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Serving Greater Sudbury & northern Ontario
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Greater Sudbury, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for Greater Sudbury and the north. Sudbury has some of Ontario's most generous backyard-suite rules — here's what's allowed, what it costs, and the by-law that applies.
What you can build in Greater Sudbury
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 Greater Sudbury'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 Greater Sudbury 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? (Greater Sudbury lots typically allow up to ~700 sq ft)
Sudbury has no fixed size cap — a detached suite is limited by lot coverage (25% on a fully serviced lot). Your exact lot may allow more or less — get the real number for your address in seconds.
Check your exact Greater Sudbury address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Greater Sudbury backyard?
Often, yes — Greater Sudbury permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from City of Greater Sudbury Zoning By-law 2010-100Z §4.2.10 (Dwelling Units in Accessory Buildings):
| Max size | No fixed square-footage cap — governed by lot coverage: all accessory buildings combined up to 25% of the lot on full municipal services (10% otherwise). |
|---|---|
| Max height | 8.0 m (≈26 ft) |
| Setbacks | Rear or interior side yard only; at least 2.4 m (≈8 ft) from the main house. A 12 m (≈39 ft) shoreline setback applies near water (30 m / ≈98 ft on lake-trout lakes). |
| Units per lot | Up to two units inside a detached accessory building; up to four dwellings per lot on a fully serviced lot |
| Parking | 1 space per unit |
| Servicing | Municipal services or a private well/septic (private servicing permitted) |
| Conservation | Conservation Sudbury (Nickel District CA) — a permit may be required near wetlands, floodplains, and shorelines |
Getting your building permit in Greater Sudbury
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Greater Sudbury's process actually works — verified against the Greater Sudbury building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Greater Sudbury?
Through Pronto (Greater Sudbury's online building-permit portal, hosted on Accela Citizen Access) (application portal ↗). Register a Pronto account, then apply, upload drawings/plot plans/supplementary documents, track status and fees, and request inspections online; paper application forms remain available for in-person submission at Citizen Service Centres. Building Services: 705-674-4455 ext. 4278. Greater Sudbury's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm your lot qualifies under Zoning By-law 2010-100Z — up to 4 dwelling units on a fully serviced lot (3 where not fully municipally serviced); a detached ADU must sit in a rear or interior yard (non-shoreline residential lots), max 8 m high, at least 2.4 m from the main building, and is not permitted in the Rural Shoreline or Environmental Protection zones or on a lot with a garden suite
- Check whether the property is in a Conservation Sudbury (Nickel District Conservation Authority) regulated area (floodplain, shoreline, wetland, watercourse) — if so, NDCA permission is needed and the City collects the NDCA review fee with the application
- Prepare the permit package to the City's Document Submission Checklist — the owner or a BCIN-qualified designer prepares scaled PDF construction drawings with every room identified and dimensioned
- Create a Pronto account and submit the building permit application online, uploading the drawings, plot plan and supplementary documents; staff run a zoning review and an Ontario Building Code review, and will tell you which additional agency approvals apply
- Obtain any outstanding approvals yourself — on a lot without full municipal sewer and water, Health Unit (Public Health Sudbury & Districts) sewage-system approval is required before the building permit can be issued
- Complete registration of the additional dwelling unit under Registration By-law 2017-14 (fee payable) — registration is required prior to building-permit issuance for a new ADU
- Build, booking inspections through Pronto; after the occupancy inspection clears, occupy the unit and post the required 'SU' letters below the municipal street number
What does a Greater Sudbury ADU permit application need?
- Plot plan or survey, scaled, showing setbacks
- Detailed construction drawings — floor plans, elevations and cross sections (PDF, to scale, all rooms identified and dimensioned)
- Heat loss/gain calculations, HVAC drawings and ventilation summary
- Schedule 1 Designer Information, signed by a qualified (BCIN) designer or the homeowner
- HVAC Commitment Certificate and HVAC Owner's Undertaking
- Energy Efficiency Design Summary
- Written cost estimate including material, labour, designer/consulting fees and HST
- Letter of authorization if the applicant is not the property owner
- Health Unit (Public Health Sudbury & Districts) approval — required for all properties without, or only partially served by, municipal sewer and water
- If applicable: engineered roof/floor truss layouts, CCMC/BMEC/Minister's Ruling approval documents (e.g. for helical piles), lot-grading and geotechnical commitment certificates
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Greater Sudbury?
