Home/Modular Homes by City/Champlain
Serving Champlain Township — L'Orignal, Vankleek Hill & Longueuil
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Champlain, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and second dwellings for the Township of Champlain — L'Orignal, Vankleek Hill and the former Longueuil and West Hawkesbury townships along the Ottawa River, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. Champlain's zoning by-law permits a second dwelling in a detached building as-of-right in its residential, rural and agricultural zones. There is no fixed size cap — the rule is 50% of your house — and on a well and septic you get one extra unit, backed by a water-flow study. Here's what the by-law allows and what trips people up.
What you can build in Champlain
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 Champlain'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 Champlain 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? (Champlain lots typically allow up to ~700 sq ft)
Champlain caps a second dwelling at 50% of your house's floor area — there is no fixed square-metre figure, so a 1,400 sq ft house allows about 700 sq ft. All accessory buildings together also can't exceed 8% of your lot or 150 m² (≈1,614 sq ft) in the rural areas, or 90 m² (≈968 sq ft) in the villages. 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 Champlain address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Champlain backyard?
Yes — Champlain permits a second dwelling in a detached building as-of-right in its residential, rural and agricultural zones, on municipal services or on a well and septic. The specifics, from Township of Champlain Zoning By-law No. 2000-75, as amended by By-law 2023-56 — §3.1.1 Second Dwellings and §3.1 Accessory Uses:
| Max size | No more than 50% of the floor area of your house — there is no fixed m² cap. It also counts toward the cap on all accessory buildings combined: the lesser of 8% of your lot or 150 m² (≈1,614 sq ft) in the rural and agricultural areas, or the lesser of 8%, 90 m² (≈968 sq ft) or your house's footprint in the villages |
|---|---|
| What you can build | A "second dwelling" — a self-contained unit with its own kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area, either inside the house or in a building ancillary to it. It can never be severed or become a stand-alone use of the property |
| Where allowed | Residential One, Two and Three, Residential Rural, Residential Estate, Agriculture and Rural zones, accessory to a single-detached, semi-detached, duplex or row house. Not in the Residential Limited Services or Flood Plain zones, or within 300 m of the Ivaco Rolling Mills separation distance |
| Units per lot | Two second dwellings on full municipal water and sewer; ONE on a well and septic, backed by a hydro-geotechnical study showing the water flow can support it |
| Max height | The lesser of 5 m (≈16 ft) or the height of your house in the villages; 6 m (≈20 ft) in the rural and agricultural areas |
| Setbacks | 1.2 m (≈4 ft) from the interior side and rear lot lines and from the house, and never in the minimum front or exterior side yard |
| Parking & amenity | 1 parking stall (tandem is fine) and at least 5 m² of dedicated amenity area |
| Servicing | Where municipal services are available you must connect to them. On a rural lot the unit runs on a well and septic, and South Nation Conservation issues the septic permit |
| Waterfront & hazards | Everything, septic included, stays 30 m (≈98 ft) back from the Ottawa River high-water mark. A lot marked "wf" for an unstable slope needs an engineer's slope-stability report, and nothing may be built in the Flood Plain zone or within 15 m of it |
Check your specific Champlain address →
Garden suite, laneway suite, in-law suite, ARU, ADU — different names for the same thing: a small, self-contained home in the backyard. New to the idea? Start with prefab garden suites for Ontario — what one costs in Champlain, and the models that fit →
Champlain's by-law is verified in our checker, so you can check if a garden suite is allowed at your Champlain address in about a minute.
Getting your building permit in Champlain
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Champlain's process actually works — verified against the Champlain building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Champlain?
Through the Building and By-Law Department (no online portal). The Township does not list an online permit portal; its website says forms are being added gradually and staff will supply a fillable PDF on request. A detached second dwelling is processed as a New Dwelling Unit — the Township's ADU page covers only units inside the house. Contact the Building and By-Law Department at building@champlain.ca or (613) 678-3003 (948 Pleasant Corner Road East, Vankleek Hill). Champlain's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm your zone and the size limit — a second dwelling is permitted in the R1, R2, R3, Residential Rural, Residential Estate, Agriculture and Rural zones, can be no more than 50% of your house's floor area, and counts toward the cap on all accessory buildings (8% of the lot, to 150 m² in rural areas or 90 m² in the villages)
- Check your zoning schedule for the Flood Plain zone and the 'wf' unstable-slope symbol, and keep everything 30 m back from the Ottawa River — a 'wf' lot needs a slope-stability or geotechnical report from an engineer
- On a well and septic, commission a hydro-geotechnical study showing the water flow rates can support the extra unit, and obtain South Nation Conservation's septic approval — the Township lists SNC approval as a requirement of the permit
- Have a qualified designer, architect or professional engineer prepare the site plan and building plans
- Submit the building permit application and fees to the Building and By-Law Department, and apply to the road authority for an entranceway permit if you need a new or altered driveway
- Book each inspection as construction proceeds and obtain an occupancy permit before anyone moves in
What does a Champlain ADU permit application need?
