Home/Modular Homes by City/Scugog
Serving the Township of Scugog (Durham Region)
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Scugog, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Township of Scugog — Port Perry, Prince Albert, Blackstock, Caesarea, Seagrave, Greenbank and the rural hamlets on and around Lake Scugog. Scugog's 2025 ADU by-law amendment permits up to two additional dwelling units per home, including one in a detached backyard building, as-of-right across the urban and rural residential zones. Here's what the by-law allows, what it costs, and the rules that apply.
What you can build in Scugog
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 Scugog'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 Scugog 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? (Scugog lots typically allow up to ~450 sq ft on a typical in-town lot)
Scugog caps a detached suite at the most restrictive of 50% of your house's floor area, 150 m² (≈1,614 sq ft), and lot coverage — and all accessory buildings together may cover only 5% of the lot, which usually governs in Port Perry (roughly 35–40 m² / 375–430 sq ft of footprint on a typical in-town lot, shared with any existing shed or garage). Larger rural lots can reach the full ceiling. 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 Scugog address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Scugog backyard?
Often, yes — Scugog permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Township of Scugog Zoning By-law 14-14, §4.2 — Additional Dwelling Units (added by By-law 12-25, in force April 2025):
| Max size | The most restrictive of: 50% of your house's gross floor area, 150 m² (≈1,614 sq ft), and the lot-coverage rules. All accessory buildings together may cover only 5% of the lot — on a typical 700 m² (≈7,530 sq ft) in-town lot that's about 35 m² (≈375 sq ft) of footprint, shared with any existing shed or garage; a second storey within the height limit can add floor area, and larger rural lots can reach the full ceiling. |
|---|---|
| Max height | 7 m (≈23 ft) — measured to the highest peak of the roof; rural AG-zone lots may use the higher accessory-building allowance |
| Setbacks | 3 m (≈10 ft) rear and interior side; not in the required front yard; plus a 1.2 m (≈4 ft) unobstructed walkway from the suite to the driveway or street |
| Units per lot | Up to 2 ADUs — at most one detached (the other must be inside or attached to the house). Shoreline Residential (SR) lots: one in-house ADU only, on a 3,000 m²+ lot |
| Parking | 1 space per ADU on top of the 2 for the main house; tandem allowed (3 m × 6 m spaces) |
| Servicing | Municipal water & sewer in the Port Perry Urban Area (Region of Durham); private well + septic elsewhere, with Durham Region Health Department approval of the sewage system |
| Conservation | Kawartha Conservation (most of the township); Lake Simcoe Region (west) and Central Lake Ontario (south). No ADU on hazardous lands. |
Getting your building permit in Scugog
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Scugog's process actually works — verified against the Scugog building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Scugog?
Through Cloudpermit (online portal) (application portal ↗). Apply through the Township's online building-permit portal (Cloudpermit) via the Building Permits page — invoices are generated in Cloudpermit and payable online by debit or credit card through Paymentus (2.89% service fee); paper applications and in-person payment remain available at the Township Office. Scugog's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm your zone on the Township's interactive zoning map and check the preliminary criteria — a primary dwelling exists, the zone permits an ADU, the lot isn't on conservation-authority hazardous lands, and (outside the Port Perry Urban Area) the lot fronts on a year-round maintained public street
- Check the conservation-authority regulation maps — Kawartha Conservation covers most of Scugog, with Lake Simcoe Region in the west and Central Lake Ontario in the south; a regulated-area permit may be needed before the building permit
- On a well/septic lot, confirm the septic system can support the ADU with Durham Region Health Department — the sewage-system approval comes before the building permit
- Prepare the site plan (setbacks, the 1.2 m walkway, parking spaces, and the gross floor area of both the house and the ADU) plus construction drawings, HVAC design and Energy Efficiency Design Summary
- Submit the building-permit application through Cloudpermit with Schedule 1: Designer Information and pay the fee
- The Building Department reviews for Building Code, zoning and applicable law (conservation authority, Region); book inspections as construction proceeds
- Register the ADU with By-law Services (bylaw@scugog.ca) before occupancy — registration is required for every ADU
What does a Scugog ADU permit application need?
- Township-approved site plan showing lot lines, both dwellings' gross floor areas, setbacks, parking spaces and the 1.2 m walkway
- Construction plans and supporting documents (HVAC design, Energy Efficiency Design Summary, truss plans) with Schedule 1: Designer Information
- Owner's Authorization form if an agent applies on the owner's behalf
- Durham Region Health Department sewage-system permit on well/septic lots
- Conservation-authority permit where the lot is in a regulated area; MTO land-use permit where the lot is in a Highway Controlled Area
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Scugog?
