Bluewater zoning for small homes

Municipality of Bluewater, in the County of Huron. Population 7,540 (2021 census).

Backyard suite

A separate home in the yard of a house: garden suite, laneway suite or coach house, including prefab, modular or container units used this way.

Allowed with limits · Bluewater’s term: “additional residential unit (ARU) in an accessory building”

In the R1 zone, ARUs (up to two, with one in a detached accessory building) are permitted only on lots connected to full municipal services, and are subject to a holding provision in the Bayfield Settlement Area. ARUs are also permitted in the agricultural zones, but the Lakeshore Residential (LR1) zone does not list them. [1]

Number allowed: Max. 2 ARUs per fully serviced lot, max. 1 in a detached accessory building (R1 s. 25.4.1) [1]
Maximum size: No greater than 75% of the gross area of the main floor of the dwelling including attached garages, within maximum lot coverage [1]
Maximum height: 6 m [1]
Setbacks: Rear or interior side yard; rear and interior side yard min. 3 m; no closer to a street than the main building [1]
Parking: 1 additional on-site space; must use the same entrance/driveway as the main dwelling (s. 3.2.7) [1]
Servicing: R1: only where connected to full services; in settlement areas with municipal services, accessory buildings must share the main building's water and sewer connections (s. 3.2.6) [1]
Where allowed: R1 (fully serviced; holding in Bayfield), AG1 and AG4; not listed in LR1 [1]

Ontario-wide rule

Ontario law stops municipalities from banning one residential unit in a building ancillary to a detached house, semi-detached house or rowhouse on a parcel of urban residential land, as long as the lot has no more than three units in total. Municipalities still set most other zoning rules, but provincial law limits parking requirements, minimum unit size, lot coverage and separation distances. These units are also exempt from development charges and parkland dedication. [2][3][4]

Tiny home on a foundation

A small house as the main home on its own lot. The key rule is any minimum dwelling size.

Allowed · Bluewater’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The R1, LR1, AG1 and AG4 zone provisions set no minimum dwelling floor area. Lot area, frontage, setback and coverage rules apply. [1]

Ontario-wide rule

Ontario law sets no minimum total size for a house that is the main dwelling. The Building Code sets minimum room areas, so the smallest compliant dwelling is roughly 17.5 m² by the Province's own estimate. Municipalities may still set minimum floor areas for main dwellings in their zoning by-laws. The provincial ban on minimum sizes covers only additional residential units. [2][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

Living full-time in a tiny home on wheels or a park model home.

Allowed with limits · Bluewater’s term: “manufactured home / recreational vehicle / park model trailer”

A manufactured (mobile) home is prohibited in any zone unless that zone provides for it, as the AG1, AG4 and Residential Park (R4) zones do. One may also be used as an ARU wherever ARUs are permitted. Recreational vehicles, travel trailers and park model trailers may not be used for primary residential, permanent living in any zone; the RV definition expressly excludes a tiny home, which the by-law does not otherwise define. [1]

Where allowed: Manufactured homes only where a zone specifically provides (e.g. AG1 accessory to agriculture or on lots over 38 ha, AG4, R4 Residential Park), or as an ARU (s. 3.23.5) [1]
Temporary garden suite: No general provision; the consolidation lists site-specific temporary use by-laws (e.g. 105-2019) that permitted garden suites [1]
Approvals: No RV, travel trailer or park model trailer may be used for primary residential, permanent living in any zone; occasional short-term use up to a cumulative 2 weeks a year where there is a main building (s. 3.21.11) [1]

Ontario-wide rule

Ontario has no single rule for living full-time in a tiny home on wheels. A unit on wheels can count as a 'building' that needs a permit and must meet the Building Code once it stays in one place, is hooked up to services or is anchored. Park model trailers are recognized only as seasonal recreational buildings. Municipalities may allow a portable garden suite under a temporary-use by-law for up to 20 years, with extensions of up to 3 years each. [10][5][2][7][6]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

A small sleeping building with no kitchen, usually beside a cottage or house.

Not allowed

No accessory building may be used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use. The by-law has no sleeping cabin or guest cabin provision in the rural or lakeshore residential zones. [1]

Approvals: Accessory uses do not include any building used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use (s. 3.2.1) [1]

Ontario-wide rule

Ontario law has no rule written specifically for bunkies or sleeping cabins. Whether one needs a building permit depends on the Building Code Act's definition of 'building' and the Code's shed exemption. That exemption covers only storage-use sheds, so it does not cover a structure used for sleeping. Municipal zoning rules for accessory buildings still apply. [7][5][2][11]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The consolidation page footers read 'June 4, 2026', and the amendment list runs to By-law 34-2026. The 'municipal-wide zoning by-law amendment' link is Application BLU Z03-24, a proposal (public meeting November 18, 2024) to apply a holding (-h) symbol to vacant, residential-zoned lots without sewer allocation in the Bayfield Settlement Area. It does not deal with dwelling types. ARU provisions for the R2/R3 zones were not extracted.

Sources

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