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Serving the Township of East Garafraxa (Dufferin County)
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in East Garafraxa, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Township of East Garafraxa — Marsville, Orton and the rural lines of southeast Dufferin, minutes from Orangeville. East Garafraxa passed a full Bill 23-era update in 2023: up to two accessory dwelling units per home as-of-right, one of them a detached backyard unit with one of Ontario's most generous size caps — the GREATER of 180 m² (≈1,938 sq ft) or 50% of your home's floor area. Here's what By-Law 26-2023 allows, what it costs, and the rules that apply.
What you can build in East Garafraxa
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 East Garafraxa'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 East Garafraxa 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? (East Garafraxa lots typically allow up to 1,938 sq ft)
East Garafraxa's cap works in your favour: the GREATER of 180 m² (≈1,938 sq ft) or 50% of your home's floor area — 180 m² is the floor every host lot gets, and a larger house unlocks more. All accessory buildings together are capped at 10% of the lot. 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 East Garafraxa address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your East Garafraxa backyard?
Often, yes — East Garafraxa permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Township of East Garafraxa Zoning By-Law 60-2004, §3.14 as replaced by By-Law 26-2023 — Accessory Dwellings (passed June 27, 2023):
| Max size | The GREATER of 180 m² (≈1,938 sq ft) or 50% of your home's gross floor area — the opposite of the usual "lesser of" formula, so 180 m² is the floor every host lot gets and a larger house unlocks more. A legally existing second house on the lot can also be converted into the accessory dwelling, capped at its existing floor area (§3.14.3 iv, §3.14.1 c). |
|---|---|
| Where it’s allowed | Up to two accessory dwelling units per home — three units per lot including the main house — and one may be the detached backyard unit, as-of-right in the Agricultural (A), Rural (RU), Rural Residential (RR), Estate Residential (ER) and Hamlet Residential (HR) zones. The detached unit must sit within 50 m (≈164 ft) of the house (§3.14.1, §3.14.3). |
| Height, setbacks & access | The detached unit can’t be taller than your house. Setbacks: 1.5 m (≈5 ft) side and rear, 2 m (≈6.5 ft) from the main dwelling, plus a 1.2 m-wide (≈4 ft) clear path from the street to the suite’s entrance for emergency access. All accessory buildings together are capped at 10% of the lot (§3.2.6, §3.2.3). |
| Parking | 1 space for the ADU, on the existing driveway — no new street entrance may be created (§3.14.1 v–vi). Near a livestock operation the Minimum Distance Separation formulae apply (§3.14.1 ix). |
| Servicing | Well-and-septic is the norm here, and the by-law's gate is qualitative: water and sanitary capacity 'to the satisfaction of the Township' (§3.14.1 ii) — so a septic assessment for the extra unit is the practical first step. There's no separate minimum lot size for the ADU itself; your zone's general minimum governs (e.g. Rural Residential 1.0 ha / ≈2.5 acres). |
| Conservation | Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) for most of the Township, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) toward the eastern edge. An accessory dwelling unit is not permitted within hazardous lands identified by the applicable conservation authority (§3.14.1 vii). |
Getting your building permit in East Garafraxa
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how East Garafraxa's process actually works — verified against the East Garafraxa building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in East Garafraxa?
Through CityView Portal (Dufferin County Building Services) + Township of East Garafraxa Municipal Approval (application portal ↗). East Garafraxa doesn't run its own building department — building AND septic permits are issued by Dufferin County Building Services (519-941-2816 ext. 2700, building@dufferincounty.ca), with applications online-only through the County's CityView Portal. The Township's own zoning review (the $200 'Municipal Approval') is paid inside the same CityView application; Township zoning questions go to planner@eastgarafraxa.ca (226-259-9400). East Garafraxa's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm zoning first — the detached backyard unit ('Accessory Detached Dwelling') is as-of-right in the A, RU, RR, ER and HR zones, capped at the GREATER of 180 m² or 50% of your home's floor area, within 50 m of the house (By-Law 26-2023, §3.14). The Township's Land Use Inquiry ($150, includes a zoning compliance letter) is the formal way to confirm your parcel; on a non-qualifying lot, a Zoning By-law Amendment runs $5,000 plus a $5,000 deposit (Tariff By-law 28-2025).
