Goderich zoning for small homes

Town of Goderich, in the County of Huron. Population 7,881 (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 · Goderich’s term: “additional residential unit (ARU) in a detached accessory structure”

A single detached, semi-detached, rowhouse or dwelling-with-supports lot may have one additional residential unit in a detached accessory structure, subject to setback, height, coverage and servicing rules. A temporary garden suite under Planning Act s.39.1 is also possible. [1]

Number allowed: Maximum two ARUs per primary dwelling unit, with one located within a detached accessory structure; one detached ARU on a lot with a converted or multiple unit dwelling (s.7.2.3.1-7.2.3.2) [2]
Setbacks: Rear yard minimum 3 m; interior side yard minimum 3 m (s.7.2.3.5) [2]
Maximum height: 6 metres (s.7.2.3.5) [2]
Maximum size: Lot coverage/building area no greater than 75% of the lot coverage of the main floor of the dwelling including attached garages, within the zone's maximum lot coverage (s.7.2.3.5) [2]
Parking: One on-site parking space per ARU in addition to the primary unit's requirement; tandem permitted (s.7.2.3.3) [2]
Servicing: An ARU must not have completely separate potable water, sanitary sewer and electrical servicing connections; must be built for year-round occupancy under the Building Code or CSA standards (s.7.2.3.6-7.2.3.7) [2]
Temporary garden suite: Garden suites permitted in accordance with Planning Act s.39.1; Council may require an agreement covering installation, removal, occupancy period and security (s.6.37) [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. [3][4][5]

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 · Goderich’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The residential zone provisions set lot, yard, coverage and height standards but no minimum dwelling floor area for a single detached dwelling. The Ontario Building Code still applies.

Minimum dwelling size: None stated: R1 zone provisions (s.7.2.1) list lot frontage, area, coverage, yards, landscaped open space and height (11 m) only [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. [3][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Tiny home on wheels or park model

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

Allowed with limits · Goderich’s term: “mobile home / travel trailer / motor home”

Mobile homes are prohibited in all zones except as an Additional Residential Unit or where permitted in the Recreational Commercial zone. Travel trailers, motor homes and truck campers may not be used as a primary or permanent residence, and a 'dwelling' excludes travel trailers and mobile homes.

Where allowed: Mobile home prohibited in any zone temporarily or permanently, except where permitted as an Additional Residential Unit or in the Recreational Commercial zone (s.6.15.3) [2]
Temporary garden suite: Available by temporary use by-law under Planning Act s.39.1 (s.6.37); garden suite defined as a portable one-unit detached structure with bathroom and kitchen [2]
Approvals: No travel trailer, motor home or truck camper may be used for primary residential or permanent living, except temporary accommodation in a recreational commercial zone (s.6.13.9); no trailer body may be used for human habitation, wheels or not (s.6.15.7) [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. [11][6][3][8][7]

Bunkie or sleeping cabin

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

Not allowed · Goderich’s term: “accessory building”

Accessory buildings may not be used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use, and the by-law has no sleep cabin or bunkie provision. Goderich is an urban town with no rural or shoreline residential zone.

Approvals: Permitted accessory buildings do not include any building used for human habitation except where a dwelling is a permitted accessory use (s.6.9.2.2) [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. [8][6][3][12]

Official links

Last confirmed October 2026.

Notes and caveats

Read the consolidation dated September 2026 (a convenience copy prepared with Huron County Planning). No Town guide page for ARUs or garden suites was found. Wording in s.7.2.3.1 is ambiguous ('maximum of two ARUs ... with two located within or attached to the main dwelling and one located within a detached accessory structure'); one detached ARU is clear. The Recreational Commercial (C7) zone allows recreational trailer campsites, which exclude mobile homes and principal-residence occupancy, so year-round living in a mobile home is in practice limited to the ARU route. Whether a CSA park model or tiny home on wheels qualifies as an ARU depends on the s.7.2.3.7 Building Code/CSA year-round requirement; this was not confirmed with the Town.

Sources

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