Land, zoning and permits
Bunkie rules in Ontario: permits, sizes and local limits
By Jonathan Kennedy, cabin owner and tiny home rental owner · Last reviewed October 28, 2026
Illustrative photoIn Ontario, a bunkie used for sleeping needs a building permit if it's over 10 m² or has plumbing, because the 15 m² shed exemption covers storage sheds only. Your municipality's zoning by-law then decides whether a bunkie is allowed at all: 178 of the 317 municipalities we researched don't allow one, and cottage-country towns that do typically cap it between 25 m² and 60 m².
Do I need a building permit for a bunkie in Ontario?
Yes, if it's larger than 10 m² (108 sq ft) or has any plumbing. Ontario's Building Code Act treats any structure over 10 m², and any structure of any size with plumbing, as a building, and no one may build a building without a permit (Building Code Act s. 1 and s. 8). A bunkie of 10 m² or less with no plumbing isn't a building under the Act, but your zoning by-law still applies to it.
Does the 15 m² shed exemption cover a bunkie?
No. The exemption covers a one-storey, detached shed of 15 m² or less, used only for storage, with no plumbing (2024 Building Code). A bunkie is used for sleeping, so it doesn't qualify, however small it is.
Our take: the "under 15 square metres, no permit" advice you'll hear at the dock is about sheds. Ordering a 14 m² kit and calling it a shed is the half-measure that causes trouble when you sell or insure the cottage.
How big can a bunkie be in Ontario?
It depends on the municipality, and the range is wide. These are the limits in cottage country, quoted from each by-law:
| Municipality | Answer | Maximum size |
|---|---|---|
| Muskoka Lakes | Allowed with limits | 60.4 m² (650 ft²) floor area (s.4.1.6 ii; s.5.1.9 d) [source] |
| Huntsville | Allowed with limits | Not to exceed 60 m² in ground floor area; may be in the second storey of a detached garage [source] |
| Seguin | Allowed with limits | 60 square metres including all decks and balconies (s.4.1.10 c) [source] |
| Georgian Bay | Allowed with limits | 56 m² gross floor area (Section 4.1.14 d) [source] |
| Lake of Bays | Allowed | 54 m² gross floor area; may be over a garage (s. 3.2.6.2) [source] |
| Gravenhurst | Allowed with limits | 46.5 m² maximum habitable floor area, including covered decks (Section 5.2.5); the RW-6 zone table says all of it shall be at ground floor level [source] |
| Dysart et al | Allowed | 45 m² gross floor area (verandas included); decks/patios within 2 m limited to 15 m² (s. 3.1 e) [source] |
| Algonquin Highlands | Allowed | 45 m² (484.4 sq ft) total floor area [source] |
| Trent Lakes | Allowed | 44.6 m² (480 sq ft) floor area [source] |
| Bracebridge | Allowed with limits | 37 m² GFA including porches; attached deck max 50% of the cabin's GFA (s.3.3.2(*1)(iii), (vi)) [source] |
| North Kawartha | Allowed with limits | 37 m² (400 sq ft) outside dimensions, including porches and open decks [source] |
| Minden Hills | Allowed | 35 m² (376.8 sq ft) floor area, excluding decks, porches and balconies; attached or nearby decks, porches and balconies max 15 m² (161.5 sq ft) (s.4.1.13) [source] |
| Kawartha Lakes | Allowed with limits | Maximum floor area of 30.0 m² (s.4.1.6.1) [source] |
| Tiny | Allowed with limits | Ground floor area no more than 30 m², not counting a covered porch or deck (s.2.1.5 a) [source] |
| Highlands East | Allowed with limits | 25 m² total floor area including any attached deck or balcony (s.3.1 i) c)) [source] |
| Rideau Lakes | Allowed with limits | 25 m² including attached decks (s.3.1.7.1) [source] |
Several by-laws count porches and decks in the limit, and some cap the number of sleeping cabins per lot. Check the wording on your municipality's page before you pick a kit size.
Where in Ontario are bunkies not allowed?
In 178 of the 317 municipalities we researched, the by-law doesn't allow a detached building to be used for sleeping. That includes popular cottage areas such as Prince Edward County, The Blue Mountains and the Town of Parry Sound. If you're set on one, ask the planning department whether a minor variance or rezoning is possible before you buy.
Can a bunkie have a kitchen or a bathroom?
Almost never a kitchen. Nearly every by-law we read that allows a bunkie bans cooking facilities. Washrooms are where towns differ: some allow one if it connects to an approved septic system, others ban plumbing outright.
| Municipality | Answer | Kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| Lake of Bays | Allowed | Contains a washroom but no kitchen (definition of 'Sleeping Cabin (Bunkie)') [source] |
| Bracebridge | Allowed with limits | Sanitary facilities may be provided but not cooking facilities (definition of Sleeping Cabin) [source] |
| Georgian Bay | Allowed with limits | No kitchen or cooking facilities; washroom facilities permitted (Sections 4.1.14 e, 4.1.18) [source] |
| Highlands East | Allowed with limits | No kitchen or cooking facilities; a bathroom may be plumbed to the dwelling's authorized septic system (s.3.1 i) a)-b)) [source] |
| South Frontenac | Allowed with limits | No kitchen facilities; plumbing allowed only if connected to the principal dwelling's approved sewage system (definition of Sleeping Cabin) [source] |
| Innisfil | Allowed with limits | Must not contain a kitchen or washroom (definition s.2.204) [source] |
| Kawartha Lakes | Allowed with limits | No cooking or sanitary facilities (definition "Cabin, Private") [source] |
| Tay Valley | Allowed with limits | No washroom, kitchen or other food preparation facilities (definition of Sleeping Cabin) [source] |
A washroom also makes the bunkie a building that needs a permit, whatever its size, and many by-laws require it to connect to an approved septic system.
What does a bunkie cost?
A bunkie kit costs $6,295 to $26,495 in Ontario by our 2026 estimate, before the foundation, delivery and any assembly. Add a permit, a foundation and, if allowed, a washroom connected to the septic system. Our cost estimator breaks down the extras.
How did we get these numbers?
From our research into the zoning by-laws of 327 Ontario municipalities, read in October 2026; see what Ontario towns allow for the method. The provincial rules come from the Building Code Act and the 2024 Building Code. By-laws change, so confirm with your municipality before you build.
Questions people ask
- Do you need a permit for a bunkie in Ontario?
- Yes if it's larger than 10 m² or has plumbing; that makes it a building under the Building Code Act. A smaller bunkie without plumbing doesn't need a building permit, but it must still meet your zoning by-law.
- Can I build a bunkie without a permit if it's under 15 m²?
- Not as a bunkie. The 15 m² exemption is for storage sheds only. A sleeping cabin larger than 10 m² needs a building permit.
- How big can a bunkie be in Muskoka?
- It depends on the municipality: 60.4 m² in Muskoka Lakes, 60 m² in Huntsville, 54 m² in Lake of Bays, 46.5 m² in Gravenhurst and 37 m² in Bracebridge, as recorded from each by-law. Check whether decks and porches count toward the limit.
- Can a bunkie have a bathroom in Ontario?
- In some municipalities. Many cottage-country by-laws allow a washroom if it connects to an approved septic system, while others ban plumbing in a bunkie. Almost none allow a kitchen.
- Can I rent out my bunkie?
- Often not. Several by-laws define a sleeping cabin as accessory to the main dwelling and not used for monetary gain or rented to the public. Short-term rental rules are separate again, so check both with your municipality.