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Serving the Township of Russell — Embrun, Russell, Limoges & Marionville
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Russell, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Township of Russell — the fast-growing township just east of Ottawa in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, taking in the villages of Embrun and Russell and the hamlets of Limoges and Marionville. Russell's Zoning By-law 2018-094 permits a detached backyard suite — the by-law calls it a “coach house” — as-of-right on any lot that already has a house. Here's what it allows, what it costs, and the rules that catch people out.
What you can build in Russell
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 Russell'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 Russell 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? (Russell lots typically allow up to ~750 sq ft)
Russell caps a coach house at the lesser of 40% of your home’s gross floor area (or 50 m² / ≈538 sq ft if your house is under 125 m²) and 40% of the area of the yard it sits in (§3.10 xvii). 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 Russell address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Russell backyard?
Often, yes — Russell permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Township of Russell Zoning By-law 2018-094, §3.10 — Coach Houses (passed July 5, 2018):
| Max size | The lesser of 40% of your main dwelling’s gross floor area — or 50 m² (≈538 sq ft) where your house is under 125 m² — and 40% of the area of the yard the suite sits in. No single fixed m² cap. |
|---|---|
| Where it goes | A detached “coach house” in its own building, on any lot that already has a detached, semi-detached, duplex or townhouse dwelling where that dwelling type is permitted — so every zone that allows a house, rural zones included. One per lot, and never closer to the street than your house. |
| Height & setbacks | The lesser of your house’s height or 5.0 m (≈16 ft). Interior side and rear setbacks are 1.2 m (≈4 ft) where no entrance or window faces that lot line, and 4.0 m (≈13 ft) otherwise — window placement drives the setback. Front and exterior side setbacks match your main dwelling’s minimums. |
| Rural lot size | Outside the Embrun and Russell village boundaries, the lot must be at least 0.4 hectares (≈1 acre) — the most common rural disqualifier. |
| Parking & access | 1 space per unit. A walkway 1.2–1.5 m wide must run from a driveway, street or travelled lane to the suite and can’t be used for parking; the lot must abut a public street with unobstructed access at least 3 m wide. |
| Servicing | In Embrun and Russell village (municipal water & sewer) the suite is serviced from the principal dwelling. On a rural lot it runs off the existing well and septic, so septic capacity is the gate — South Nation Conservation issues the septic permit. Marionville has its own private-septic clause. |
| Conservation | South Nation Conservation (SNC) — regulates development near watercourses, wetlands and floodplains, and administers septic permits under Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code for the Township. |
Getting your building permit in Russell
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Russell's process actually works — verified against the Russell building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Russell?
Through Township of Russell — Building Department (no online permit portal published). Submit the provincial Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish to the Township's Building Department (613-443-3066 ext. 2318, inspections@russell.ca). A building permit is required for any building over 10 m² (about 108 sq ft), so a coach house always needs one. The Township also runs a 48-Hour Building Permit stream for small projects — an application complete before noon Monday is issued by Wednesday morning. On a rural lot the septic permit comes FIRST: South Nation Conservation issues it under Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code on the Township's behalf and forwards the approved permit to the Township. Russell's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm zoning — a detached coach house is as-of-right under Zoning By-law 2018-094 §3.10 on any lot that already has a detached, semi-detached, duplex or townhouse dwelling; check the 40%-of-house / 40%-of-yard size limits and, outside the Embrun and Russell village boundaries, the 0.4 ha (about 1 acre) minimum lot area
- On a rural lot, apply to South Nation Conservation for the sewage system (septic) permit first — SNC administers OBC Part 8 for the Township and forwards the approval, which speeds up the building permit
- Where the lot is near a watercourse, wetland or mapped floodplain, obtain the separate South Nation Conservation development approval
- If the lot fronts a County Road, obtain United Counties of Prescott and Russell approval; on a Provincial Road, Ministry of Transportation approval (§3.18)
- Retain a qualified BCIN designer for the Ontario Building Code Part 9 drawings and complete Schedule 1 (designer) — plus Schedule 2 where a sewage system is involved
- Submit the Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish with drawings, schedules and fees to the Building Department
- Book building inspections as construction proceeds; electrical is a separate permit through the Electrical Safety Authority
What does a Russell ADU permit application need?
- Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish (the provincial form)
- Schedule 1 — Designer Information, for each person taking responsibility for design activities
- Schedule 2 — where the application is to construct, install or repair a sewage system
- Site plan showing the coach house, the principal dwelling, setbacks, the required 1.2–1.5 m walkway and parking
- Ontario Building Code Part 9 construction drawings (foundation, floor plans, elevations, sections)
- South Nation Conservation septic permit / approval where the lot is on private services
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Russell?