- Check overlays before you design — where the lot is regulated by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) or Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), an approval or exemption must be in place BEFORE the building permit, and an ADU cannot go in hazardous lands at all (§3.14.1 vii). Near livestock operations the Minimum Distance Separation formulae apply.
- Assess the septic — the by-law's servicing gate is water and sanitary capacity 'to the satisfaction of the Township' (§3.14.1 ii), so have the existing system's capacity assessed for the extra unit; where a new or upgraded system is needed, Dufferin County issues the septic permit ($575 for a new residential system, 2026) with the design submitted alongside the building application.
- Confirm the entrance — the ADU can't take a new street entrance of its own (§3.14.1 v); where entrance or road-occupancy work is needed, the Township's Public Works permit applies (fee not published online — cheque or debit to the Township).
- Retain a qualified BCIN designer for the Ontario Building Code drawings — architectural, mechanical (heat-loss and duct design) and the SB-12 Energy Efficient Design Summary, with a Schedule 1 for each designer.
- Register for a CityView Portal account and submit everything in one application per the County's ARU checklist, including the Township's Municipal Approval application. Incomplete applications are not reviewed — deficiencies come back by email once all reviews finish.
- Dual review runs from there — the Township checks Official Plan and Zoning By-Law conformity while the County checks Building Code compliance — and the permit issues through the Portal. Keep printed approved drawings onsite through inspections.
What does a East Garafraxa ADU permit application need?
- Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish + Schedule 1 Designer Information (one per designer — BCIN, or the homeowner exemption)
- Township Municipal Approval application, uploaded into the same CityView application
- Site plan drawn to scale — north arrow, address, property lines with distances, dimensions and heights of all structures, entrance/driveway, and all utilities including the septic location
- Architectural drawings: foundation, floor and roof plans, elevations, and cross-sections
- Mechanical drawings by a qualified designer, including heat-loss and duct design
- Energy Efficient Design Summary (SB-12)
- Septic design and calculations where a new or upgraded system is needed (tank and bed layout with clearances) + Schedule 1 (septic designer) and Schedule 2 (septic installer)
- Entrance / Road Occupancy Permit application where entrance work is needed, and the GRCA or CVC approval (or exemption) where the lot is regulated
How much does an ADU building permit cost in East Garafraxa?
Building-permit fees follow Dufferin County's Building By-law 2020-14, Schedule A (consolidated September 2024; CPI-indexed): an Additional Residential Unit is $16.47/m² in 2026 with a $600 minimum — roughly $1,650 on a 100 m² unit, or about $2,965 at the full 180 m² cap — plus the Township's $200 Municipal Approval (Tariff By-law 28-2025) and a $575 County septic permit where a new system is needed. All figures are estimates — confirm with County Building Services (519-941-2816 ext. 2700).
| Building permit — Additional Residential Unit | $16.47/m² (2026), $600 minimum — Dufferin County Building By-law 2020-14, Schedule A; ≈ $1,650 on a 100 m² unit and ≈ $2,965 at the full 180 m² cap (the 2027 rate is $17.83/m²) |
|---|---|
| Township Municipal Approval | $200 — Tariff of Fees for Planning Matters By-law 28-2025 (passed July 22, 2025), matching the figure on the County process sheet |
| Septic (sewage-system) permit — where a new or upgraded system is needed | $575 (2026) for a new residential on-site sewage system, issued by Dufferin County Building Services |
| Entrance / Road Occupancy Permit — where entrance work is needed | Fee not published online — payable by cheque or debit directly to the Township of East Garafraxa; confirm the amount with the Township office (226-259-9400) |
| Planning path on non-qualifying lots | Land Use Inquiry (includes zoning compliance letter) $150; Zoning By-law Amendment $5,000 plus $5,000 deposit; Minor Variance $2,000 (Tariff By-law 28-2025) |
| Development charges | EXEMPT for a qualifying unit — DC By-law 39-2024 exempts a second or third residential unit in a house, and one residential unit in a building ancillary to it, when the exemption conditions are met (against a $30,282 single-detached charge); Dufferin County DC By-law 2022-28 has the matching exemption |
Township DC By-law 39-2024 (in force October 31, 2024) exempts a second or third residential unit in an existing or new house, and one residential unit in a building or structure ancillary to it, provided the parcel and unit conditions in the exemption are met. Dufferin County (DC By-law 2022-28) carries the matching exemption. Confirm your project’s treatment when the permit is issued.
