Home/Modular Homes by City/Markham
Serving Markham & York Region
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Markham, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for Markham and York Region. Here's what Markham's zoning by-law allows for a backyard suite, what it costs, and how your lot size changes the answer.
What you can build in Markham
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 Markham'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 Markham 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? (Markham lots typically allow up to up to 60 m² on lots over 500 m²)
Markham allows a backyard suite of up to 60 m² (≈646 sq ft) above grade on a lot larger than 500 m², but only 15 m² (≈161 sq ft) on a smaller lot. Check your lot area first. Your exact lot may allow more or less — get the real number for your address in seconds.
Check your exact Markham address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Markham backyard?
Often, yes — Markham permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from City of Markham Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19 (as amended by By-law 2026-44), §4.9.9 (Additional Residential Units), §4.8.1 (Accessory Buildings):
| Max size | 60 m² (≈646 sq ft) above grade on a lot over 500 m²; 15 m² (≈161 sq ft) on a lot of 500 m² or less |
|---|---|
| Max height | 4.0 m (≈13 ft) on lots up to 4,000 m²; 5.5 m (≈18 ft) on larger lots |
| Setbacks | 1.2 m (≈4 ft) rear and interior side; 4.0 m (≈13 ft) from the house. Not in the front yard. |
| Lane lots | One building can cover the greater of 15% of the lot or 40 m², and can be two storeys (up to 8 m) |
| Units | With a backyard suite, one more unit is allowed inside the house; without one, up to two |
| Parking | 1 space per unit (none required in Parking Zones 1 and 2) |
| Conservation | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA); no suite on TRCA hazard lands |
Check your specific Markham 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 Markham, and the models that fit →
Markham's by-law is verified in our checker, so you can check if a garden suite is allowed at your Markham address in about a minute.
Getting your building permit in Markham
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Markham's process actually works — verified against the Markham building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Markham?
Through ePLAN (City of Markham online permit portal) (application portal ↗). All building permit applications must be submitted online through Markham's ePLAN portal — paper applications are no longer accepted. A non-refundable $100 pre-application fee is paid before drawings can be uploaded, and the official 'date of application' is the date Pre-Screen review is approved, not the date you upload. Markham's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm your lot allows a garden suite under Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19 — Markham offers an optional paid Zoning Preliminary Review ($315 for low-rise, two review cycles included) to verify zoning compliance before you apply
- Line up any 'applicable law' approvals flagged on the City's Applicable Law Checklist — for example a conservation authority (TRCA) permit on regulated valley or floodplain lots, or a Heritage Permit if you're in one of Markham's four heritage conservation districts
- Create an ePLAN account, start a housing (HP) permit application for the garden suite, and pay the non-refundable $100 pre-application fee to unlock drawing upload
- Upload your forms and drawings per the ePLAN Submission Standards and pay the estimated permit fee in full — staff run a Pre-Screen review to confirm the package is complete, and Pre-Screen approval sets your application date
- Plans review runs in electronic cycles with email notifications — respond to examiner comments and resubmit revisions until approval; any fee balance owing must be paid before the permit is issued
- Download the issued permit, print the permit card and one set of approved plans for the jobsite, then build and call in inspections at the required stages
- Once the property has a second dwelling unit, register it with Markham Fire & Emergency Services (two-unit registration — confirm with the City how this applies to a detached suite)
What does an ADU permit application in Markham need?
- ePLAN application (replaces the paper Building Permit Application Form) plus Permit Applicant Authorization if the owner isn't the applicant
- Applicable Law Checklist (conservation authority, heritage and other approvals required by applicable law)
- Schedule 1: Designer Information (BCIN-qualified designer)
- Energy Efficiency Design Summary Form
- Site plan with a zoning summary (permitted vs proposed), property lines referenced to a current survey, and locations/dimensions of all existing and proposed buildings
- Floor plans of every level showing rooms, plus electrical layout — lighting, switches, outlets and interconnected smoke alarms
- Building elevations with limiting-distance calculations, including the face of the existing house toward the garden suite
- Sections with wall/ceiling/fire-separation construction details, stair/guard/handrail details
- Structural (foundation and framing) designs and HVAC plans with heat loss/gain calculations
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Markham?
