Home/Modular Homes by City/Windsor
Serving Windsor & Essex County
Modular Homes & Garden Suites in Windsor, Ontario
Factory-direct modular homes and backyard suites for the City of Windsor — Sandwich, Walkerville, Riverside, Ojibway, and South Windsor. Windsor permits a detached additional dwelling unit (ADU) on most residential lots, with no fixed floor-area cap. Here's what the by-law allows, what it costs, and the one firm requirement: full municipal services.
What you can build in Windsor
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 Windsor'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 Windsor 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? (Windsor lots typically allow up to no fixed cap)
Windsor has no fixed floor-area cap — a detached ADU is limited by the 8 m height limit (and can’t exceed your house) plus your residential zone’s accessory-building coverage. Full municipal water + sewer are required. Your exact lot may allow more or less — get the real number for your address in seconds.
Check your exact Windsor address →Can you put a garden suite (ADU) in your Windsor backyard?
Often, yes — Windsor permits a detached Additional Residential Unit on most serviced residential lots. The specifics, from City of Windsor Comprehensive Zoning By-law 8600 §5.99.80 (ADU framework, 2023):
| Max size | No fixed floor-area cap — limited by height + your residential zone’s accessory-building coverage |
|---|---|
| Max height | 8.0 m (≈26 ft) pitched roof / 6.0 m (≈20 ft) low-slope — and never taller than the main house |
| Setbacks | 1.2 m (≈4 ft) from the rear and interior side lot lines |
| Units per lot | Up to 3 dwelling units; at most one in a detached building |
| Permitted on | Single-detached, semi-detached, duplex & townhouse lots (not higher-density forms) |
| Parking | 1 additional space per ADU (exemption in the core/transit areas) |
| Servicing | Full municipal water + sanitary sewer REQUIRED; the unit must front a public street and can’t be severed |
| Conservation | Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) — basement units barred in the regulated floodplain |
Getting your building permit in Windsor
An eligible lot still needs a building permit before anything is delivered. Here's how Windsor's process actually works — verified against the Windsor building department's own pages.
How do you apply for an ADU building permit in Windsor?
Through Cloudpermit (application portal ↗). Register and apply online through Cloudpermit (the City's guides link ca.cloudpermit.com) — you apply, pay fees, track review and book inspections in the same account. Questions go to buildingdept@citywindsor.ca or the 311 system; in-person service at the Building Department (350 City Hall Square W, 2nd Floor) is by pre-arranged appointment only. Windsor's building-permit page ↗
- Confirm zoning first: detached ADUs are governed by Section 5.99.80 of Zoning By-law 8600 — the lot needs access to a paved public street, municipal sanitary sewer, municipal storm water outlet, water and electrical services, plus direct pedestrian access from the street or alley; a single-detached lot may have at most 2 units in the main building plus 1 in the accessory building. Call Planning & Building at 519-255-6267 if unsure
- Have your designer prepare the Schedule 2.1 drawing set for a Part 9 residential permit — site plan, architectural, structural and engineered-product drawings plus the energy-efficiency and HVAC design summary forms
- Collect outside clearances that apply to your lot: an Enwin electrical clearance (tsd@enwin.com), and Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) approval if the property is in an ERCA-controlled or floodplain area
- Create an account and submit the application in Cloudpermit, attaching the forms and drawings; pay the zoning certificate fee and the non-refundable $500-per-new-dwelling-unit permit deposit
- Respond to plan-examiner comments — a resubmission before issuance costs $260, and an application found incomplete is charged 25% of the application fee — then pay the balance of permit fees for issuance
- Build to the approved plans and book the required stage inspections through Cloudpermit; electrical work is permitted and inspected separately by the Electrical Safety Authority (1-877-372-7233)
What does a Windsor ADU permit application need?
- Form A — Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish
- Form A.1 — Designer Information
- Form A.4 — Licensed Contractors
- Form A.5 — Commitment to Coordinate Engineered Products
- Form A.6.1 or A.6.2 — Energy Efficiency Design Summary
- Form A.7 — Residential Mechanical Ventilation and HVAC Design Summary
- Site plan showing property lines with dimensions, all new and existing structures with distances to lot lines and each other, lot-coverage areas, easements/right-of-ways and utility lines
- Architectural drawings including front, rear and side elevations (building height, roof slope, openings, exterior finishes, foundation details)
- Structural drawings and engineered-product specifications (e.g., roof trusses)
- Enwin utility clearance confirmation (tsd@enwin.com); ERCA clearance if the lot is in a regulated area
How much does an ADU building permit cost in Windsor?
