Bradford West Gwillimbury zoning for small homes

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 · Bradford West Gwillimbury’s term: “accessory dwelling structure”

One accessory dwelling unit in a detached accessory structure is permitted only on a 'parcel of urban residential land' (as defined in the Planning Act) that contains a detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling. Human habitation is otherwise not permitted in accessory structures. [1][2]

Where allowed: Only on a Parcel of Urban Residential Land, as defined in the Planning Act, that contains a detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling (s.4.3.1 c). [3]
Number allowed: A maximum of 2 accessory dwellings on the lot, of which only 1 may be in an accessory dwelling structure (s.4.3.1 d). [3]
Maximum size: Gross floor area of the accessory dwelling may not exceed 49% of the gross floor area of the main building (s.4.3.1 g). [3]
Maximum height: 4.0 m (s.4.3.1 i). [3]
Setbacks: Side yard: 1.2 m on one side and 0.6 m on the other. Rear yard: 3.0 m (Table 4.1.1). [3]
Separation from house: At least 3.0 m from the closest wall of the main residential building (Table 4.1.1). [3]
Approvals: Access by a continuous, unobstructed path at least 1.2 m wide to a street (s.4.3.1 h). Not permitted on hazardous lands (s.4.3.1 j). The Town requires accessory dwelling units to be registered. [3]

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. [4][5][6]

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 · Bradford West Gwillimbury’s term: “detached dwelling”

The residential zone standards (Tables 6.2–6.8) and countryside zone standards (Table 9.2) regulate lot area, frontage, yards, height and coverage for detached dwellings, but set no minimum dwelling floor area. [7]

Minimum dwelling size: None stated for detached dwellings in the residential (Part 6) or countryside (Part 9) zone standards. [2]

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. [4][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Allowed with limits · Bradford West Gwillimbury’s term: “mobile home / garden suite”

No standard zone lists a mobile home or mobile home park as a permitted use; a mobile home park exists only through a site-specific exception (A*12). Portable garden suites have been permitted on individual properties through temporary use by-laws. [14]

Where allowed: Mobile home and mobile home park rows in the residential use table (Table 6.1) have no zone permitting them. A site-specific exception (A*12) permits a mobile home park with up to 32 mobile homes. [15]
Minimum dwelling size: Where a mobile home is permitted it must meet CSA Z240, have at least 65.0 m² of gross floor area, be fully enclosed to grade and be serviced with water and sanitary sewage (s.4.14). [3]
Temporary garden suite: A garden suite is defined as a one-unit detached, portable residential structure with bathroom and kitchen, ancillary to an existing residence. Where permitted (by site-specific temporary use by-law under s.39 of the Planning Act), it must meet accessory building requirements, have a maximum gross floor area of 130.0 m² and occupy no more than 30% of the rear yard (s.14.1.2). Examples: T3 (4136 Line 8) and T4 (57 Hillsview Road), both to 2039. [16]

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. [13][8][4][10][9]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Bradford West Gwillimbury’s term: “accessory building”

Accessory buildings may not include a building or part of a building used for human habitation, except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use. Human habitation in accessory structures is not permitted except for permitted accessory dwelling structures.

Approvals: Accessory uses exclude 'a building or part thereof used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use' and guest rooms unless expressly permitted (s.4.1.1 a); s.4.3.1 k. [3]

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. [10][8][4][17]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

The by-law page says the convenience consolidation includes amendments 2010-58 to 2025-05 (February 2025). Parts 1–3 (including definitions) are posted as HTML on the page, and other parts are separate PDFs. Later amendments include 2025-78 (definitions and standards for accessory dwellings) and 2025-96 (accessory building heights in R1–R3). The Part 4 PDF was generated Feb 5, 2026 and uses current 'Parcel of Urban Residential Land' wording, so it may already include 2025-78, but this could not be confirmed and the text of 2025-78 was not found. O. Reg. 563/24 (a zoning order on specific lands) was not reviewed. The ADU guide page says ADUs are permitted 'in most residential zones (in single-detached and semi-detached residential buildings)'.

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Bradford West Gwillimbury zoning for small homes

Backyard suite

Ontario-wide rule

Tiny home on a foundation

Ontario-wide rule

Tiny home on wheels or park model

Ontario-wide rule

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

Ontario-wide rule

Official links

Sources

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