No reliable all-in estimate can be published yet: the Township states that permit fees are calculated on the value of the work, with Group "C" residential buildings valued at $225 per square foot or the contract price, whichever is greater — but it does NOT publish the fee RATE applied to that value, directing applicants instead to request a copy of the Building Permit Fees By-law from the Building Department. So the deemed construction value of a roughly 750 sq ft coach house is about $168,750, and the permit fee is that value multiplied by a rate we have not been able to source. Request the fee by-law (613-443-3066 ext. 2318) for a firm number. The headline saving is the development-charge exemption below. All figures are estimates — confirm with the Building Department.
| Construction value basis — Group "C" residential | $225 per sq ft, or the contract price, whichever is greater (a ~750 sq ft coach house ≈ $168,750 of deemed value). The fee rate applied to this value is not published — request the Building Permit Fees By-law from the Building Department. |
|---|---|
| Septic (sewage system) permit — rural lots | Issued by South Nation Conservation under OBC Part 8 on the Township's behalf; fee set by SNC's own schedule — confirm at nation.on.ca before budgeting |
| Development charges | A qualifying additional residential unit — including one unit in a structure ancillary to a house, which is what a coach house is — is generally EXEMPT under the Development Charges Act (Bill 23). Confirm the exemption is applied against the Township's Development Charges By-law. |
| Electrical permit | Separate, through the Electrical Safety Authority — not collected by the Township |
Under the Development Charges Act (Bill 23) a second or third residential unit in a detached, semi-detached or rowhouse dwelling — and one residential unit in a building or structure ancillary to such a dwelling, which is exactly what a coach house is — is exempt from municipal development charges. That is the single biggest saving versus building a new house on its own lot. Confirm the exemption is applied against the Township's current Development Charges By-law (a new by-law was passed in 2026); the Township recommends confirming rates with the Finance Department.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Russell?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. A detached coach house is OBC Part 9 (house class), so the legislated review window is 10 business days for a complete application. The Township's 48-Hour Building Permit stream applies to small projects — complete before noon Monday, issued Wednesday morning. Add lead time on a rural lot for the South Nation Conservation septic permit, which must be obtained before the building permit, and for County or MTO approval where the lot fronts a County or Provincial road.
Registration: No separate additional-residential-unit registration by-law was found for the Township of Russell — the building permit is the approval. Confirm with the Building Department, and note the Township is rewriting its zoning by-law, which may introduce one.
Worth knowing before you apply
- On a rural lot the septic permit comes BEFORE the building permit — South Nation Conservation administers OBC Part 8 for the Township and forwards the approved permit, so start there rather than at the Township counter
- Outside the Embrun and Russell village boundaries the lot must be at least 0.4 hectares (about 1 acre) or a coach house isn't permitted at all — check lot area before spending on drawings
- The fee RATE isn't published online; the Township directs applicants to request the Building Permit Fees By-law from the Building Department, so budget from a confirmed figure rather than an online estimate
- The biggest saving: a new house pays development charges, but a qualifying additional residential unit is exempt under Bill 23 — make sure the exemption is applied
- A lot fronting a County Road needs United Counties of Prescott and Russell approval, and a Provincial Road needs MTO approval, on top of the Township permit (§3.18)
- Electrical is a separate permit through the Electrical Safety Authority, not the Township
- A draft replacement zoning by-law with updated additional-residential-unit provisions went to public meeting in June 2026 but has not been adopted — confirm the current standards with Planning (planning@russell.ca)
Fees and timelines are estimates from Russell's published schedules, verified July 26, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Russell
Development-charge exemption for additional units — Under the Development Charges Act (Bill 23), a second or third unit in a house — and one unit in a structure ancillary to a house, which is what a coach house is — is generally exempt from municipal development charges. Confirm the current treatment against the Township’s Development Charges By-law for your project.
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 →
Russell modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in Embrun or Russell?
Yes — but note the terminology. Russell’s Zoning By-law 2018-094 permits a detached backyard suite as-of-right and calls it a “coach house” (§3.10), on any lot that already has a detached, semi-detached, duplex or townhouse dwelling. A “garden suite” is a separate and much more limited thing in Russell: a portable one-storey unit up to 56 m², allowed only through a temporary zoning by-law amendment and only to house someone needing care because of age, infirmity or illness. For a permanent backyard home, the coach house is the path.
How big can a backyard suite be in the Township of Russell?
The lesser of 40% of your home’s gross floor area and 40% of the area of the yard the suite sits in — with a floor of 50 m² (≈538 sq ft) where your house is smaller than 125 m². There is no single fixed m² cap, so the answer depends on your house and your yard. Height is capped at 5.0 m (≈16 ft) and the suite can never be taller than your house.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in the Township of Russell?
Yes. The by-law expressly contemplates a coach house serviced from the existing well and septic serving the principal dwelling (§3.10 xx). Two conditions matter: outside the Embrun and Russell village boundaries the lot must be at least 0.4 hectares (≈1 acre), and the septic must have capacity for the extra unit. South Nation Conservation issues the septic permit under Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code on the Township’s behalf, and the septic permit comes before the building permit.
How many additional units can you have on a lot in Russell?
Under By-law 2018-094 the answer is one: a maximum of one coach house per lot, and it isn’t permitted on a lot that already contains a secondary dwelling unit (a unit inside the house), a garden suite, or rooming units. That by-law predates Ontario’s Bill 23 additional-residential-unit rules, which generally allow more, and the Township is currently rewriting its zoning by-law — so confirm the current unit count with Planning before designing around it.
Can you put a modular home in the Township of Russell, 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 the Township of Russell — as the principal dwelling, or as a detached coach house in the backyard.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in the Township of Russell?
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 the Township of Russell?
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 Russell Zoning By-law 2018-094, §3.10 — Coach Houses (passed July 5, 2018); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the City of Russell before you build.