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Serving the Municipality of Grey Highlands (Grey County)
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Grey Highlands, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Municipality of Grey Highlands — Markdale, Flesherton, Kimberley, Eugenia and the Beaver Valley countryside. Grey Highlands allowed a permanent detached backyard unit BEFORE Bill 23 made it fashionable: one accessory apartment per lot, attached or in a detached building, as-of-right in seven zones (By-law 2021-044) — with NO fixed size cap, NO extra parking space, and a 75 m (≈246 ft) leash to the house. Here's what the by-law allows, what it costs, and the rules that apply.
What you can build in Grey Highlands
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 Grey Highlands'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 Grey Highlands 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? (Grey Highlands lots typically allow up to ~1,000 sq ft)
Grey Highlands sets no fixed size cap: in the residential zones (R, RM, RS) the accessory envelope governs — up to 5% of the lot area and 7 m (≈23 ft) tall — while on agricultural and rural lots (A1, A2, RU, RUR) the main-dwelling standards apply instead, so the practical ceiling is generous. 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 Grey Highlands address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Grey Highlands backyard?
Often, yes — Grey Highlands permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Municipality of Grey Highlands Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2004-50, §5.29 as enacted by By-law 2021-044 — Accessory Apartments (passed May 5, 2021):
| No fixed size cap | In the residential zones (R, RM, RS) the accessory-building envelope governs: up to 5% of the lot area and 7 m (≈23 ft) tall (§5.6). In the agricultural and rural zones (A1, A2, RU, RUR) the main-dwelling standards apply instead — and the unit may even sit closer to the road than the house. |
|---|---|
| Where it’s allowed | One accessory apartment per lot — attached or in a detached accessory building — as-of-right in the R, RM, RU, RUR, RS, A1 and A2 zones (§5.29). The detached unit must sit within 75 m (≈246 ft) of the house, share its driveway, and be a permanent year-round dwelling under the Building Code. Downtown C1 lots get the ATTACHED unit only. |
| Parking | Friendly: no extra space is required for the unit — the lot just needs two spaces in total (§5.29). |
| Undersized rural lots | A real path: a lot that doesn’t meet its zone’s minimum still qualifies if it has at least 50 m (≈164 ft) of frontage and 0.4 ha (≈1 acre) of area (§5.29.1–2). Outside settlement areas, Minimum Distance Separation applies near livestock, and no unit is permitted where the house sits in — or is accessed through — a Hazard zone without conservation-authority-approved safe access. |
| Escarpment first | On Niagara Escarpment Development Control lands the by-law doesn’t apply at all (§1.3) — a backyard unit there is a Niagara Escarpment Commission Development Permit, not a zoning question. Tell us your lot and we’ll help you sort which side you’re on. |
| Servicing | Well-and-septic is the norm outside Markdale and Flesherton: the by-law requires public services where available, otherwise 'adequate private services' (§5.21) — a septic assessment for the extra unit is the practical first step. Conservation approvals come from Grey Sauble CA on the west side or Nottawasaga Valley CA in the southeast, by watershed. |
Getting your building permit in Grey Highlands
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Grey Highlands's process actually works — verified against the Grey Highlands building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Grey Highlands?
Through Cloudpermit (Municipality of Grey Highlands Building Services) (application portal ↗). Grey Highlands runs its own Building Services, and it handles BOTH permits — building AND on-site septic issue from the same municipal Building Department (building@greyhighlands.ca, 519-986-2811 ext. 401; 206 Toronto Street South, Markdale). Applications are fully online through Cloudpermit — no paper accepted; hard-copy drawings are uploaded into the portal. Grey Highlands's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm the zoning first — the detached accessory apartment is as-of-right in the R, RM, RU, RUR, RS, A1 and A2 zones, within 75 m of the house on a shared driveway, with no fixed size cap (the accessory envelope or main-dwelling standards govern by zone).
- Sort the entrance and civic address before anything else — Grey Highlands will not issue a building permit until an approved Entrance Permit and Civic Address exist ($625 entrance, $400 of it refundable after inspection; $115 civic address). On a Grey County road the entrance permit comes from the County instead.
- Check the overlay layers — the municipality's applicable-law list runs through THREE conservation authorities (Grey Sauble, Nottawasaga Valley and Saugeen Valley, by watershed), and on Niagara Escarpment Development Control lands the by-law doesn't apply at all: the NEC Development Permit comes before any municipal approval.
- Apply for the septic permit with the building permit — same department, same Cloudpermit application: a new Class 4–5 system is $500, and the site plan must show the tank and bed.
- Retain a qualified BCIN designer and submit through Cloudpermit — construction drawings, site plan (septic, well, power lines, entrance), grading plan where required, and the $150–$250 filing fee with the application.
- Review, issuance, inspections — budget the refundable deposits ($500 pre-occupancy + $250 final inspection) and book inspections through the portal.
What does a Grey Highlands ADU permit application need?
- Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish (via Cloudpermit) + Schedule 1 Designer Information, signed by the registered designer
- Owner's Authorization Form where the applicant isn't the owner
- Site plan drawn to scale and fully dimensioned — property lines, setbacks, septic tank and bed location, well, overhead power lines, easements, entrance and driveway, water line
- Full construction drawings — floor plans, elevations, sections, details, roof plan (plus engineered drawings where required)
- Grading plan where required, prepared by a P.Eng., C.E.T. or OLS
- Approved Entrance Permit and Civic Address — the building permit will not issue without them
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Grey Highlands?
