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Serving the Township of Tay & Simcoe County
Modular Homes in Tay, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Township of Tay — Waubaushene, Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, Waverley, and the surrounding rural and shoreline communities on Georgian Bay and Severn Sound. Since 2023 Tay permits a detached additional/accessory dwelling unit (ADU) as-of-right across its residential, shoreline, agricultural and rural zones. Here's what the by-law allows, what it costs, and the rules that apply.
What you can build in Tay
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 Tay'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 Tay 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? (Tay lots typically allow up to ~800 sq ft)
Tay sizes a detached suite by your LOT AREA: up to 56 m² (≈600 sq ft) on a lot up to ½ acre, up to 74 m² (≈800 sq ft) on a ½–1 acre lot, and up to 111 m² (≈1,200 sq ft) above ~1.1 acres — all detached accessory buildings capped at 10% of the lot. Unlike neighbouring Tiny and Severn, Tay’s shoreline (SR) and limited-service (LSR) residential zones are eligible — but a suite isn’t permitted in the Grandview Beach/Paradise Point area, and Victoria Harbour has a wastewater-capacity moratorium on municipally-serviced lots. 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 Tay address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Tay backyard?
Often, yes — Tay permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Township of Tay General Zoning By-law 2000-57, s.4.2 — Accessory Dwelling Units (as-of-right detached ADU standards added by the 2023 Official Plan + Zoning amendment):
| Max size | Set by lot area: up to 56 m² (≈600 sq ft) up to ½ acre · 74 m² (≈800 sq ft) on ½–1 acre · 111 m² (≈1,200 sq ft) above ~1.1 acres. Minimum 37 m² (≈400 sq ft). All detached accessory buildings combined are capped at 10% of the lot |
|---|---|
| Max height | 4.0 m (≈13 ft), one storey — up to 6.0 m (≈20 ft) where the unit sits above an accessory structure such as a garage |
| Setbacks | 5.0 m (≈16 ft) separation from your main house · 2.0 m (≈7 ft) from the interior side/rear lot lines (R1, R2, SR, LSR) or 3.0 m (≈10 ft) in the Rural/Agricultural zones. One detached suite may sit in the front yard if it meets the main dwelling’s front-yard setback |
| Units per lot | A detached suite plus (typically) one unit inside the house; in the fully-serviced Port McNicoll & Victoria Harbour areas, up to 3 dwelling units per lot |
| Parking | 1 space per additional unit (follows the Township’s general parking standard — confirm with Planning) |
| Where allowed | As-of-right in the Village Residential (R1, R2), Shoreline Residential (SR), Limited Service Residential (LSR), Agricultural (A) and Rural (RU) zones — not in the commercial, industrial or institutional zones, and not in the Grandview Beach/Paradise Point area |
| Servicing | Private well & septic permitted (with an OBC Part 8 septic-capacity review). Note: Victoria Harbour is under a wastewater-capacity moratorium on municipally-serviced lots |
| Conservation | Tay is largely outside any regulated conservation authority — the Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA) monitors the watershed but doesn’t issue permits; waterfront setbacks come through the by-law and the Township |
Getting your building permit in Tay
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Tay's process actually works — verified against the Tay building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Tay?
Through Township of Tay Building Department (application to the Chief Building Official under Building By-law 2014-24). Tay does not publish a dedicated online permit portal — a building permit application (the form under Building By-law 2014-24) with all drawings is submitted to the Township Building Department, and staff don't begin review until the application is complete. Confirm the current submission method (online / email / in-person) and current-year fees with the Building Department (705-534-7248) before you apply. Tay's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm zoning FIRST with Planning (705-534-7248 / planning@tay.ca) — Tay recommends verifying your lot permits an ADU before you design; a non-complying lot, the Grandview Beach/Paradise Point area, or a Victoria Harbour serviced-sewer lot needs a different path (minor variance / rezoning) and the moratorium may block it
- Retain a qualified BCIN designer for the Ontario Building Code Part 9 (house-class) construction drawings
- On a private-septic lot, have a licensed septic designer prepare the septic design + flow calculations showing the added unit fits (OBC Part 8), and apply for the sewage-system permit
- Have a lot grading plan prepared (a $1,500 refundable grading deposit applies)
- Submit the complete building permit application + drawings to the Township Building Department — review doesn't start until the application is complete
- If a new driveway is needed, apply for the Public Works entrance permit ($60; a County road entrance is billed by the County of Simcoe)
- Respond to any plan-review comments, pay all fees (no permit is issued until fees are paid), then book inspections
What does a Tay ADU permit application need?
- Completed building permit application (Building By-law 2014-24) — one per structure
- Site plan showing all structures, setbacks to the lot lines, and (on a private lot) the septic system and well
- Construction drawings (floor plans, elevations, sections), an HVAC / heat-loss plan, and the engineered truss/floor package — prepared by a BCIN designer
- Septic system design + flow calculations for a private-serviced lot (OBC Part 8), plus the sewage-system permit application
- Lot grading plan (with the $1,500 refundable grading deposit)
- Letter of authorization if the applicant is not the owner
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Tay?
