Home/Modular Homes by City/Township of Hamilton
Serving the Township of Hamilton (Northumberland County) — Baltimore, Bewdley, Camborne, Gore’s Landing & Harwood
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Township of Hamilton, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the Township of Hamilton — the Northumberland County township between Cobourg and Rice Lake, taking in Baltimore, Bewdley, Camborne, Cold Springs, Gore’s Landing, Harwood and Precious Corners. (Not the City of Hamilton.) The Township’s Zoning By-law permits a detached backyard unit of up to 98 m² alongside a house, and most of the township is on a private well and septic, which is allowed with a well report. Here’s what the by-law allows, what it costs, and where it doesn’t apply.
What you can build in Township of Hamilton
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 Township of Hamilton'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 Township of Hamilton 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? (Township of Hamilton lots typically allow up to up to 1,055 sq ft)
The Township of Hamilton caps a detached unit at 98 m² (≈1,055 sq ft) and 5.5 m tall. In the residential zones all accessory buildings together are also capped at 5% of the lot, which still fits the full 98 m² on a lot that meets its zone’s minimum size. 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 Township of Hamilton address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Township of Hamilton backyard?
Often, yes — Township of Hamilton permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from Township of Hamilton Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2001-58, §5.2 — Additional Residential Units (consolidated to October 31, 2025):
| Max size | A detached unit up to 98 m² (≈1,055 sq ft) of floor area; a unit inside the house up to 186 m² (≈2,000 sq ft). Up to two additional units per lot — one of each (§5.2(f)). |
|---|---|
| Where it applies | On a lot with a single-detached or semi-detached house that fronts an improved public road — in the agricultural (PA, MA), estate (ER), rural residential (RR) and urban residential (UR1, UR2) zones. NOT in Limited Service Residential or Waterfront Residential, and on the Oak Ridges Moraine only inside the house (§5.2(a)–(e)). |
| Height & setbacks | Max 5.5 m (≈18 ft) tall, at least 1.2 m (≈4 ft) from the house, not closer to the street than the house, and the zone’s accessory-building side/rear yards — 2.5 m in UR1/UR2, 3 m in RR/ER, 10 m in PA/MA. |
| Parking | 1 extra space per unit; one tandem space is allowed (§5.2(m)). |
| Servicing | Private well and septic are allowed. The permit needs a Well Certification Test/Report no older than a year, and the site must be able to take the added sewage; the unit may share the house’s systems if the County septic inspector agrees. Septic permits come from the County of Northumberland. |
| Conservation | Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority — lots near watercourses, wetlands, the Rice Lake shoreline or hazard lands need GRCA approval before the permit issues. |
Check your specific Township of Hamilton 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 Township of Hamilton, and the models that fit →
Township of Hamilton's by-law is verified in our checker, so you can check if a garden suite is allowed at your Township of Hamilton address in about a minute.
Getting your building permit in Township of Hamilton
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Township of Hamilton's process actually works — verified against the Township of Hamilton building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Township of Hamilton?
Through Cloudpermit (online building permit applications) — Township of Hamilton Building Department, 8285 Majestic Hills Drive, Cobourg ON; 905-342-2810 (application portal ↗). Building permits are applied for online through Cloudpermit (PDF or JPEG documents); the Township advises that only property owners create and submit applications. Septic and plumbing permits are issued by the County of Northumberland, not the Township. (The Township of Hamilton is in Northumberland County — for the City of Hamilton, apply at hamilton.ca.) Township of Hamilton's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm the lot qualifies under Zoning By-law 2001-58 §5.2: a single- or semi-detached house, frontage on an improved public road, and not in the LSR or WR zones or on the Oak Ridges Moraine (there, only inside the house). Check the zone on the Township GIS Portal.
- Check whether the lot is in Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's regulated area (shown on the Township GIS Portal) — if it is, get GRCA approval before the building permit.
- On a private well: commission a Well Certification Test/Report (yield and quality, no older than one year) — required by §5.2(g)(ii). On municipal water, the Township's water purveyor provides a servicing statement.
- Have the County of Northumberland's septic inspector confirm the existing septic can take the added unit, or apply to the County for a septic permit for a new or upgraded system.
- Retain a BCIN designer for the drawings and apply through Cloudpermit with the site sketch, Zoning Compliance Declaration and well report.
- Book inspections through construction; the occupancy permit ($100) closes it out.
What does a Township of Hamilton ADU permit application need?