Fees follow Grey Highlands' Fees and Charges By-law 2025-009 (passed February 11, 2025): new residential construction is $0.65/sq ft including basement — roughly $390 on a 600 sq ft detached unit — plus the non-refundable filing fee ($150 up to $30,000 of value, $250 above), plumbing at $65 per floor, and a $500 Class 4–5 septic permit on a rural lot; whether a detached ADU prices as new residential or as an accessory building ($0.40/sq ft) is worth confirming with Building Services (519-986-2811 ext. 401). All figures are estimates.
| Building permit — new detached unit | $0.65/sq ft (all floors and basement) as new residential, minimum $150; the accessory-building rate is $0.40/sq ft — confirm which classification Building Services applies to a detached dwelling unit (By-law 2025-009, Schedule B) |
|---|---|
| Application filing fee (non-refundable) | $150 on construction value up to $30,000; $250 at $30,001 and over (By-law 2025-009, Schedule B) |
| Plumbing permit | $65 per floor (By-law 2025-009, Schedule B) |
| Septic (sewage-system) permit — issued by the same municipal Building Department | New or replacement Class 4–5 treatment unit $500 (daily flow below 4,500 L); Class 2 $250; septic review $150 (By-law 2025-009, Schedule B — Sewage) |
| Entrance permit + civic address — required BEFORE the building permit issues | Entrance $625 with $400 refundable on completion and inspection; new civic address $115 (By-law 2025-009, Schedule E). On a Grey County road, the County's own entrance permit applies instead |
| Refundable deposits | $500 pre-occupancy deposit plus $250 final-inspection deposit, both refundable (By-law 2025-009, Schedule B) |
| Development charges | EXEMPT for a qualifying ADU — Grey Highlands' DC By-law 2023-019 (as amended by 2024-071) is post-Bill 23 and its exemption expressly covers additional residential units in structures ancillary to dwellings; the Township's single-detached charge otherwise applies (Schedule A, indexed annually — confirm the current figure with the Township). Grey County's charge ($2,617 single-detached, 2022 base, indexed) carries older 'in or attached to' wording — confirm the County's treatment of a detached unit |
Grey Highlands' own DC by-law (2023-019) was written after Bill 23 and its exemption expressly includes additional residential units in structures ancillary to dwellings — so a qualifying detached backyard unit pays no Township development charge. Grey County's charge ($2,617 single-detached, 2022 base, indexed) still carries pre-Bill-23 'in or attached to' wording; the Development Charges Act's statutory exemption governs, but confirm the County's treatment of a detached unit when the permit is issued.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Grey Highlands?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. Grey Highlands publishes no turnaround figure of its own. The pre-steps set the real schedule: the entrance permit and civic address must exist before the building permit will issue, the septic permit rides the same application, and on Escarpment Development Control lands the NEC permit comes before everything.
Worth knowing before you apply
- One desk, both permits: building and septic both issue from the municipal Building Department through one Cloudpermit application — no county or health-unit leg to coordinate.
- The building permit will not issue until an approved Entrance Permit and Civic Address exist — sort them first, and check whether your road is municipal or Grey County (different permit, different office).
- Three conservation authorities touch this one municipality — Grey Sauble, Nottawasaga Valley AND Saugeen Valley, by watershed — and on NEC Development Control lands the zoning by-law doesn't apply at all.
- A comprehensive zoning by-law rewrite was in public draft consultation in 2025 — the rules described here are the in-force 2004-50/2021-044 regime; confirm nothing has been enacted when you apply.
- The friendly one: no extra parking space is required for the unit — the lot just needs two in total.
Fees and timelines are estimates from Grey Highlands'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 Grey Highlands
Development charges — exempt for a qualifying ADU — Ontario's Development Charges Act (s.2(3)) exempts qualifying additional residential units — up to two units added to an existing home, or one unit in an ancillary building. Grey County's charge ($2,617 single-detached, 2022 schedule, indexed) carries exemption wording written before Bill 23 that speaks to units 'in or attached to' the house — confirm the County's and the Municipality's treatment of a detached unit 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 →
Grey Highlands modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in Grey Highlands?
Yes — and Grey Highlands got there early: By-law 2021-044 (§5.29) permits one accessory apartment per lot, attached or in a detached accessory building, as-of-right in the R, RM, RU, RUR, RS, A1 and A2 zones. The detached unit must sit within 75 m of the house and share its driveway. One naming caution: what the by-law calls a 'garden suite' is the old temporary instrument (portable, site-specific 10-year approvals) — the permanent detached route is the accessory apartment, and you can't have both on one lot.
How big can a backyard suite be in Grey Highlands?
There is no fixed cap — a genuine rarity. In the residential zones the accessory envelope governs (5% of the lot area, 7 m tall); on agricultural and rural lots the main-dwelling standards apply instead, so the practical ceiling is what your lot and septic support. Enter your address for the exact envelope on your lot.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in Grey Highlands?
Yes — that's the norm across the municipality. The by-law's gate is qualitative: public services where available, otherwise 'adequate private services' (§5.21) — so a septic assessment for the extra unit is the practical first step. And because most of Grey Highlands is on private services, Bill 23's fully-serviced as-of-right override doesn't reach here — the by-law's own (already generous) rules govern.
Does the Niagara Escarpment affect building in Grey Highlands?
Yes, on the escarpment side — Kimberley, Eugenia and the Beaver Valley rim. On Niagara Escarpment Development Control lands the zoning by-law expressly does not apply (§1.3): a backyard unit there needs a Development Permit from the Niagara Escarpment Commission under its own rules. Check which regime your lot falls under before you design; we can help.
Can you put a modular home in Grey Highlands, 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 Grey Highlands — as the principal dwelling, or as the detached accessory apartment in your backyard under §5.29. With no fixed size cap, everything from a compact suite to a full-size second home can fit.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Grey Highlands?
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 Grey Highlands?
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 Municipality of Grey Highlands Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2004-50, §5.29 as enacted by By-law 2021-044 — Accessory Apartments (passed May 5, 2021); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.