Costs, quotes and budgeting
How much does a modular home cost in Canada? Real 2026 prices
By Jonathan Kennedy, cabin owner and tiny home rental owner · Last reviewed October 28, 2026
Small modular homes and backyard units listed at about $97,000 to $470,000 on eight Canadian builders' own websites in October 2026, or roughly $200 to $480 per square foot for the factory-built home alone. Foundation, utilities, delivery and crane come on top: one BC builder puts them at $35,000 to $70,000 on a flat lot. Smaller units cost more per square foot.
You've seen a modular home advertised "from $150,000" and you're trying to work out what you'd actually spend to live in it. The sticker price is real, but it's for the box. Here's what Canadian builders publish, what they leave out, and the tax and mortgage rules that change the total.
How much does a modular home cost in Canada?
These are published starting prices from builders' own sites, checked on October 28, 2026. They change often, so treat them as a snapshot and get a quote:
| Builder (province) | Model and size | Listed price | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimaliste (QC) | Mini 24, 288 sq ft; Mini 40, 480 sq ft | From $122,500; from $160,000 | $425; $333 |
| Atella (ON) | AtellaOne, 408 sq ft; AtellaTwo, 510 sq ft | $155,000; $175,000, plus installation | $380; $343 |
| Brela Homes (NS) | The Channel, 512 sq ft; The Harbour, 1,024 sq ft | From $145,000; $255,000, plus tax | $283; $249 |
| Cueva (BC) | Solace, 495 sq ft | From $185,000 plus GST | $374 |
| ORCA LGS (BC) | Jay, 435 sq ft; Osprey, 1,311 sq ft | From $207,000; from $469,000 | $476; $358 |
| Maisons usinées Côté (QC) | Val Bel Air, 884 sq ft; Chelsea, 1,240 sq ft | $200,000 to $249,000; $250,000 to $299,000, plus tax | $226 to $282; $202 to $241 |
| Habitat28 (ON) | 161 to 950 sq ft series | From $115,000 to from $189,900 | Varies by size |
| The Dwelly (BC) | 2-bedroom | From $169,000 | Size not stated |
Sources: Minimaliste, Atella, Brela, Cueva, ORCA LGS, Côté, Habitat28, The Dwelly. The per-square-foot figures are our arithmetic from the listed price and floor area.
Two patterns stand out. Backyard-size units under 500 sq ft cost $340 to $480 per square foot, because the kitchen, bathroom and mechanical systems cost about the same in a small unit as a large one. And Quebec's established factories price full-size homes lower per square foot than the small-unit specialists.
Our take: compare quotes per square foot only between homes of a similar size, and only after you've written down what each price includes. A $145,000 unit with delivery included can cost less in the end than a $130,000 one without it.
What doesn't a modular home price include?
Almost everything outside the factory. Côté's own list puts the land, excavation, foundation, crane, well, septic, culvert and utility connections on the buyer (Côté). ORCA LGS says BC buyers on a flat, level lot spend $25,000 to $40,000 on excavation, foundation and utilities, plus $10,000 to $30,000 for delivery, crane and anchoring (ORCA FAQ). Cueva says most of its installed projects land at $230,000 to $260,000 plus GST, against a $185,000 home (Cueva).
| Extra | Our 2026 estimate |
|---|---|
| Foundation (slab or screw piles) | $8,000 to $25,000 |
| Servicing and utility connections | $10,000 to $50,000 |
| Septic system on a rural lot (Class 4) | $25,000 to $40,000 |
| Drilled well on a rural lot | $9,000 to $24,000 |
Permits and charges add more. Ontario's Building Code accepts a home certified to CSA A277 for its factory-built parts, but the foundation and site installation still need a local permit and inspections (2024 Building Code, 9.1.1.9). A backyard unit beside a house is exempt from municipal development charges in Ontario (Development Charges Act), but a modular placed as the main house on its own lot pays them like any new house: $10,389 in Bracebridge's town portion and $13,948 in Peterborough County's in 2026 (Bracebridge; Peterborough County).
Can I get the GST/HST new housing rebate on a modular home?
Yes, in many cases. The CRA says the new housing rebate applies to a new mobile home, "including a modular home", and to a house you build or have built on land you own (CRA). The rebate is 36% of the GST up to $6,300, phased out between $350,000 and $450,000 (RC4028). A modular home counts as a mobile home for GST purposes only if it meets certain criteria; if the dealer doesn't credit the rebate, you have two years from possession to claim it. First-time buyers can get up to $50,000 back on a new home under $1 million under the newer first-time home buyers' rebate. In BC, PST on a modular home works out to 3.85% of the price (BC PST).
Can I get a mortgage on a modular home?
Yes, if it's on a permanent foundation. CMHC says a prefab home "permanently affixed to the land and placed on a permanent foundation" qualifies under its standard criteria and is secured by a regular mortgage, while a home that can be moved is financed as a chattel (CMHC Prefab Plus). Prefab Plus pays out in stages: land, site work and foundation first, the home on delivery, then installation and finishing. That staging matters, because most modular builders want a large deposit before the factory starts.
Are modular homes cheaper than site-built homes?
Per square foot, not always, especially for small units: our 2026 estimate for a site-built garden suite is $180,000 to $400,000 in total, and the prefab and modular range in Ontario is $150,000 to $300,000. Where modular wins is time and certainty: the home is built indoors while the site is prepared, and the price for the box is fixed early. Statistics Canada's index shows residential construction costs up 2.3% in the year to the second quarter of 2026, so a quote you lock in now holds more value than it did during the 2021 to 2022 spike (Statistics Canada).
Questions people ask
- How much does a modular home cost per square foot in Canada?
- Based on eight builders' published 2026 prices, about $200 to $480 per square foot for the factory-built home alone. Small units under 500 sq ft sit at the top of that range. Foundation, utilities, delivery and crane are extra.
- What is not included in the price of a modular home?
- Usually the land, excavation, foundation, utility connections, well and septic on rural lots, crane, delivery beyond a set distance, permits and taxes. One BC builder puts site work and delivery at $35,000 to $70,000 on a flat lot.
- Do modular homes qualify for the GST new housing rebate?
- Often. The CRA's new housing rebate covers new mobile homes, including modular homes that meet its criteria, and homes built on land you own. It's 36% of the GST up to $6,300 for homes under $450,000.
- Can you get a regular mortgage on a modular home?
- Yes, when it's permanently affixed to a foundation on land you own. CMHC treats it as a regular mortgage and its Prefab Plus program pays out in stages as the site and home are completed.