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Serving the City of Pembroke (Renfrew County)
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Pembroke, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the City of Pembroke — the Ottawa Valley's city at the mouth of the Muskrat River, the seat of Renfrew County and the shopping and hospital town for Petawawa and Laurentian Valley. Pembroke's 2020 Zoning By-law already permits a secondary dwelling unit in a backyard building on a lot with a house, semi or row house, and since January 2026 the City will pay up to half the cost of building one, to $10,000. Here's what the by-law allows, what it costs, and the rules that apply.
What you can build in Pembroke
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 Pembroke'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 Pembroke 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? (Pembroke lots typically allow up to ~600 sq ft)
Pembroke caps all accessory buildings together at 12% of the lot — on the 464.5 m² R1 minimum lot that is a 55 m² (≈600 sq ft) footprint if the suite is the only accessory building; a 600 m² lot allows about 72 m². Height is 4.5 m, one storey. 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 Pembroke address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Pembroke backyard?
Often, yes — Pembroke permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from City of Pembroke Zoning By-law 2020-05, §3.1 — Secondary Dwelling Units in accessory buildings (consolidated to December 2025):
| Max size | The suite may not exceed the house’s own living area, but the real limit is coverage: all accessory buildings together are capped at 12% of the lot, with no more than two accessory buildings. On the 464.5 m² R1 minimum lot that is 55 m² (≈600 sq ft); a 600 m² lot allows 72 m² (≈775 sq ft); an existing garage or shed comes off the top (§3.1(4)). |
|---|---|
| Where it applies | One secondary dwelling unit per lot — inside the house or in a building accessory to it — on a lot with a single detached, semi-detached or row house in the R1, R2 or R3 zones. Not in R4 (apartments), the commercial, industrial, institutional, Flood Plain or Hazard zones. |
| Height & setbacks | Max 4.5 m (≈15 ft), one storey. At least 1.2 m (≈4 ft) from an interior side lot line and 3.05 m (≈10 ft) from the rear lot line (3.66 m where the rear lot line abuts an unscreened street); not closer to the street than the house; at least 1.2 m from the house and any other building. |
| Parking | 1 extra space per suite, tandem behind the house’s two spaces is fine; the suite shares the house’s driveway and yards — no new driveway except on a corner lot (§3.29(2)). |
| Servicing | Full municipal water and sewer is required to build anywhere in Pembroke except on the mapped ‘R1-o’ (well and septic) and ‘R1-w’ (town water with septic) exception lots on the City’s fringe (§3.19). The City’s Building Department issues its own septic permits ($735). |
| Conservation | No conservation authority — the flood rules are in the by-law: no buildings in the Flood Plain (FP) or Hazard (H) zones along the Ottawa, Muskrat and Indian Rivers; no openings below 114.2 m CGD in a ‘-ff’ flood-fringe zone; 30 m from the top of bank in a ‘-s’ slope zone unless a geotechnical study says otherwise. |
Check your specific Pembroke 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 Pembroke, and the models that fit →
Pembroke's by-law is verified in our checker, so you can check if a garden suite is allowed at your Pembroke address in about a minute.
Getting your building permit in Pembroke
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Pembroke's process actually works — verified against the Pembroke building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Pembroke?
Through Cloudpermit (City of Pembroke Building Department e-permitting) (application portal ↗). Building By-law 2025-83 §4.1 allows digital submission by upload to the E-Permitting System (Cloudpermit — register, then apply and upload drawings) or hard copy hand-delivered or mailed to the Building Department at City Hall, 1 Pembroke Street East, Pembroke, ON K8A 3J5. Building Department 613-735-6821; Planner ext. 1304 for zoning questions. Pembroke's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm your zone and servicing: the suite is as-of-right on an R1, R2 or R3 lot with a single detached, semi-detached or row house on full municipal water and sewer (or an 'R1-o' / 'R1-w' exception lot on private services). A zoning compliance letter is $105 + HST if you want it in writing.
- Check the size envelope on your survey: all accessory buildings together may cover no more than 12% of the lot (max two accessory buildings), 4.5 m tall, 1.2 m from the interior side lot line, 3.05 m from the rear lot line, 1.2 m from the house.
- If you want the CIP grant, apply to the City for the Additional Residential Units Grant (up to 50% of eligible costs, max $10,000) BEFORE the building permit is issued — the CIP requires it.
- Have a BCIN designer prepare the drawings — site plan showing setbacks and the 12% coverage math, floor plan, elevations, foundation, framing, HVAC and plumbing, plus the manufacturer's CSA A277 certified drawings for a modular unit.
- Submit the Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish with Schedule 1 (Designer Information) and the drawings through Cloudpermit, and pay the fee ($16.68 per m² of floor area plus plumbing).
- The Chief Building Official reviews against the Ontario Building Code and the zoning by-law (the legislated window for a complete house-class permit is 10 business days); build with the required inspections and close the permit.
What does an ADU permit application in Pembroke need?
- Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish (provincial form) + Schedule 1: Designer Information (BCIN)
- Site plan showing the lot, all existing accessory buildings and the 12% coverage calculation, setbacks to every lot line and to the house, driveway and parking (including the tandem space)
- Floor plan, elevations, foundation and framing drawings; HVAC and plumbing drawings; the manufacturer's certified drawings for a CSA A277 modular unit
- Energy Efficiency Design Summary (OBC SB-12)
- On an 'R1-o' or 'R1-w' exception lot: on-site sewage system design for the City's septic permit
- Applicable Law checklist items, including the Development Charges Act (a secondary unit in an ancillary building is exempt)
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Pembroke?
Building By-law 2025-83 Schedule A prices new residential construction at $16.68 per m² ($1.55 per sq ft) of floor area — a 55 m² (≈600 sq ft) suite is about $917, plus a $65.80 plumbing permit; a partial-occupancy or change-of-use permit is $210. These are estimates: the Chief Building Official classes the work, and the User Fees By-law is re-set each year.
| Building permit — new residential construction | $16.68 per m² ($1.55 per sq ft) of building floor area (Building By-law 2025-83, Schedule A, A.3.a). A 55 m² suite ≈ $917. |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permit | $65.80 basic plumbing fee (Schedule A, B.3) |
| Sewage disposal system permit (R1-o / R1-w lots only) | $735 (Schedule A, B.4) — the City's Building Department issues Part 8 septic permits |
| Partial occupancy / change of use | $210 each (Schedule A, D.1–D.2) |
| Zoning compliance letter | $105 + HST (User Fees By-law 2026-36, Schedule B) |
| Minor variance / rezoning (only if the envelope doesn't fit) | Minor variance $735 + HST; zoning by-law amendment $1,050 + HST (User Fees By-law 2026-36) |
A secondary dwelling unit in a building ancillary to your house is exempt from development charges under the Development Charges Act (s. 2(3.2)–(3.3)); Pembroke's draft 2026 DC by-law carries the exemption (§8(g)). A new single-detached house pays $4,089 under the current By-law 2021-26.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Pembroke?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. The Ontario Building Code sets a 10-business-day window for a complete house-class permit. Allow extra time if you are applying for the CIP grant first (the grant application must precede permit issuance) or if the lot needs a septic permit.
Worth knowing before you apply
- Apply for the CIP Additional Residential Units Grant (up to $10,000) before the building permit is issued — an application after issuance is ineligible (CIP §4.6).
- The 12% accessory-coverage cap counts every accessory building on the lot, and only two are allowed — a large garage can leave no room for a suite without removing a shed or applying for a minor variance ($735 + HST).
- The by-law asks the Chief Building Official to be satisfied the unit does not impact the streetscape character of the street — keep the suite behind the house and match its finish.
- No conservation authority in Pembroke; if your lot carries a '-ff' (flood fringe) or '-s' (slope) suffix, or backs onto the Muskrat, Indian or Ottawa River, expect an elevation or geotechnical requirement in the permit review.
Fees and timelines are estimates from Pembroke's published schedules, verified September 24, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Pembroke
City of Pembroke — Additional Residential Units Grant (Community Improvement Plan s. 4.6) (confirm status) — Pembroke reimburses up to half the cost of creating a unit inside your home or in a detached building on your lot, to $10,000 per unit, if you apply before starting work or pulling a permit. Ongoing intake; apply before any site work starts or a building permit is issued. Details →
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 →
Pembroke modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in Pembroke?
Yes — Pembroke’s Zoning By-law 2020-05 (§3.1) permits one secondary dwelling unit in a building accessory to a single detached, semi-detached or row house in the R1, R2 and R3 zones, with a building permit as the only approval. It has to fit the 12%-of-lot accessory-coverage cap and stand 4.5 m or less. The City’s Community Improvement Plan will pay up to $10,000 toward it if you apply before the permit is issued.
How big can a garden suite be in Pembroke?
The by-law caps the unit at the size of the house’s living area, but the binding limit is that all accessory buildings together may cover no more than 12% of the lot — 55 m² (≈600 sq ft) on the R1 minimum lot, about 72 m² on a 600 m² lot — with a 4.5 m height cap, so one storey. Enter your address for the specifics.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in Pembroke?
Only on the lots the by-law specifically excepts from full municipal servicing — the ‘R1-o’ (private well and septic) and ‘R1-w’ (town water with septic) zones on the City’s fringe (§3.19). There the Official Plan requires adequate water and sewage capacity for the second unit, and the City’s Building Department issues the septic permit ($735). Everywhere else the suite connects to the house’s municipal services.
Can you put a modular home in Pembroke, Ontario?
Yes. On land you own, a CSA A277 modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code — as the main house or as a secondary dwelling unit in a backyard building. Note the by-law’s own “garden suite” is a different thing: a portable temporary unit that needs a site-specific temporary-use by-law. A permanent modular suite goes in as a secondary dwelling unit, no rezoning needed.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Pembroke?
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 Pembroke?
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 Pembroke Zoning By-law 2020-05, §3.1 — Secondary Dwelling Units in accessory buildings (consolidated to December 2025); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.