- Architectural building plans
- Schedule 1: Designer Information, completed by the person or firm responsible for the design
- Energy Efficiency Design Summary (EEDS)
- Site sketch or drawing showing the unit, distances to property lines, and the well and septic locations
- Zoning Compliance Declaration
- Well Certification Test/Report per Zoning By-law §5.2(g)(ii) (private well)
- Septic permit from the County of Northumberland (where required); entrance permit if a new entrance is needed; GRCA approval in its regulated area
- Letter of Authorization if an agent applies
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Township of Hamilton?
From the Township's 2026 Building User Fees and Planning User Fees. An additional residential unit — inside the house or in an accessory building — is a flat $3,751 building permit, plus a $100 occupancy permit. The plumbing permit is set by the County of Northumberland's septic inspector by fixture count, and a new or upgraded septic system is permitted by the County. A minor variance, if the lot needs one, is $1,000. Development charges: a qualifying additional unit is exempt under the provincial Development Charges Act (a new house pays $14,116 Township + $3,516 County in 2026). All figures are estimates — confirm with the Building Department (905-342-2810).
| Building permit — additional residential unit (flat) | $3,751 |
|---|---|
| Occupancy permit | $100 |
| Plumbing permit | set by the County of Northumberland septic inspector (fixture count) |
| Minor variance (only if needed) | $1,000 |
| Development charges | EXEMPT for a qualifying additional unit under the Development Charges Act — versus $17,632 (Township + County) for a new house in 2026, plus $11,705 water in Creighton Heights / Camborne |
The Development Charges Act exempts a second or third unit in or ancillary to a house — including one unit in a detached ancillary building on ANY parcel since Bill 97 (June 8, 2023). The Township's DC By-law 2024-60 still quotes the earlier 'urban residential land' wording for the backyard-building case, so if a development charge is quoted for a detached unit on a rural lot, check it against the Act before paying.
How long does an ADU building permit take in Township of Hamilton?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days. A house-class permit is reviewed within the legislated 10 business days once complete. The steps that add time here are outside the Township: the well report, the County septic review, and GRCA approval where the lot is in its regulated area.
Registration: Neither Zoning By-law 2001-58 §5.2 nor the Township's permit checklist lists a separate additional-residential-unit registration — the unit is approved through the building permit and occupancy permit. Confirm with the Building Department (905-342-2810).
Worth knowing before you apply
- This is the Township of Hamilton in Northumberland County — the City of Hamilton's rules and permit office don't apply
- The well report must be no more than a year old when you apply
- Septic and plumbing permits come from the County of Northumberland, not the Township
- No detached unit in the LSR or WR zones, and on the Oak Ridges Moraine only inside the house
- A development charge quoted for a backyard unit on a rural lot is worth checking against the Development Charges Act
Fees and timelines are estimates from Township of Hamilton's published schedules, verified September 23, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Township of Hamilton
Development-charge exemption for additional units — A new house pays $14,116 (Township) + $3,516 (County) in development charges in 2026 (plus water in Creighton Heights and Camborne). A qualifying additional unit — including one in a backyard building on a rural lot — is exempt under the provincial Development Charges Act. The Township’s own DC by-law still quotes older wording limited to “urban” land, so check any charge quoted for a backyard unit against the Act.
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 →
Township of Hamilton modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a garden suite / ADU in the Township of Hamilton?
Yes — Zoning By-law 2001-58 §5.2 permits a detached additional residential unit of up to 98 m² on a lot with a single- or semi-detached house, in the agricultural, estate, rural residential and urban residential zones. It isn’t permitted in the Limited Service Residential or Waterfront Residential zones, and on the Oak Ridges Moraine only inside the house. It needs a building permit through Cloudpermit ($3,751 flat fee in 2026).
How big can a garden suite be in the Township of Hamilton?
Up to 98 m² (≈1,055 sq ft) and 5.5 m (≈18 ft) tall for a detached unit, at least 1.2 m from the house. In the RR, UR1 and UR2 zones all accessory buildings together are capped at 5% of the lot — the full 98 m² fits on a lot that meets its zone’s minimum size, but an older undersized lot can fall short. Enter your address for the specifics.
Can you build an ADU on well and septic in the Township of Hamilton?
Yes. The by-law allows it with a Well Certification Test/Report no more than a year old and a site that can take the added sewage within provincial groundwater guidelines. The unit can share the house’s well and septic if the County of Northumberland’s septic inspector agrees; if not, you add a system.
Can you put a modular home in the Township of Hamilton, Ontario?
Yes. On land you own, a CSA A277 modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code — as the main house or as a detached additional residential unit.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in the Township of Hamilton?
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 Hamilton?
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 Hamilton Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2001-58, §5.2 — Additional Residential Units (consolidated to October 31, 2025); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the municipality before you build.