Estimate for a ~700 sq ft detached ADU on private septic: roughly $1,120 for the building permit (Group C dwelling at $1.60/sq ft, minimum $100) + about $600 for a new Class 4 septic system + ~$60 in plumbing + a $60 entrance permit if a new driveway is needed — on the order of $1,800 in fees, plus a $1,500 refundable lot-grading deposit and HST where applicable. Figures from Tay User Fees & Service Charges By-law 2021-66 Schedule "A" (effective January 1, 2022, and expressly subject to annual inflationary adjustment) — confirm current-year figures with the Building Department.
| Minimum permit fee | $100 — no building permit fee is less than $100 (By-law 2021-66 Sch. "A", Building Dept.) |
|---|---|
| Building permit — dwelling (Group C) | $1.60/sq ft ($17.22/m²) for a new dwelling/addition — a detached ADU is a Group C dwelling occupancy (not the cheaper $0.94/sq ft accessory-building rate), so a ~700 sq ft suite ≈ $1,120 |
| New septic system | $400 for a Class 1–3 system, $600 for a Class 4/5 system (a new residential septic is typically Class 4); a file-records confirmation of an existing system is $75, an alteration $300 |
| Plumbing | $10 per fixture (all supply and DWV systems) |
| Entrance permit | $60 for a new entrance onto a Township road (Public Works); on a County road it's billed by the County of Simcoe |
| Lot grading deposit | $1,500 refundable per lot |
| Municipal water/sewer connection (serviced lots only) | $2,625.64 each to connect to an existing water or wastewater main not previously paid for (subject to annual adjustment) — applies only in the serviced Port McNicoll / Victoria Harbour areas |
Under the Development Charges Act as amended by Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster), a qualifying additional residential unit ancillary to the principal dwelling is exempt from municipal development charges — confirm the Township and County of Simcoe DC treatment for your specific project with the Building Department.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Tay?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. A detached ADU is OBC Part 9 (house class), so the legislated review window is 10 business days for a complete application. The Township won't begin review until the application is complete, so apply well ahead of a summer build.
Worth knowing before you apply
- A detached ADU is billed as a Group C dwelling — $1.60/sq ft ($17.22/m²), not the cheaper $0.94/sq ft accessory-building rate — because it contains a dwelling unit; no permit fee is less than $100
- On a private-septic lot, budget a separate sewage-system permit (about $600 for a new Class 4 system) and a licensed designer's septic design + flow calculations showing the added unit fits under OBC Part 8 — Tay's Building Department is the septic authority
- Budget the $1,500 refundable lot-grading deposit up front, plus a $60 entrance permit if the suite needs a new driveway onto a Township road (a County road entrance is billed by the County)
- Fees are from By-law 2021-66 dated January 1, 2022 and are expressly "subject to annual inflationary adjustment," so the current-year figures are higher — confirm with the Building Department (705-534-7248)
- Talk to Planning first (705-534-7248 / planning@tay.ca): a non-complying lot needs a minor variance or rezoning before a permit, and an ADU is not permitted in the Grandview Beach/Paradise Point area or on a Victoria Harbour lot caught by the wastewater-capacity moratorium
- There's no published online permit portal — applications go to the Township Building Department under Building By-law 2014-24; confirm the current submission method before you apply
Fees and timelines are estimates from Tay's published schedules, verified July 8, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Tay
County of Simcoe Secondary Suites Program — Simcoe County offers a 15-year forgivable loan (recent materials cite up to $30,000–$50,000/unit — confirm the current cap) to create a secondary or garden suite rented to an income-qualified tenant. Tay is in Simcoe County, so Township properties qualify.
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 →
Tay modular homes — FAQ
Can you put a garden suite in Tay (Waubaushene, Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll…)?
Yes. Since Tay’s 2023 zoning update it permits a detached accessory dwelling unit as-of-right in its residential, shoreline, agricultural and rural zones, subject to the size, height and setback rules and a building permit. In Victoria Harbour, a wastewater-capacity moratorium currently blocks new units on municipally-serviced lots — check your address.
How big can a garden suite be in Tay?
It depends on your lot size: up to 56 m² (≈600 sq ft) on a lot up to ½ acre, up to 74 m² (≈800 sq ft) on a ½–1 acre lot, and up to 111 m² (≈1,200 sq ft) on a lot larger than ~1.1 acres (minimum 37 m² / ≈400 sq ft). It’s up to 4.0 m tall (6.0 m above a garage), and all detached accessory buildings combined are capped at 10% of the lot. Enter your address for the specifics.
Can you build an ADU on a waterfront lot in Tay?
Often yes — unlike neighbouring Tiny and Severn, Tay’s Shoreline Residential (SR) and Limited Service Residential (LSR) zones ARE eligible for a detached suite, subject to servicing, setback and shoreline-hazard rules. But Waubaushene’s Duck Bay area and some waterfront pockets are tourist-commercial or RV/trailer-park zoned, where a suite isn’t as-of-right, so confirm your lot’s zone.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in Tay?
Yes. Most of rural Tay is on private well and septic, and a detached suite is permitted on private services — the added unit’s sewage flow just has to fit your septic system under the Ontario Building Code (Part 8 capacity assessment).
Can you put a modular home in Tay, Ontario?
Yes. On land you own, a modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout Tay. The by-law requires the suite to be a permanent building on a permanent foundation — a mobile home or park-model trailer can’t be used as the unit.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Tay?
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 Tay?
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 Tay General Zoning By-law 2000-57, s.4.2 — Accessory Dwelling Units (as-of-right detached ADU standards added by the 2023 Official Plan + Zoning amendment); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the City of Tay before you build.