Expect roughly $2,500–$3,500 in City permit-related fees for a typical ~600 sq ft (56 m²) detached ADU under the 2026 fee schedule (effective March 1, 2026) — about $1,120 in base permit fee at $20.00/m², plus a $500 mechanical fee, plumbing fees, a zoning certificate, the non-refundable $500 permit deposit and any sewer/water service permits — an estimate only; confirm current figures with the Building Department.
| Base permit fee (Part 9 residential, incl. Additional Dwelling Units) | $20.00 per m² ($1.86/sq ft) of all roofed areas — minimum permit fee $250 (2026 Schedule 3, effective March 1, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Mechanical fee | $500.00 per dwelling unit |
| Plumbing | $120.00 per bathroom on new Part 9 residential construction |
| Zoning certificate | $135.00 (new home construction) to $235.00 (other permit types), non-refundable — confirm which category the City applies to a detached ADU |
| Permit deposit | $500.00 per new dwelling unit, non-refundable |
| Sewer & water service permits (if new services required) | Sanitary drainage $280/dwelling unit · storm drainage $280/dwelling unit · water service $100/dwelling unit |
| Indemnity deposit | $50 per metre of lot frontage (By-law 106-2010) — refundable after construction, less any City repair costs |
A qualifying additional dwelling unit — including one unit in a structure ancillary to the house — is exempt from development charges under the provincial Development Charges Act framework, a significant saving given Windsor's 2025–26 development charge of $45,064 for a new single-detached unit ($70,646 in Sandwich South).
How long does an ADU building permit take in Windsor?
Ontario's Building Code requires a decision on a complete house-class application within 10 business days
Registration: Windsor has no ADU-specific registration by-law, but the unit must have a municipal address clearly visible from the street. The City's Residential Rental Licensing pilot (Wards 1 and 2, rentals in buildings with 1–4 dwelling units) ran February 13, 2023 to February 13, 2025 and has concluded — new licence applications are no longer accepted while Council evaluates a possible citywide program, so check the current status if you plan to rent the unit.
Worth knowing before you apply
- Servicing is a hard zoning gate: the ADU must have access to a paved public street, municipal sanitary sewer, municipal storm water outlet, and water and electrical services — plus direct pedestrian access from the street or alley
- Height limits depend on the roof: 8 m (26 ft) for roofs sloped 20° or more, 6 m for low/flat roofs (a variance can raise this to 8 m), and the ADU can never be taller than the main building; side and rear setbacks are a minimum 1.2 m
- In floodplain areas ADUs are not permitted within basements, and lots in ERCA-controlled areas need Essex Region Conservation Authority clearance before a permit can be issued (ERCA: 519-776-5209)
- An Enwin clearance is required and no building may be located beneath existing above-ground electrical conductors (OBC 3.1.20 horizontal clearances apply near overhead lines)
- The City has proposed housekeeping Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments to its ADU framework — confirm the current Section 5.99.80 standards with Planning before finalizing your design
- Resubmissions are not free: $260 per resubmission before issuance, and an application found incomplete is charged 25% of the application fee (minimum $250)
Fees and timelines are estimates from Windsor's published schedules, verified July 9, 2026. Rates and processes change — always confirm current requirements with the building department before you apply.
Grants & financing in Windsor
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 →
Windsor modular homes — FAQ
Can you build a backyard suite in Windsor?
Yes. Windsor permits a detached additional dwelling unit on single-detached, semi-detached, duplex, and townhouse lots — up to 3 units per lot with at most one detached — provided the lot is on full municipal water and sewer. There’s no fixed floor-area cap; size is governed by the 8 m height limit and your zone’s accessory-building coverage.
How big can an ADU be in Windsor?
There’s no fixed m² cap — the detached unit is limited by the 8 m height (and can’t be taller than your house) and the underlying residential zone’s accessory-building coverage and setbacks (1.2 m from the side and rear). Check your address for the practical number.
Can you put a modular home in Windsor?
Yes. On land you own, a modular home on a permanent foundation is legal residential housing under the Ontario Building Code throughout Windsor, subject to standard zoning and permits.
How much does a modular home or backyard suite cost in Windsor?
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 Windsor?
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 City of Windsor Comprehensive Zoning By-law 8600 §5.99.80 (ADU framework, 2023); verified by Modular Homes 400 and reviewed by James Clarke, REALTOR®. Always confirm current requirements with the City of Windsor before you build.