For a typical ~600 sq ft (56 m²) detached ADU, budget for the building permit fee (set and adjusted annually by City by-law — the City does not publish the rate online, so confirm the current amount with Building Services before applying), plus a $245 Secondary Dwelling Unit registration fee (2026 rate), a Public Health Sudbury & Districts sewage-system permit on well/septic lots, and a Conservation Sudbury review fee in regulated areas — all figures are estimates, and development charges do not apply to a qualifying additional unit.
| Building permit fee | Set and adjusted annually under City of Greater Sudbury by-law; rate not published online — the City recommends contacting Building Services (705-674-4455 ext. 4278) to determine your permit fee before applying |
|---|---|
| ADU registration (By-law 2017-14) | $245 (2026, per User Fees By-law 2026-04 Schedule P&G-2; no HST); non-refundable, payable before permit issuance |
| Sewage system permit (well/septic lots) | Public Health Sudbury & Districts is the Ontario Building Code Part 8 authority — a permit is required to build, repair or change a septic system; confirm the current fee on PHSD's fee schedule (705-522-9200) |
| Conservation Sudbury (NDCA) review | In regulated areas the City collects the building-permit pre-consultation and application fee established by the Nickel District Conservation Authority; amount set by the NDCA and subject to change |
Greater Sudbury's development-charge exemptions include a secondary dwelling unit as defined in the Zoning By-law and additional intensification of existing housing, so a qualifying ADU does not pay the development charges a new house would — confirm your unit qualifies with developmentcharges@greatersudbury.ca.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Greater Sudbury?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days
Registration: Every ADU must be registered under the Registration of Secondary Dwelling Units By-law 2017-14 ($245 in 2026, non-refundable). For a new unit, registration is completed before the building permit is issued; after the occupancy inspection the unit can be occupied. Registered properties must display the letters 'SU' immediately below the municipal street number (3–6 inches tall depending on setback, printed, contrasting colour, legible day and night).
Worth knowing before you apply
- Unit count depends on servicing: up to 4 dwelling units per lot only on fully municipally serviced land — lots on private well/septic are capped at 3 units, and Health Unit approval is a hard gate before permit issuance on any lot not fully served by municipal sewer and water
- A detached ADU can't exceed 8 m in height, must be at least 2.4 m from the main building, counts toward a 25% lot-coverage cap on serviced lots, and on non-shoreline residential lots is only permitted in a rear or interior yard
- ADUs are not permitted in the Rural Shoreline Zone, in Environmental Protection zones, or on a lot that already has a garden suite — and a detached ADU can't be a mobile-home dwelling in Residential, Commercial or Future Development zones
- Conservation Sudbury (Nickel District Conservation Authority) permission is required before development in regulated areas — floodplains, shorelines, wetlands and lands along watercourses — and the City collects the NDCA's review fee with the permit application
- The owner is solely responsible for obtaining all agency approvals (Public Health, NDCA, Engineering, Fire, MTO, utilities as applicable); the building permit cannot be issued until every requirement is met
- Construction drawings must be submitted as scaled PDFs with all rooms identified and dimensioned, and the checklist requires a written cost estimate (materials, labour, design fees and HST) with the application
- Foundations on helical piles need CCMC/BMEC or Minister's Ruling approval documents in the permit package — directly relevant to factory-built ADUs set on screw piles
- Design must satisfy OBC Part 9 for a new accessory-structure ADU (the owner or a BCIN designer can sign); conversions creating 3–4 units in one building require a professional consultant or qualified designer
Fees and timelines are estimates from Greater Sudbury's published schedules, verified July 9, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Greater Sudbury
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 →
Greater Sudbury modular homes — FAQ
Can you put a backyard suite in Greater Sudbury?
Yes. Sudbury permits up to two dwelling units inside a detached accessory building (a backyard suite), and up to four dwelling units per lot on a fully serviced lot — subject to the rules and a building permit.
How big can a backyard suite be in Sudbury?
There’s no fixed square-footage cap — size is governed by lot coverage (all accessory buildings up to 25% of a fully serviced lot). On most lots that comfortably fits any of our backyard-suite models. Check your address for the specifics.
Can you put a modular home in Greater Sudbury?
Yes. On land you own, a modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout Greater Sudbury, subject to standard zoning and permits.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Greater Sudbury?
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 Greater Sudbury?
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 Greater Sudbury Zoning By-law 2010-100Z §4.2.10 (Dwelling Units in Accessory Buildings); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the City of Greater Sudbury before you build.