Reference
Tiny and backyard home terms, defined
Two vocabularies get tangled together constantly. One describes where a home is allowed to go, and comes from municipal programs. The other describes what the home is, and comes from building standards. A garden suite is not a competing product to a modular home: a garden suite can be one.
Free to cite or link. Municipal terms below reflect the programs in the cities we publish guides for.
01 — Where a home goes
Municipal vocabulary. These terms describe siting and which program applies, not how the home is built.
- Laneway housealso: laneway home, laneway suite
- A self-contained backyard home on a lot that backs onto a rear lane, usually fronting that lane. Vancouver pioneered laneway housing in Canada, and Toronto uses laneway suite for the same idea on lots abutting a public lane.
- Garden suite
- A self-contained backyard home on a lot without lane access. Surrey, Victoria and Toronto all run garden suite programs. The construction is the same as a laneway house; the siting rules differ.
- Carriage house
- Kelowna's term for a detached backyard dwelling, often above a garage. Functionally the same category as a laneway house or garden suite.
- Secondary suite
- A self-contained unit inside the existing house rather than a separate building in the yard, such as a basement suite. Relevant because CMHC-supported refinancing options exist for homeowners adding a secondary suite.
- ADUalso: accessory dwelling unit
- The umbrella term used in the United States for any secondary home on a lot with an existing house, whether attached or detached. Canadian municipalities tend to use the specific program names above instead.
02 — What the home is
Build vocabulary. These terms describe construction and the standard a home is built under, which is what decides financing and permanent placement.
- Tiny home on wheelsalso: THOW
- A home built on a trailer chassis, built in Canada under CSA Z240 and in the US to RVIA or NOAH inspection standards. It places under RV and pad rules rather than as a permanent dwelling, and the trailer itself has separate road-legal requirements.
- Park model
- A larger trailer-based home for resort lots, campgrounds and recreational property, built under CSA Z241 in Canada or ANSI A119.5 in the US. An honest limit worth knowing: CSA describes the units this standard covers as recreational living units, so it is not a path to a year-round primary residence.
- Modular home
- A home built in sections in a factory and set on a permanent foundation, certified in Canada under CSA A277 and in the US to IBC or IRC with a state program insignia. This is the pathway that makes a backyard home real property and a permanent dwelling.
- Prefabalso: prefabricated
- A loose umbrella term for any home built off-site, including modular, panelized and kit homes. It describes the method, not a certification, so it says nothing on its own about where a home can be placed or how it can be financed.
03 — The standards
- CSA Z240
- The Canadian standard for tiny homes on wheels. It unlocks insurance recognition, RV-style and chattel financing, and a standard municipalities recognise. It is not a permanent-dwelling permit path.
- CSA Z241
- The Canadian park model standard. It unlocks placement on resort lots, campgrounds and recreational property. CSA describes the units it covers as recreational living units, so it is not a permanent-dwelling path.
- CSA A277
- The Canadian factory certification for modular homes, with third-party inspection in the factory. It is the permittable path to a permanent dwelling under the building code and makes the home real property, which is what opens conventional and CMHC-insured mortgages. It does not replace your local permit.
- Road-legal vs home certification
- Two different things that are easy to confuse. For a home on wheels, one set of rules covers the trailer as a towed vehicle and a separate standard covers the home built on it. A unit carries one country's marks, not a mixture.
The full explanation of each mark, including the US equivalents, is on the certification page.
04 — Which term each city uses
The same backyard home goes by different names depending on the municipality. These are the cities we publish bylaw guides for.
Surrey, BC
Garden Suites in Surrey, BC
Vancouver, BC
Laneway Homes in Vancouver
Victoria, BC
Garden Suites in Victoria, BC
Kelowna, BC
Carriage Houses & Garden Suites in Kelowna
Burnaby & Tri-Cities, BC
Laneway Homes in Burnaby & the Tri-Cities
Toronto, ON
Laneway & Garden Suites in Toronto
Not sure which applies to your lot?
The lot check gives you an honest answer for your address, or bring it to a consultation.