- Building permit application
- Site plan showing property lines and lot area, rights-of-way and easements referenced to a current survey, all proposed buildings with setbacks, parking and driveways, accessory structures, the well, septic tank and septic field, and any watercourses
- Building plans prepared by a qualified designer, architect or professional engineer — foundation plan, fully dimensioned floor plans, elevations of all four sides (including limiting distances) and wall sections
- Joist and truss layouts with manufacturer details
- South Nation Conservation septic approval
- Hydro-geotechnical study where the lot is on private or partial services (Zoning By-law 2000-75 §3.1.1(c))
- Slope-stability report where required, and a lot grading plan for urban subdivision lots
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Champlain?
Estimates only, from the Township of Champlain's Charges and Fees schedule effective January 1, 2026 and South Nation Conservation's 2026 fee schedule. A new residential dwelling unit is charged $2,010 plus $0.71 per sq ft, so a 700 sq ft second dwelling works out to roughly $2,500 before plumbing, septic and driveway fees. Confirm current figures with the Building Department before budgeting.
| Building permit — new residential dwelling unit | $2,010 plus $0.71 per sq ft (a finished basement or second floor adds $0.71 per sq ft) — roughly $2,500 for a 700 sq ft unit |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | $15.30 per fixture |
| Septic — South Nation Conservation | $859 for a conventional Class 4 system under 4,000 L/day, or $968 for a system requiring annual maintenance (2026). SNC issues this permit, not the Township |
| Entranceway permit | $200 plus a $1,500 security deposit where a Township road access is created or modified (By-law 2015-31) |
| Education development charge | $898 per dwelling unit (CEPEO By-law 01-2024-RAS-PR, in force through June 30, 2027) |
We found no Township of Champlain development charge — its 2026 Charges and Fees schedule lists none — and the United Counties of Prescott and Russell have no development charge by-law. The CEPEO education development charge does apply in Champlain: $898 per dwelling unit through June 30, 2027. Its exemption for one or two additional units is written around units in the same residential building, so whether a DETACHED second dwelling qualifies is unclear — confirm with the Building Department or the board before you budget.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Champlain?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. The Township does not publish a review timeline. The Ontario Building Code's 10-business-day period for a house-class permit applies once the application is complete; the SNC septic approval and any hydro-geotechnical study are separate steps with their own timelines.
Worth knowing before you apply
- A detached second dwelling is handled as a New Dwelling Unit, not under the Township's 'Additional dwelling unit (ADU)' page — that page covers only a unit inside the house.
- On a well and septic only ONE second dwelling is allowed, and the application must be backed by a hydro-geotechnical study showing the water flow rates can support it (§3.1.1(c)).
- South Nation Conservation issues the septic permit even though Champlain sits outside SNC's regulated area — the Township lists SNC approval as a permit requirement.
- Entranceway permits come from whichever road authority owns the road — the Township, the United Counties (county roads) or the province (Highway 34).
- No one may occupy the unit until the building inspector issues an occupancy permit.
Fees and timelines are estimates from Champlain's published schedules, verified September 11, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Champlain
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 →
Champlain modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a detached second dwelling in Champlain, L'Orignal or Vankleek Hill?
Yes. Zoning By-law 2000-75, as amended by By-law 2023-56, defines a second dwelling to include a self-contained unit in a building ancillary to your house, and permits it as-of-right in the Residential One, Two and Three, Residential Rural, Residential Estate, Agriculture and Rural zones (§3.1.1). It is not permitted in the Residential Limited Services zone, the Flood Plain zone, or within 300 m of the Ivaco Rolling Mills separation distance in West Hawkesbury.
How big can a second dwelling be in Champlain Township?
There is no fixed square-metre cap. Above grade, a second dwelling cannot exceed 50% of the floor area of your house (§3.1.1(a)(iv)) — about 700 sq ft on a 1,400 sq ft home. It also counts toward the cap on all accessory buildings combined: the lesser of 8% of your lot or 150 m² (≈1,614 sq ft) in the rural and agricultural areas, and the lesser of 8% of your lot, 90 m² (≈968 sq ft) or your house's footprint in the villages.
Can you build a second dwelling on a well and septic in Champlain?
Yes, but only one. On private or partial services the by-law allows a single second dwelling per lot, and the application must be supported by a hydro-geotechnical study showing the water flow rates can support the extra unit (§3.1.1(c)). South Nation Conservation issues the septic permit for the Township — its 2026 fee for a conventional Class 4 system is $859.
Can you put a modular home in Champlain Township?
Yes. On land you own, a CSA A277 modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code. Champlain's by-law excludes only mobile homes, camping trailers and house trailers from its definition of a single-detached dwelling, and defines a mobile home as a building designed to be made mobile — which a modular home set on a foundation is not. The by-law has no express definition of a modular home, so confirm the classification with the Building Department when you apply.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Champlain Township?
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 Champlain Township?
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 Township of Champlain Zoning By-law No. 2000-75, as amended by By-law 2023-56 — §3.1.1 Second Dwellings and §3.1 Accessory Uses; verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.