Home/Modular Homes by City/Saugeen Shores
Serving the Town of Saugeen Shores — Port Elgin, Southampton & Saugeen Township (Bruce County)
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Saugeen Shores, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Town of Saugeen Shores — Port Elgin, Southampton and the former Saugeen Township on the Lake Huron shore of Bruce County. Since 2024 the Town's zoning by-law has no floor-area cap on an additional residential unit: on a serviced lot you can have up to three extra units, and up to two of them can be in a detached building once your lot is over 450 m². Here's what By-law 75-2006 allows, what it costs, and the rules that trip people up.
What you can build in Saugeen Shores
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 Saugeen Shores'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 Saugeen Shores 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? (Saugeen Shores lots typically allow up to ~900 sq ft)
Saugeen Shores sets no floor-area cap — the envelope is your zone's lot coverage, which counts the house and every accessory building together: 45% of the lot in the residential zones. On a 600 m² (≈6,460 sq ft) lot with a 130 m² (≈1,400 sq ft) house footprint, that leaves roughly 140 m² (≈1,500 sq ft) of footprint for a backyard unit plus any garage or shed — so a ~900 sq ft unit fits comfortably. 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 Saugeen Shores address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Saugeen Shores backyard?
Yes — Saugeen Shores permits a detached additional residential unit as-of-right in its R1, R2, R3, R4, Office Residential and Agricultural zones. The specifics, from Town of Saugeen Shores Comprehensive Zoning By-law 75-2006 (consolidated June 9, 2025), §3.37 Additional Residential Units as amended by By-law 82-2024:
| Max size | No floor-area cap — the Town removed it in 2024. The limit is your zone's lot coverage, counting the house and all accessory buildings: 45% of the lot in R1–R4, 40% in Office Residential |
|---|---|
| Units per lot | On municipal water and sewer: up to 3 additional units (4 homes in total). Up to 2 may be in a detached building if your lot is over 450 m² (≈4,844 sq ft); 1 on a smaller lot |
| Where allowed | Residential R1, R2, R3 and R4, Office Residential, and Agricultural (one unit only) — accessory to a single-detached, semi-detached, duplex, triplex or street townhouse. Not in the Mobile Home Park, commercial, industrial, open space, Environmental Protection or Wetland zones |
| Setbacks | 3.0 m (≈10 ft) from the rear lot line; the house's front and side setbacks for your zone apply otherwise — 1.2 m (≈4 ft) interior side yard in R1–R4, 3.0 m in Office Residential. In the built-up area the unit must be within 30 m (≈98 ft) of the house |
| Height | §3.37 sets no height for the unit. The by-law's general accessory-building cap is 6.0 m (≈20 ft) — confirm with the Building Department whether it applies before designing a two-storey unit |
| Parking & access | 1 space per additional unit, and the house's own requirement drops from 2 spaces to 1. The unit's entrance must be reachable from the street by a walkway or driveway, and driveways can't exceed 60% of the frontage |
| Servicing | The as-of-right rule is for lots on municipal water and sewer. In the Settlement Area, a lot without full services gets one unit over 0.4 ha (≈1 acre) or two over 0.6 ha (≈1.5 acres), or with a Nitrate Study showing the groundwater can take it |
| Shoreline & heritage | Lots in the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority's regulated area along Lake Huron and the Saugeen River need SVCA permission first. A '-H1' holding symbol marks high archaeological potential — no construction until an assessment is accepted and the H1 is lifted |
Check your specific Saugeen Shores 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 Saugeen Shores, and the models that fit →
Saugeen Shores's by-law is verified in our checker, so you can check if a garden suite is allowed at your Saugeen Shores address in about a minute.
Getting your building permit in Saugeen Shores
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Saugeen Shores's process actually works — verified against the Saugeen Shores building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Saugeen Shores?
Through Cloudpermit (application portal ↗). Saugeen Shores takes building permit applications electronically through Cloudpermit. For a detached unit choose Category 'Residential', Work Type 'New', Work Target 'Additional dwelling unit' (an addition to the house is Work Type 'Addition'). The Town asks you to pre-consult with the Building Department at building@saugeenshores.ca or 519-832-2008 ext. 118 to confirm your zoning first. Saugeen Shores's building-permit page ↗
- Pre-consult with the Building Department (building@saugeenshores.ca) to confirm your zone lists additional residential units — R1, R2, R3, R4, Office Residential or Agricultural — and that the lot is on municipal water and sewer, fronts a Class 1 Municipal Street, and has no '-H1' holding symbol
- Check the lot against the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority's mapping; if it's in a regulated area along Lake Huron, the Saugeen River or a watercourse, get SVCA permission first
- Pick one of the Town's four pre-reviewed Ready-to-Build ARU designs, or have a designer prepare a site plan and building plans that keep the unit within your zone's lot coverage, 3.0 m from the rear lot line and within 30 m of the house
- Apply on Cloudpermit under Residential → New → Additional dwelling unit, and apply separately to the Electrical Safety Authority — the municipal permit does not cover electrical work
- Pay the permit fee when the application is ready to issue; the Building Department will tell you at application whether a lot grading plan is required
- Book each inspection through Cloudpermit as construction proceeds and pass the occupancy inspection before anyone moves in — the unit is assigned its own unit number through the permit
What does a Saugeen Shores ADU permit application need?
