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Serving the Town of Shelburne (Dufferin County)
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Shelburne, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Town of Shelburne — the fast-growing town at the crossroads of Highways 10 and 89. Shelburne's Bill 23 update (By-law 14-2023) permits up to two additional dwelling units per home as-of-right in the residential zones, including a detached backyard suite capped at the LESSER of 10% of your lot area or 50% of your house's ground floor — on a typical 460 m² town lot, roughly 46 m² (≈495 sq ft). Here's what the by-law allows, what it costs, and the rules that apply.
What you can build in Shelburne
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 Shelburne'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 Shelburne 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? (Shelburne lots typically allow up to ~495 sq ft)
Shelburne caps a detached suite at the LESSER of 10% of your lot area or 50% of your house's ground floor — on a typical 460 m² (≈4,950 sq ft) town lot the lot-area arm binds first, giving roughly 46 m² (≈495 sq ft); a larger lot or house raises it. 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 Shelburne address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Shelburne backyard?
Often, yes — Shelburne permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Town of Shelburne Zoning By-law 38-2007, §3.4.2 as replaced by By-law 14-2023 — Additional Dwelling Units (passed March 13, 2023):
| Max size | The LESSER of 10% of your lot area or 50% of your house's ground floor area — on a typical 460 m² town lot that's roughly 46 m² (≈495 sq ft), and all accessory buildings together are capped at 10% of the lot including the suite (§3.4.2 ii b). An attached ADU inside the house runs to 50% of the dwelling's floor area, with a carve-out letting a full-basement unit exceed it (§3.4.2 ii a). |
|---|---|
| How many & where | Up to two additional dwelling units per home — two attached, or one attached plus one DETACHED backyard unit in an accessory building — for a maximum of three units on the lot (§3.4.2 i). Permitted with a single-detached, semi-detached or street-townhouse home across the residential zones (R1–R5). The detached suite may also share its building with a detached private garage (§3.4.1 ii). |
| Height, setbacks & access | Max height 4.6 m (≈15 ft) — well above the 3 m accessory default, enough for a proper suite. Setbacks: at least 1.2 m (≈4 ft) from side and rear lot lines AND from the main house, plus a 1.2 m-wide clear emergency path from the street to the suite’s door (§3.4.2 iii–iv, vii c). |
| Parking | Per the by-law's parking table, and the suite's space may be TANDEM in the driveway — but the unit can't displace a space the by-law requires, so converting a needed garage bay into the suite doesn't work (§3.4.2 vi). |
| What the unit can’t be | A travel trailer, mobile home or towable unit, or a shipping/storage container — no matter how renovated ('notwithstanding any alterations', §3.4.2 v b–c). A factory-built CSA A277 MODULAR unit on a permanent foundation is none of those. Also: no bed & breakfast, boarding house or home occupation on a lot with an ADU (§3.4.2 v d). |
| Servicing | The urban gate: the unit must connect to municipal water and sanitary sewer, with a lot grading and servicing plan and a servicing allocation approved by the Town (§3.4.2 vii a). Shelburne is fully serviced, so on a town lot this is process, not a septic project. Conservation: Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) near the Boyne River. |
Getting your building permit in Shelburne
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Shelburne's process actually works — verified against the Shelburne building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Shelburne?
Through CityView Portal (Dufferin County Building Services) + Town of Shelburne Municipal Approval (application portal ↗). Shelburne doesn't run its own building department — building permits are issued by Dufferin County Building Services (519-941-2816 ext. 2700, building@dufferincounty.ca), with applications online-only through the County's CityView Portal. The Town's own zoning review (the $145 'Municipal Approval') rides in the same application but is paid DIRECTLY to the Town by cash or cheque, not through the portal; Town zoning questions go to planning@shelburne.ca (519-925-2600 ext. 252). Shelburne's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm zoning first — the detached additional dwelling unit is as-of-right with a single-detached, semi or street-townhouse home in the residential zones, capped at the LESSER of 10% of the lot area or 50% of the house's ground floor (By-law 14-2023, §3.4.2). In the newer subdivisions (post-2017 plans), published zone mapping is still catching up — the Town's word beats any map, so ask planning@shelburne.ca. A Zoning Compliance Request is $145 (By-law 52-2024).
- Check conservation — where the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) regulates the lot (the Boyne River corridor), its approval or exemption comes before the building permit.
