well+septic lot the by-law permits one ADU, provided the septic system is shown to have capacity for the added unit; the City may also require a hydrogeological or functional servicing study, especially in a groundwater-concern area (§16.13(13)). Most of rural Belleville is on private services.
Can you put a modular home in Belleville, Ontario?
Yes. On land you own, a modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout the City of Belleville — as the principal dwelling or as an accessory dwelling unit.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Belleville?
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.
Can I get a mortgage on a modular home in Belleville?
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 City of Belleville Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-100, §16.13 — Accessory Dwelling Units (in effect April 3, 2024); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the City of Belleville before you build.