- Building permit application on Cloudpermit
- Site plan showing lot lines, existing and proposed buildings with setbacks, driveway and parking, and the unit's walkway or driveway access from the street
- Floor plan drawings — room layout, entrance, fire separations, egress windows, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and plumbing fixtures
- Construction drawings (foundation, framing, elevations) for a new detached building, and an Energy Efficiency Design Summary
- Lot grading plan, where the Building Department requires one at application
- Nitrate Study, where the lot is not fully on municipal water and sewer and is under the by-law's lot-area threshold
- A separate Electrical Safety Authority permit
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Saugeen Shores?
Estimates only, from the building permit fee table posted on the Town of Saugeen Shores' Building Permits page (September 2026). Finished residential space is charged $9.63 per m², so a 56 m² (≈600 sq ft) detached unit works out to roughly $540 plus $15.73 per plumbing fixture. The Town also collects water meter and lot-grading review fees on new builds but does not post those amounts. Confirm current figures with the Building Department before budgeting.
| Building permit — residential building, finished space | $9.63 per m² (minimum $170.13) — roughly $540 for a 56 m² (≈600 sq ft) unit |
|---|---|
| Building permit — unfinished space | $6.24 per m² (minimum $170.13) |
| Plumbing | $15.73 per fixture |
| Zoning and Building Compliance Letter (optional) | $114.79, or $168.98 if needed in under 48 hours |
| Water meter and lot grading plan review | Collected by the Building Department on new builds — amounts not posted; ask when you apply |
The Town's ARU guide states that development charges are not collected on a detached additional unit as long as no other detached unit is on the lot. Bruce County's development charge pamphlet says the County matches local municipal exemptions for certain additional dwelling units — confirm the County's treatment when your permit is issued.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Saugeen Shores?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. The Town does not publish a review timeline. The Ontario Building Code's 10-business-day period for a house-class permit applies once the application is complete; SVCA permission and any Nitrate Study are separate steps with their own timelines, and choosing a Ready-to-Build design is intended to shorten review.
Worth knowing before you apply
- The Building Permit does not cover electrical work — a separate Electrical Safety Authority permit is required.
- Pick the right Cloudpermit combination: Residential → New → Additional dwelling unit for a detached building; an addition, alteration or basement finish each has its own Work Type.
- A lot marked '-H1' (high archaeological potential) can't be graded, excavated or built on until an archaeological assessment — including engagement with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation — is accepted and the holding symbol is lifted.
- Inside the Settlement Area the unit must sit within 30 m of the house, and up to two detached units are allowed only on a lot over 450 m².
- Mobile homes and recreational trailers can't be used as additional units; a temporary garden suite needs its own temporary use by-law.
Fees and timelines are estimates from Saugeen Shores's published schedules, verified September 13, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Saugeen Shores
Development charges — detached unit exempt — The Town's ARU guide states development charges are not collected on a detached additional unit as long as no other detached unit is on the lot. Bruce County says it matches local exemptions — confirm both when your 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 →
Saugeen Shores modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite or backyard home in Port Elgin or Southampton?
Yes. Both are part of the Town of Saugeen Shores, whose Zoning By-law 75-2006 permits an additional residential unit in a detached accessory residential building as-of-right in the R1, R2, R3, R4 and Office Residential zones (§3.37). The lot must be connected to municipal water and sewer, front on a Class 1 Municipal Street, and contain only one principal residential building.
How big can an additional residential unit be in Saugeen Shores?
There is no floor-area cap — By-law 82-2024 removed it in October 2024. The unit is limited by your zone's lot coverage, which counts the house and all accessory buildings together: 45% of the lot in the R1–R4 zones and 40% in Office Residential. It needs 3.0 m (≈10 ft) from the rear lot line and the house's side and front setbacks for your zone.
How many backyard units can I have in Saugeen Shores?
On a single-detached, semi-detached or duplex lot on municipal services, up to three additional units are allowed — four homes in total. Up to two of them can be in a detached building if the lot is larger than 450 m² (≈4,844 sq ft); on a smaller lot the limit is one (§3.37.1). In the Agricultural zone the limit is one additional unit.
Can you build an additional unit on a well and septic in Saugeen Shores?
Within the Settlement Area, yes — one unit if the lot is larger than 0.4 ha (≈1 acre), or two if it's larger than 0.6 ha (≈1.5 acres), or on a smaller lot supported by a Nitrate Study showing the development won't harm groundwater (§3.37.4(c)). In the Agricultural zone, a lot under 0.4 ha on a septic system needs a Nitrate Study for its one unit (§5.4.4).
Can you put a modular home in Saugeen Shores?
Yes. On land you own, a CSA A277 modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code. Saugeen Shores' by-law excludes mobile homes, but defines a mobile home as one designed for ready transfer from place to place and expressly distinguishes prefabricated housing that is moved once to its final location — which is what a modular home is. Mobile homes and trailers cannot be used as additional units.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Saugeen Shores?
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 Saugeen Shores?
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 Town of Saugeen Shores Comprehensive Zoning By-law 75-2006 (consolidated June 9, 2025), §3.37 Additional Residential Units as amended by By-law 82-2024; verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.