Modular Apartments:
Zoning, Code and Approvals
A factory-built apartment building goes through the same zoning and Building Code as any other, with one difference: the factory work is certified in the factory. Here is the approval path from a triplex to six storeys, and what changes as the building grows.
Rules checked · drawn from Ontario, CMHC and CSA published material
By Building Size
What Changes as You Scale
The number of units and the size of the building decide which planning approvals you need and which part of the Building Code governs the design.
| Project | Zoning | Planning approvals | Building Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 3 units on a serviced urban lot | As-of-right: 3 in the main building, or 2 plus 1 in an ancillary building | No site plan control; additional units are exempt from development charges and parkland charges | Part 9 |
| 4 to 10 units | A fourth unit needs municipal permission; some cities, such as Toronto, allow four as-of-right | Exempt from site plan control at 10 units or fewer, with some exceptions such as land near shorelines or rail | Part 9 up to 3 storeys and 600 m²; Part 3 above |
| 11+ units, low-rise | Rezoning or minor variance where the zoning does not already permit it | Site plan control applies | Part 3: designed and reviewed by architects and engineers |
| Mid-rise to 6 storeys | Rezoning where required | Site plan control applies | Part 3; sprinklered wood-frame construction is permitted up to 6 storeys |
There is no province-wide four-unit rule in Ontario. Rental units get development-charge discounts at every scale, covered below.
The Factory Difference
How Factory Work Gets Approved
The Building Code accepts factory-built buildings certified to CSA A277, the national procedure for certifying prefabricated buildings, modules and panels. It changes what is inspected where, not which rules apply.
What CSA A277 is
- A certification procedure, not a building code: an independent certification agency audits the factory’s quality program and makes unannounced inspections of its products
- The building still has to meet the Ontario Building Code
- In Ontario, accredited certification bodies include CSA, Intertek and the Quality Auditing Institute
What the municipality still inspects
- A building permit covers both the units and the site work
- Concealed work in certified units generally does not need re-inspection on site
- Inspectors still check the foundation, how the units are anchored to it and to each other, the grading, and the electrical and plumbing connections before occupancy
Volumetric or panelized
- Volumetric modules arrive as finished rooms and are craned onto a site-poured foundation
- Panelized framing arrives as wall, floor and roof panels manufactured to your drawings and closed in on site
- Panels suit larger and multi-storey buildings where the architect’s own design leads
Height limits by construction type
- Sprinklered wood-frame residential construction is permitted up to 6 storeys
- Encapsulated mass timber is permitted up to 18 storeys since January 1, 2025
- Ontario’s code is now the 2024 Building Code, built on the National Building Code of Canada 2020 with Ontario amendments
Planning and Charges
Approvals That Got Lighter
Ontario has cut several steps out of the approval path for small and rental projects since 2022, and more changes passed in 2026.
Site plan control
- Residential projects of 10 units or fewer are exempt from site plan control
- Since June 2026, municipalities cannot impose enhanced design standards, such as ornamental or landscaping requirements, beyond health and safety
- A further site plan reform was consulted on in spring 2026; it is a proposal until enacted
Development charges
- Additional residential units are exempt from development charges and parkland charges
- Purpose-built rental units get a discount of 25% for three or more bedrooms, 20% for two and 15% for others
- Affordable units are exempt, and a federal-provincial program is paying municipalities that cut charges by 30% to 50% or more
Standardised designs
- CMHC’s Housing Design Catalogue offers about 50 standardised designs, including fourplexes and sixplexes adapted for Ontario
- The designs are compatible with prefabricated methods such as panelized walls
- Build Canada Homes gives priority to modern methods of construction, including modular and panelized
Accessibility and energy
- At least 15% of suites in an apartment building need basic barrier-free features: a barrier-free path into the kitchen, a bedroom, the living room and a full bathroom
- Houses and buildings under Part 9 are not affected by most accessibility requirements
- Ontario has not adopted the national tiered energy code; housing uses SB-12 and larger buildings SB-10
What We Supply
What Goes Into Your Permit Set
EpicMod is the manufacturer. The units or panels, the drawings and the warranty come from the factory; the site work, foundations and Part 3 design responsibilities stay with your own consultants and contractors.
- For volumetric units, the engineering drawing set: architectural and structural for an exterior-finished shell, plus mechanical and electrical and CSA A277 certification for fully finished units
- For panelized framing, wall, floor and roof panels manufactured to the drawings you supply, from townhomes and multiplexes to mid-rise up to six storeys
- A delivery schedule your lender can test for realism, with units or panels built indoors while site work proceeds
- Pricing fixed at contract, with the exclusions listed in full
Not included in the unit price
- GST/HST, transportation and crane
- Site clearing and servicing, foundations, utility connections, and permit or approval fees
- Interior finishing on an exterior-finished shell. Site work is the property owner’s responsibility, handled by your own trades or your dealer’s crew
How you buy
- Volumetric units come through the EpicMod dealer for your area; projects of 10 or more units can be supplied directly by EpicMod, at EpicMod’s discretion
- Panelized framing runs through a dealer from 10,000 sq ft per project up to 100,000 sq ft a year, and direct from EpicMod above that
- Compare the two product lines
Questions
Modular Apartment FAQ
Not province-wide. Ontario allows up to three units as-of-right on fully serviced urban residential lots: three in the main building, or two plus one in an ancillary building. A fourth unit needs municipal permission, though some cities, Toronto among them, allow four units through their own by-laws. Check your municipality’s zoning.
Sprinklered wood-frame residential construction is permitted up to six storeys. Encapsulated mass timber can go to 18 storeys since January 1, 2025. Buildings over three storeys or 600 m² are designed under Part 3 of the Building Code by architects and engineers.
It is the national procedure for certifying factory-built buildings, modules and panels. An independent agency audits the factory’s quality program and inspects its products unannounced. The Building Code accepts certified factory-built buildings, and concealed factory work generally is not re-inspected on site, though the foundation, anchoring, grading and connections still are.
Residential projects of 10 units or fewer are exempt from site plan control in Ontario, with some exceptions such as land near shorelines or rail lines. Projects of 11 or more units go through site plan control. Zoning and the building permit still apply at every size.
For a building under Part 3, your architect and engineers design and take responsibility for the building. EpicMod’s panelized framing is manufactured to the drawings you supply, and volumetric units come with their own engineering drawing set. The foundation, servicing and site work are designed and built by your own consultants and contractors.
Next Step
A Written Quote Against Your Drawings
Send the drawings or the unit mix, the storey count and the site. You get pricing for units or panels, the exclusions in full and a delivery schedule your lender and consultants can work from.
Rules and amounts are drawn from each government body’s published material on the date shown. Programs and regulations change. Confirm with the administering body, your municipality and your own accountant or lawyer before making a decision. EpicMod does not provide tax, legal or planning advice.