Estimates from the Township's published building-permit fee schedule under Building By-law 24-18, effective January 1, 2026 — fees are indexed annually, so confirm current figures with the Building Department (905-985-7346, bdepartment@scugog.ca) before budgeting. Septic fees are separate Durham Region charges.
| Building permit — new residential construction | $20.43 per m² of gross floor area (2026 rate; minimum $180.10) — roughly $1,000–$1,500 for a typical detached ADU |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | $226.80 flat (2026 rate) |
| ADU registration | $50 through By-law Services — waived for the first six months after the June 2026 ADU program launch |
| Septic (well/septic lots) | A separate Durham Region Health Department fee for sewage-system approval |
| Lot-grading security (if required) | $10,000 refundable deposit under the Building By-law |
| Development charges | None — the Township confirms ADUs are not subject to development charges |
The Township's ADU Guide states plainly that ADUs are not subject to development charges, consistent with provincial Bill 23 rules.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Scugog?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. The 10-business-day OBC clock applies to a complete house-class application. On well/septic lots the Durham Region sewage-system approval runs first, and a conservation-authority permit (Kawartha, LSRCA or CLOCA regulated areas) adds its own cycle before the building permit.
Registration: Every ADU must be registered with the Township before occupancy — a $50 registration through By-law Services (bylaw@scugog.ca), waived for the first six months from the June 2026 program launch. Existing pre-2008 units go through the Fire Department; 2008-or-later units through the Building Department.
Worth knowing before you apply
- Building without a permit is expensive here: the permit fee increases by $1,533 or 150% for a first offence, and $2,555 or 200% after that
- The site plan must show the gross floor area of BOTH the house and the ADU — the 50%-of-house size cap is checked at permit review
- In the AG, RR and ER zones you'll be asked to complete Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) data sheets covering livestock operations within 750 m before the permit can be issued
- Heritage-designated or listed properties (Port Perry has a substantial heritage register) may need a heritage permit from the Township's Heritage Advisory Committee before the building permit
- An ADU cannot be used as a short-term rental (under 30 days), and a mobile home or trailer cannot be an ADU — factory-built units must be CSA A277 buildings on permanent foundations
Fees and timelines are estimates from Scugog's published schedules, verified August 29, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Scugog
Development-charge exemption for ADUs — The Township confirms ADUs are not subject to development charges, consistent with provincial rules — confirm the current treatment for your project with the Building Department.
ADU registration — Every ADU must be registered with the Township before occupancy — a $50 registration through By-law Services, waived for the first six months after the June 2026 program launch.
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 →
Scugog modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in Scugog or Port Perry?
Yes. Scugog's Zoning By-law 14-14 (§4.2, added by By-law 12-25 in 2025) permits up to two additional dwelling units per home as-of-right in the urban and rural residential zones — including one in a detached backyard building in the R1, R2, R3, RM1–RM4, hamlet, estate, rural residential and agricultural zones. Shoreline Residential lots on Lake Scugog are limited to one in-house ADU, and Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt Natural Heritage System lands have tighter rules.
How big can a backyard suite be in Port Perry?
The cap is the most restrictive of 50% of your house's floor area, 150 m² (≈1,614 sq ft), and lot coverage. In practice the 5% lot-coverage cap on all accessory buildings combined usually governs an in-town Port Perry lot — roughly 35–40 m² (375–430 sq ft) of building footprint on a typical lot — while larger rural lots can reach the full ceiling. Enter your address for the specifics.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in Scugog?
Yes — outside the Port Perry Urban Area an ADU is permitted on private well and septic, provided the systems can support the extra unit. Durham Region Health Department approves the sewage system before the building permit is issued, and the lot must front on a public street maintained year-round.
Can you put a modular home in Scugog, Ontario?
Yes. On land you own, a modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout Scugog. Note the Township does not permit a mobile home or trailer to be used as an ADU — a CSA A277 modular unit installed on a permanent foundation is a building, not a mobile home, which is exactly the distinction that matters here.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Scugog?
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 Scugog?
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 Scugog Zoning By-law 14-14, §4.2 — Additional Dwelling Units (added by By-law 12-25, in force April 2025); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.