Expect roughly $1,300–$2,200 in City permit fees for a ~600 sq ft (56 m²) detached garden suite — Markham's 2026 residential rate is $22.08–$24.75 per m² (a garage-with-dwelling-unit/coach house is a flat $2,062) under Building By-law 2025-121, plus the $100 ePLAN pre-application fee and about $250 for plumbing — an estimate; the City verifies the exact fee during plans review and confirms the current rate at application.
| Permit fee (new residential, per Schedule A of Building By-law 2025-121) | $22.08/m² single-detached rate · $24.75/m² infill rate — which rate applies to a detached garden suite is confirmed by the City at fee estimate |
|---|---|
| Garage with dwelling unit (coach house) | $2,062 flat |
| ePLAN pre-application fee | $100 (non-refundable, paid before uploading drawings) |
| Plumbing fixtures | $250 |
| Minimum permit fee (Group C residential) | $151 |
| Zoning Preliminary Review (optional pre-step, low-rise) | $315 (includes two review cycles) |
| Two-unit residential registration (Markham Fire) | $246 registration + $260 fire inspection (per User Fee By-law 2025-125) |
Ontario's provincial rules mean development charges are not collected for qualifying additional residential units (Bill 23 extended ARU relief). Markham's own development-charges page doesn't publish an ADU-specific exemption note, so confirm the detached garden-suite treatment with Markham Development Finance (905-477-7000 ext. 3324) before budgeting.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Markham?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. Markham's published service standard for houses is 10 business days from Pre-Screen approval for a complete application; incomplete applications run roughly 20–40 business days, and each plans-review resubmission cycle adds time.
Registration: Markham requires two-unit houses (secondary suites) to be registered with Markham Fire & Emergency Services — $246 per registration plus a $260 fire inspection under User Fee By-law 2025-125; occupying an unregistered two-unit house can result in court action and fines. The published registration program is framed around basement apartments/second suites, so confirm with the City how registration applies to a detached garden suite.
Worth knowing before you apply
- ePLAN-only: paper applications are not accepted, a non-refundable $100 fee is due before you can even upload drawings, and the 10-day review clock starts at Pre-Screen APPROVAL — an incomplete upload doesn't start the clock
- A garden suite is a 'housing (HP)' permit class with fuller drawing requirements than a shed-type accessory building — including electrical/smoke-alarm layouts, fire-separation sections, and elevations with limiting-distance calculations showing the house face toward the suite
- The Applicable Law Checklist must be cleared with the application: lots in a conservation-authority regulated area (TRCA valleylands/floodplains in Markham) need CA sign-off, and Markham's four heritage conservation districts (Thornhill, Markham Village, Buttonville, Unionville) require a Heritage Permit for new construction before building permit issuance
- Backyard-suite zoning standards (size, height, setbacks) come from Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19 as amended by By-law 2026-44, and they depend on your lot's area and whether it backs onto a lane. The optional $315 Zoning Preliminary Review is the low-risk way to confirm them before paying full permit fees
- By-law 2026-44 replaced Markham's old Garden Home and Coach House rules: a backyard suite now follows the general accessory-building rules, and additional units are not allowed in the Greenway One (GWY1) zone or on TRCA hazard lands, so check the current rules for your address
- Fees are estimated at application and must be paid in full before plans review begins; examiners verify the fee during review and any balance owing must be paid before the permit is issued
Fees and timelines are estimates from Markham's published schedules, verified July 9, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
A garden suite on a well and septic in Markham
Can I add a garden suite on a septic system in Markham?
Yes, if your septic system can carry the house and the suite together. A garden suite with a kitchen and bathroom adds a new source of sewage, so a qualified septic designer checks the combined load before you order. If the system has room, the suite can connect to it; if not, it may need to be altered, expanded or replaced.
In Markham: The septic check has to be in writing (a septic capacity letter) before the building permit is issued.
Who approves septic systems in Markham?
The City of Markham Building Standards Department approves septic systems itself, so the septic review and the building permit both go through the municipality.
City of Markham Building Standards Department: septic permits ↗ · 905-475-4858 · buildingstandards@markham.ca
What to gather, and why even a small suite needs the check: our guide to garden suites on a septic system →
From City of Markham Building Standards Department’s own page, checked October 24, 2026. Confirm with them before you apply.
Grants & financing in Markham
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 →
Markham modular homes — FAQ
Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in Markham?
On most residential lots with a detached, semi-detached or townhouse home, yes. Markham allows a backyard suite plus one more unit inside the house, subject to size, height and setback rules and a building permit. Suites aren’t allowed in the Greenway One zone or on TRCA hazard lands.
How big can a garden suite be in Markham?
It depends on your lot area: up to 60 m² (≈646 sq ft) above grade on a lot over 500 m², but only 15 m² (≈161 sq ft) on a lot of 500 m² or less. Height is 4.0 m (≈13 ft) on most lots, and the suite must be 4.0 m (≈13 ft) from the house. Lots that back onto a lane follow their own rules and can have a two-storey building. Check your address for the specifics.
Can you put a modular home in Markham?
Yes. On land you own, a modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout Markham, subject to standard zoning and permits.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Markham?
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 Markham?
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 Markham Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2024-19 (as amended by By-law 2026-44), §4.9.9 (Additional Residential Units), §4.8.1 (Accessory Buildings); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.