Puslinch zoning for small homes

Township of Puslinch, in the County of Wellington. Population 7,944 (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 · Puslinch’s term: “additional residential unit (detached)”

Up to two additional residential units are permitted per lot in any zone where a single detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling is permitted, one of which may be detached in an ancillary building, subject to size, height and siting limits. A detached unit and a garden suite cannot be on the same lot.

Number allowed: Maximum two additional residential units per lot; one attached and one detached (s.4.2, 4.2(b), 4.2(c)) [1]
Maximum size: 45% of the total floor area of the principal dwelling unit, up to 130 m² (s.4.2(a)(i)) [1]
Maximum height: Not higher than the principal dwelling (s.4.2(a)(ii)); ancillary building max 5 m if the unit occupies most or all of it, up to 8 m if the unit is above the first storey (s.4.2(c)(iv)) [1]
Separation from house: Within the existing building cluster and within 40 m of the principal dwelling unit (s.4.2(c)(iii)) [1]
Setbacks: Minimum yard standards of the zone apply (s.4.2(c)(ii)); accessory building provisions of s.4.4 apply except where they conflict with yards and height (s.4.2(c)(v)) [1]
Servicing: Appropriate individual on-site sewage and water services must be approved with adequate capacity (s.4.2(a)(iv)) [1]
Parking: 1 space per additional residential unit in addition to the principal dwelling requirement; may be tandem (Table 5.2, s.5.2.2) [1]
Where allowed: Any zone where a single detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling is permitted; not within hazardous lands or a bed and breakfast establishment (s.4.2(a)(vii)-(viii)) [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 · Puslinch’s term: “single detached dwelling”

The residential (UR, HR, RUR, RR) and Agricultural (A) zone standards do not set a minimum dwelling floor area; lot area, frontage, yard, coverage and height standards apply.

Minimum dwelling size: None set in Table 6.2 (Residential Zone Standards) or Table 11.2 (Agricultural Zone Standards); minimum lot area 0.4 ha in residential zones and 4.0 ha in the A zone [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 · Puslinch’s term: “trailer / mobile home / recreational vehicle”

Using any tent, trailer or vehicle for human habitation is prohibited in all zones except in a campground, travel trailer park or mobile home park, and recreational vehicles parked in residential zones may not be lived in. A portable garden suite may be permitted on an Agricultural or Residential lot only through a temporary use by-law.

Where allowed: Campground, travel trailer park or mobile home park only (s.4.29 xi); mobile home parks exist by site-specific zoning (e.g. RUR exception 85, up to 72 mobile homes or manufactured dwellings) [1]
Temporary garden suite: One garden suite may be permitted on an Agricultural or Residential lot accessory to an existing single detached dwelling by temporary use by-law under s.39 of the Planning Act, for up to 20 years; max 100 m², max 5 m and one storey, at least 3 m from the principal dwelling (s.4.8) [1]
Approvals: Temporary use by-law (s.4.8(a)(vii)); a mobile home may be used as a temporary residence for up to 12 months while a new dwelling is built in the A zone, with an agreement (s.4.33) [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 · Puslinch’s term: “accessory building”

No accessory building or structure may be used for human habitation unless expressly permitted, and the by-law contains no provision permitting sleeping cabins or bunkies; a detached additional residential unit is the permitted form of habitable accessory building.

Approvals: s.4.4.2(b): no accessory building or structure shall be used for human habitation unless expressly permitted; s.4.29 xii prohibits use of any accessory building for human habitation unless otherwise permitted [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

Read the June 2024 consolidation. A newer April 2025 consolidation (https://puslinch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Puslinch_ZBL_023-18_with_schedules_Full_Doc_April_2025.pdf) appears in search results but returned 404 when fetched; Township web pages returned 403. Amendments between June 2024 and now could not be checked. Accessory buildings in residential zones are capped at 10% lot coverage to 200 m² total and 5 m height (Table 4.1). The listed ARU page is a grant program page, not a zoning guide, so guideUrl is null. Parking fact is from Table 5.2 (Residential Parking Space Requirements).

Sources

Not legal advice

Confirm with your municipality before you buy, build or move in.

Suggest a correction or source

Know of a by-law change, an exception or an official page we missed? Tell us. An editor checks every suggestion before the page changes.

Find help nearby

Directory pages that cover Puslinch.

All Ontario municipalities