Building permit for a tiny house in Quebec

What the law requires to build a tiny house in Quebec, the conditions of the municipal permit, self-building and the rules read in municipalities.

Survey of 2026-09-28

A tiny house is a building like any other: the province has no regime of its own for tiny houses, and it is the municipality's zoning and building bylaws that decide whether, where and at what minimum size you can build one. The officer must issue the permit if the application meets the bylaws, comes with the required plans and documents and the fee is paid (Act respecting land use planning and development, s. 120). Of the 40 Quebec municipalities we read, we found a minimum floor area figure for 18; 7 are reproduced below with their bylaw, and the figure varies from one to the next. Not legal advice: the municipality and the CPTAQ decide.

Five questions to settle before buying the land

These answers are looked up before buying; none is expensive to get.

The permit: conditions, decision, occupancy

Preconditions (LAU s. 116)

A site forming one or more lots compliant with subdivision rules; water and sewer on the street or a bylaw providing for them; drinking water and wastewater projects compliant with the Environment Quality Act (a dwelling is never exempt); a site adjacent to a public street or a compliant private street.

Decision (s. 120)

The officer must issue the permit if the application complies with the zoning and building bylaws, comes with all required plans and documents and the fee is paid. Which plans and documents: the municipality sets them by bylaw (s. 119).

Information sent to the RBQ

Within 5 days of the application, the municipality sends, among other things, the owner's name, the contractor's, their contractor or owner-builder licence number, the estimated value, the number of storeys and the name of the main plan designer (regulation A-19.1, r. 1).

Certificate of occupancy (s. 122)

Occupying a new building can be prohibited without it. A partial certificate can be obtained on proof that the foundation location is compliant: setback control is thus done at the foundation.

Permit freeze (s. 114)

Once a notice of motion is given to amend zoning, no permit is issued for what would become prohibited: 2 months, or 4 if the bylaw is adopted or goes to a second draft.

Building without a general contractor

A self-builder declares themselves an owner-builder in the permit application: the person doing the work is the owner, and they name the plan designer. The Building Act provides a licence exemption for the owner-builder. Its exact conditions are not in our sources: confirm them with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec before starting.

A tiny house as an accessory dwelling

As we read the provincial framework: Bill 31 (2024) gives a full right, from 21 August 2024 to 21 August 2029, to one accessory dwelling that is integrated or attached, not detached, on a detached single-family lot inside the urban perimeter, outside constraint zones; municipalities can regulate it or opt out. Bill 16 (2023) lets them authorise by bylaw all kinds of accessory dwellings, including detached ones, in any zone where housing is allowed, except the agricultural zone. In the agricultural zone, a detached tiny house as an accessory dwelling needs CPTAQ authorisation.

What municipalities say

Survey of 2026-09-28 in zoning bylaws. Only rows taken from an identified municipal bylaw are reproduced; other figures seen elsewhere (aggregators, articles) are not published here. Rules change: always check with the planning department. Bylaw wording is quoted in French.

Mont-Laurier

Mont-Laurier's zoning bylaw (Règlement de zonage 134 (refonte administrative)) has no “mini-maison” provision in its text (read on 2026-09-28); we found no minimum floor area and no accessory-dwelling rule there. A tiny house is therefore examined like any dwelling, by zone: ask the Town's planning department which use and minimum floor area apply to your lot's zone.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to build a tiny house in Quebec?

To build a dwelling, the municipality issues a permit under its zoning and building bylaws; there is no provincial regime specific to tiny houses. The officer must issue it if the application is compliant and complete (LAU s. 120).

Can I build my house without a general contractor?

A self-builder declares themselves an owner-builder in the permit application and names the plan designer. The conditions of the licence exemption are confirmed with the RBQ.

What is the minimum floor area of a tiny house?

The province sets none: it is in each municipality's zoning bylaw. In our survey of 40 Quebec municipalities, we found a figure for 18; 7 are reproduced on this page with their bylaw, and it varies.

What shed size is allowed without a permit?

We found no provincial rule on this in our sources: each municipality sets its thresholds in its bylaws. Ask your planning department.

What does Mont-Laurier's bylaw say about tiny houses?

Zoning bylaw 134 has no “mini-maison” provision in its text (read on 2026-09-28). The application is examined by the zone of the lot.

One page per municipality

• Dixville
• Gatineau
• Granby
• Lac-Beauport
• Lantier
• Laval
• Lévis
• Longueuil
• Mont-Laurier
• Mont-Tremblant
• Nicolet
• Québec
• Rawdon
• Ripon
• Saguenay
• Saint-Colomban
• Saint-Donat
• Saint-Hippolyte
• Sainte-Catherine
• Sutton
• Terrebonne
• Trois-Rivières
• Val-David
• Val-des-Monts
• Val-des-Sources
• Victoriaville

Go further

• Permit document checklist
• Free guide: where to build (municipal rules)
• How much does a timber frame tiny house cost

Sources

• Act respecting land use planning and development (A-19.1) and regulation r. 1
• Act respecting the preservation of agricultural land (P-41.1)
• Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec

Texts read on LégisQuébec on 2026-09-04.

A summary of public information at the date shown: not legal advice; the municipality, the Régie du bâtiment and the CPTAQ decide.