How long does an ADU building permit take in East Garafraxa?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. The County's FAQ says a complete application should issue within the 10 business days — but the Township publishes no turnaround for its Municipal Approval review, and where the GRCA or CVC regulates the lot, that approval must be in place before the building permit and adds time. Sequence those first.
Worth knowing before you apply
- Two governments, one application: the Township reviews zoning (the $200 Municipal Approval) while Dufferin County reviews the Building Code and issues the permit — all inside the County's CityView Portal, online only, and incomplete applications are not reviewed.
- Conservation approval comes first: where the GRCA or CVC regulates the lot, their approval or exemption must be in place before the building permit — and an ADU is barred outright from hazardous lands (§3.14.1 vii).
- The by-law's naming trap: East Garafraxa's 'garden suite' is a temporary, family-tied instrument needing a Council temporary-use by-law and removal agreement (§3.2.8) — the permanent backyard unit is the 'Accessory Detached Dwelling' of §3.14, and it needs only a building permit.
- Any structure over 10 m² (≈108 sq ft) needs a building permit in Dufferin — and a smaller one still does if it has plumbing.
- The Township entrance-permit fee is one of the few figures not published online — budget for it and confirm with the Township office before submitting.
Fees and timelines are estimates from East Garafraxa's published schedules, verified August 28, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in East Garafraxa
Development charges — exempt for a qualifying ADU — A new single-detached home in East Garafraxa pays $30,282 in Township development charges (DC By-law 39-2024, in force October 31, 2024) — but the by-law writes the provincial ADU exemptions in: a second or third unit in your house, or one residential unit in a building ancillary to it, pays none of it when the exemption conditions are met. Dufferin County’s DC by-law carries the matching exemption. Confirm your project’s treatment when the permit is issued.
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 →
East Garafraxa modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in East Garafraxa?
Yes — since June 2023, By-Law 26-2023 permits up to two accessory dwelling units per home as-of-right in the Agricultural, Rural, Rural Residential, Estate Residential and Hamlet Residential zones, and one of them may be a detached backyard unit. One naming caution: what the by-law calls a 'garden suite' is a separate TEMPORARY instrument (max 55 m², immediate-family occupant, Council temporary-use by-law and removal agreement, §3.2.8) — the permanent backyard unit is the 'Accessory Detached Dwelling' of §3.14, and it needs only a building permit.
How big can a backyard suite be in East Garafraxa?
Unusually big: the GREATER of 180 m² (≈1,938 sq ft) or 50% of your home's gross floor area — most municipalities run the formula the other way. The unit can't be taller than your house, must sit within 50 m of it, and all accessory buildings together are capped at 10% of the lot. Enter your address for the exact number on your lot.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in East Garafraxa?
Yes — rural well-and-septic is the norm here. The by-law's gate is qualitative: water and sanitary capacity 'to the satisfaction of the Township' (§3.14.1 ii), so a septic assessment for the extra unit is the practical first step. There's no fixed minimum lot size for the ADU; your zone's general minimum lot area governs (e.g. Rural Residential 1.0 ha / ≈2.5 acres).
Do I pay development charges on an ADU in East Garafraxa?
Generally no. DC By-law 39-2024 exempts a second or third residential unit in an existing (or new) house, and one residential unit in a building ancillary to it, when the exemption conditions are met — against a $30,282 single-detached charge, that exemption is worth real money. Confirm your project’s treatment with the Township when the permit is issued.
Can you put a modular home in East Garafraxa, Ontario?
Yes. On land you own, a CSA A277 modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout East Garafraxa — as the principal dwelling, or as the detached accessory dwelling in your backyard under §3.14. With the greater-of-180 m² cap, even the larger backyard models fit here.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in East Garafraxa?
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 East Garafraxa?
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 East Garafraxa Zoning By-Law 60-2004, §3.14 as replaced by By-Law 26-2023 — Accessory Dwellings (passed June 27, 2023); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.