Kincardine zoning for small homes

Municipality of Kincardine, in the County of Bruce. Population 12,268 (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 · Kincardine’s term: “additional residential unit (ARU) in a detached accessory building; garden suite”

An additional residential unit may be located in a detached accessory building in residential and agriculture zones, subject to servicing, Class One Street frontage and accessory-building rules. On partially or privately serviced lots in the Bruce County Official Plan Rural Recreational Area designation, an ARU is permitted only within the principal dwelling. [1]

Number allowed: Residential zones on full municipal water and sanitary services: up to 2 ARUs (3 units total); on partial or private services: 1 ARU (2 units total); Agriculture zones: 1 ARU (s. 3.2.1, 3.3.1) [2]
Where allowed: Within the principal dwelling or a detached accessory building; on partially/privately serviced lots in the Rural Recreational Area designation of the Bruce County Official Plan, only within the principal dwelling (s. 3.3.1) [2]
Minimum lot size: Not permitted on a lot that is legal non-conforming for lot area or width unless the lot is 4,000 m² (0.4 ha) or greater (s. 3.2.1, 3.3.1) [2]
Maximum height: 6 m for accessory buildings in Residential zones (s. 10.4) [2]
Maximum size: All accessory buildings combined may not exceed 15% of lot area in Residential zones (s. 10.5); no separate floor-area cap for a detached ARU was found [2]
Setbacks: Interior side or rear yard, no closer than 1 m to interior side and rear lot lines (s. 10.3) [2]
Parking: 1 parking space for the ARU, sharing the principal dwelling's parking area; no new driveway except as permitted by s. 4.3 (s. 3.3.2) [2]
Servicing: Must connect to water and sewer services with sufficient water and sewer or septic capacity; lot must front on a Class One Street (s. 3.3.2) [2]
Separation from house: Agriculture zones: detached ARU within 50 m of the Farm Building Cluster (s. 3.2.2 j) [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 · Kincardine’s term: “single detached dwelling; structural tiny home”

The Residential One single detached dwelling provisions set lot, yard, coverage and height limits but no minimum dwelling unit floor area. The by-law also has a Residential Six (R6) zone that permits structural and mobile tiny homes.

Minimum dwelling size: None set in the R1 single detached dwelling provisions (s. 11.5); minimum floor areas appear only in site-specific exceptions [2]
Where allowed: Structural Tiny Homes are a permitted use in the Residential Six (R6) zone: lot area 100–400 m², max height 7 m (s. 16.1, 16.2) [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 · Kincardine’s term: “mobile tiny home; mobile home”

Mobile tiny homes (on a towable trailer, not requiring a licence plate, secured to the ground) are permitted in the Residential Six (R6) zone, and mobile homes in the Residential Five mobile home park zone. A single detached dwelling excludes mobile homes, camping trailers and house trailers. In Agriculture zones, a CSA Z240 mobile home may be an additional residential unit.

Where allowed: Mobile Tiny Home: R6 zone (s. 16.1); Mobile Home: R5 Mobile Home Park zone (s. 15.1) [2]
Temporary garden suite: No general garden suite temporary-use provision; temporary garden suites appear only as site-specific exceptions (e.g. A1-em, s. 44.1.23) [2]
Approvals: A CSA Z240 MH Series mobile home may be permitted as an ARU in Agriculture zones (s. 3.2.2 i) [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 · Kincardine’s term: “accessory building”

Accessory buildings in residential and agriculture zones may not include any building used for human habitation except as permitted by the General Provisions (Section 3). The by-law does not define or permit a sleeping cabin or bunkie.

Where allowed: Accessory use excludes 'any building used for human habitation, except as permitted by the General Provisions Section 3' (s. 10.2 Residential; s. 6.2 Agriculture) [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

The document is By-law No. 2025-052 (adopted April 23, 2025); the index page link text '2025-025' is a typo. The PDF filename says 2025-04-16, but the cover reads 'Office Consolidation April 16, 2026' and the amendment list includes 2026 by-laws (2026-009 to 2026-019), so the consolidation is April 2026. The accessory-building setback list (s. 10.3 b) was read from a page image because the PDF text layer omits it. The municipal ARU page summarizes rural rules slightly differently from the by-law (e.g. 4,000 m² minimum lot size stated generally); the by-law text was used.

Sources

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