- Design the servicing — the unit must connect to municipal water and sanitary sewer, and the Town must approve a lot grading and servicing plan plus a servicing allocation for the extra unit (§3.4.2 vii a). Shelburne is fully serviced, so this is design-and-approval, not a septic project — service inspection fees run $75–$100 plus HST (By-law 52-2024, Schedule E), with connection work costed per the approved design.
- Sort the road access — where work touches the road allowance or sidewalk, the Town's Road/Sidewalk/Boulevard Occupancy Permit is $140 (By-law 52-2024, Schedule F).
- Retain a qualified BCIN designer for the Ontario Building Code drawings — architectural, mechanical (heat-loss and duct design) and the SB-12 Energy Efficient Design Summary, with a Schedule 1 for each designer.
- Register for a CityView Portal account and submit everything in one application per the County's ARU checklist, including the Town's Municipal Approval application (its $145 fee paid directly to the Town). Incomplete applications are not reviewed — deficiencies come back by email once all reviews finish.
- Dual review runs from there — the Town checks Official Plan and Zoning By-law conformity while the County checks Building Code compliance — and the permit issues through the Portal. Keep printed approved drawings onsite through inspections, and note the by-law's own occupancy gate: the unit may be occupied only once Fire, Building and Electrical compliance evidence is in and the occupancy permit issues (§3.4.2 vii).
What does a Shelburne ADU permit application need?
- Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish + Schedule 1 Designer Information (one per designer — BCIN, or the homeowner exemption)
- Town Municipal Approval application (fee paid directly to the Town of Shelburne)
- Site plan drawn to scale — north arrow, address, property lines with distances, dimensions and heights of all structures, entrance/driveway, and all utilities
- Lot grading and servicing plan for Town approval, with the municipal water and sanitary connections for the unit (§3.4.2 vii a)
- Architectural drawings: foundation, floor and roof plans, elevations, and cross-sections
- Mechanical drawings by a qualified designer, including heat-loss and duct design
- Energy Efficient Design Summary (SB-12)
- Road/Sidewalk/Boulevard Occupancy Permit application where work touches the road allowance, and the NVCA approval (or exemption) where the lot is regulated
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Shelburne?
Building-permit fees follow Dufferin County's Building By-law 2020-14, Schedule A (consolidated September 2024; CPI-indexed): an Additional Residential Unit is $16.47/m² in 2026 with a $600 minimum — roughly $760 on a typical 46 m² suite — plus the Town's $145 Municipal Approval (By-law 52-2024) and the Town-approved servicing design and connection costs, which vary by lot. All figures are estimates — confirm with County Building Services (519-941-2816 ext. 2700).
| Building permit — Additional Residential Unit | $16.47/m² (2026), $600 minimum — Dufferin County Building By-law 2020-14, Schedule A; ≈ $760 on a typical 46 m² suite (the 2027 rate is $17.83/m²) |
|---|---|
| Town Municipal Approval — Residential Accessory Structure / New Dwelling | $145 — Town of Shelburne User Fees By-law 52-2024, in force January 1, 2025 (the County's process sheet still shows $125; the Town's by-law governs). Paid directly to the Town by cash or cheque, not through the portal |
| Servicing — municipal connections, no septic | Water/sewer service inspections $75–$100 plus HST (By-law 52-2024, Schedule E); the lot grading and servicing plan and servicing allocation are approved by the Town, and connection work is costed per the approved design |
| Road/Sidewalk/Boulevard Occupancy Permit — where work touches the road allowance | $140 (By-law 52-2024, Schedule F) |
| Planning path on non-qualifying proposals | Zoning Compliance Request $145; Minor Variance $2,200 plus $565 contingency deposit; Zoning By-law Amendment $2,935 plus $1,290 (minor) or $7,335 plus $2,540 (re-zoning); Pre-application Consultation $410 (2025 planning fee structure in the 52-2024 fee package) |
| Development charges | EXEMPT for a qualifying additional dwelling unit under the Development Charges Act — the Town's own DC pamphlet (By-laws 45-2025/46-2025, revised January 2026) points to those rules (s.2(3)–(3.3)); a NEW fully-serviced single-detached home otherwise pays $51,480–$58,662 Town plus $3,692.77 County plus $2,932 education |
The Development Charges Act exempts qualifying additional dwelling units (up to two units added to an existing home, or one unit in an ancillary structure), and the Town's DC pamphlet directs applicants to those rules (s.2(3)–(3.3)); Dufferin County DC By-law 2022-28 carries the matching exemption. Against Shelburne's $51,480–$58,662 fully-serviced single-detached charge, the exemption is decisive — confirm your project's treatment when the permit is issued.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Shelburne?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. The County's FAQ says a complete application should issue within the 10 business days — but the Town's Municipal Approval, servicing-allocation sign-off and any NVCA approval come first and set the real schedule, and the by-law adds an occupancy gate at the end (Fire/Building/Electrical evidence before the occupancy permit, §3.4.2 vii). Sequence the approvals first.
