Brockville 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 · Brockville’s term: “additional dwelling unit (in a separate accessory building)”

Additional dwelling units are permitted wherever a single-detached, semi-detached, townhouse or linked dwelling is permitted, including one unit in a separate accessory building on the same lot. Accessory building rules on location and height apply. [1]

Number allowed: Maximum of two additional dwelling units per lot: either one in the main dwelling and one in a separate accessory building, or two in the main dwelling (s. 3.4 a)) [2]
Where allowed: All areas where a single-detached, semi-detached, townhouse or linked dwelling is permitted (s. 3.4); listed as permitted in R1 to R5 zones (Table 5.1) [3]
Maximum height: Accessory buildings: 4.0 m in any Residential Zone (s. 3.3 c) ii)) [2]
Setbacks: Accessory buildings only in interior side or rear yard, minimum 1.2 m from side and rear lot lines (s. 3.3 b) iii)) [2]
Separation from house: Accessory buildings at least 1.2 m from any main building (s. 3.3 b) iv)) [2]
Parking: No more than one parking space required per additional dwelling unit; tandem parking permitted (s. 3.4 b)) [2]

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 · Brockville’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The residential zone tables (R1 to R4A) and the Rural (RU) zone table set lot, yard, height and coverage standards but no minimum dwelling floor area for a single detached dwelling. Main buildings must generally connect to municipal water and sewer. [7]

Minimum dwelling size: No minimum dwelling unit area found in Table 5.2 (residential zones) or Table 7.2(b) (RU zone) [3]
Servicing: New main buildings must connect to municipal water and sanitary sewers, except existing single detached dwellings (s. 3.33 a)) [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.

Not allowed · Brockville’s term: “mobile home / trailer / recreational vehicle”

No person may locate or use a mobile home unless a zone lists it as a permitted use, and no zone in the residential, commercial or other zone tables lists mobile homes. Using a trailer or recreational vehicle for human habitation is prohibited unless specifically permitted. [3][7]

Where allowed: "No person shall locate or use a mobile home, unless identified as a permitted use within the applicable zone" (s. 3.32); no zone lists mobile homes as a permitted use [2]
Temporary garden suite: "Garden Suite Dwelling" is defined as a temporary, detached dwelling unit accessory to a principal residential use, permitted by way of a temporary use by-law (s. 2, Dwelling p)); a dwelling excludes a trailer or motor home [1]
Approvals: No person shall, on a developed lot, use a boat, trailer or recreational type vehicle or tent for human habitation unless specifically permitted (s. 3.53 b) iv)) [2]

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 · Brockville’s term: “accessory building”

Permitted accessory uses do not include any building used for human habitation unless specifically permitted, and the by-law has no sleeping-cabin permission. A detached unit with its own kitchen and bathroom can instead be built as an additional dwelling unit.

Approvals: Accessory uses do not include "any building used for human habitation, except where specifically permitted by this By-law" (s. 3.3 a) i) 2) [2]

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][14]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

By-law posted as separate section PDFs on the Planning Department page. Sections 1 and the How-to-Use guide are dated Sept 29, 2026 in their file names; all section PDFs were modified Sept 30, 2026. Brockville is an urban city with one Rural (RU) zone and no waterfront cottage zones, so the bunkie answer reflects the general human-habitation rule. A Zoning By-law Review was reported in the inventory, but no project page was found.

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Brockville 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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