Worth knowing before you apply
- Two governments, one application: the Town reviews zoning (Municipal Approval) while Dufferin County reviews the Building Code and issues the permit — all inside the County's CityView Portal, online only, and incomplete applications are not reviewed. Unlike its Dufferin neighbours, Shelburne's Municipal Approval fee is paid directly to the Town by cash or cheque, not through the portal.
- The stale-fee trap: the County's Shelburne process sheet (March 2024) still lists the Municipal Approval at $125 — the Town's User Fees By-law 52-2024 sets it at $145 from January 1, 2025, and it governs.
- What the unit can't be: a travel trailer, mobile home or other towable, or a shipping/storage container — expressly 'notwithstanding any alterations' (§3.4.2 v). A CSA A277 modular unit on a permanent foundation is a building, not a towable or container.
- Parking: the suite's space may be tandem in the driveway, but the unit can't displace a space the by-law requires — converting a needed garage bay into the suite doesn't work (§3.4.2 vi).
- In the newer subdivisions (post-2017 plans like Colonel Phillips Drive), published zone mapping is still catching up — the Town's word beats any map, so confirm your zone with the Building Department before you design.
Fees and timelines are estimates from Shelburne's published schedules, verified August 28, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Shelburne
Development charges — exempt for a qualifying ADU — A new fully-serviced single-detached home in Shelburne pays $51,480–$58,662 in Town development charges (By-laws 45-2025/46-2025 pamphlet, January 2026) plus $3,692.77 County and $2,932 education charges — but the Development Charges Act exempts qualifying additional dwelling units, and the Town's own DC pamphlet points to those rules (s.2(3)–(3.3)). Confirm your project's treatment when the 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 →
Shelburne modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in Shelburne?
Yes — since March 2023, By-law 14-2023 permits up to two additional dwelling units per home as-of-right in Shelburne's residential zones, and one may be a detached backyard suite in an accessory building (at least one of the two stays inside or attached to the house). One practical caution: in the newer subdivisions (post-2017 plans like Colonel Phillips Drive), published zone mapping is still catching up — the Town's word beats any map, so confirm your zone with the Building Department when you apply.
How big can a backyard suite be in Shelburne?
The LESSER of 10% of your lot area or 50% of your house's ground floor area. On a typical 460 m² (≈4,950 sq ft) town lot the lot arm binds first — roughly 46 m² (≈495 sq ft) — while a larger lot or house raises the ceiling. Height runs to 4.6 m (≈15 ft), setbacks are 1.2 m from side and rear lines and from the house, and all accessory buildings together are capped at 10% of the lot.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in Shelburne?
No — the by-law requires the unit to connect to municipal water and sanitary sewer, with a Town-approved lot grading and servicing plan and servicing allocation (§3.4.2 vii a). Shelburne is a fully serviced town, so in practice this is a connection design and an approval step, not a constraint — and it also means Bill 23’s full as-of-right override applies here rather than being blocked by private servicing.
Can the ADU be a trailer or a shipping container in Shelburne?
No. The by-law bars travel trailers, mobile homes and other towable units, and shipping/storage containers — expressly 'notwithstanding any alterations' (§3.4.2 v). The line that matters: a CSA A277 factory-built modular suite on a permanent foundation is a building under the Ontario Building Code, not a towable or a container — it qualifies where a renovated container never will.
Can you put a modular home in Shelburne, 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 Shelburne — as the principal dwelling, or as the detached additional dwelling unit in your backyard under §3.4.2. With the town-scaled size cap, the compact backyard-suite models are the natural fit.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Shelburne?
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 Shelburne?
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 Shelburne Zoning By-law 38-2007, §3.4.2 as replaced by By-law 14-2023 — Additional Dwelling Units (passed March 13, 2023); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.