Granny Suites in Winnipeg
For the parent who wants to be close without moving into your spare room. A home of their own a few steps from yours, built to work for them now and ten years from now.
At a glance
- Layout
- Single storey, step-free
- Built as
- Attached or detached suite
- Tax credit
- Up to $7,500
- Size
- 350 to 600 sq ft detached
Why families build them
Close Enough to Help, Far Enough to Keep Your Routines
Most of the granny suite calls we get go something like this. Mom's on her own now, the house is too much, and nobody loves the idea of a care home yet. She doesn't want to be a burden, you don't want to drive across the city three times a week, and the spare room isn't really an answer for anyone.
A granny suite gives her a front door, a kitchen and her own space, with you close enough to bring dinner over or hear about it when something's wrong. It costs real money, but next to a few years of retirement residence fees the numbers often look better than people expect.
Legally it's a secondary suite, either a detached suite in the back yard or an attached suite on or in the house. Which way to go depends on your lot, your budget and how much help is needed day to day.
Aging in place
Built for the Next Twenty Years
It costs very little to plan for these at the drawing stage, and a fortune to retrofit them later.
No steps at the door
A level entry or a gentle ramp built into the landscaping, so it never looks like a ramp.
Wider doors and halls
Room for a walker today and a wheelchair if it ever comes to that.
A shower you walk into
Curbless, with blocking in the walls for grab bars wherever they end up being needed.
Good light, low glare
Bigger windows, bright even lighting and switches at a height nobody has to reach for.
A path that stays clear
A short, lit, covered route between the two doors, laid out so it's easy to shovel.
A way to call for help
Wiring for a doorbell camera or alert system that rings in the main house.
Money back
The Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit
This is the one government program that really is aimed at granny suites, and it's still running. It's a refundable federal tax credit of 15% on up to $50,000 of eligible costs, which works out to as much as $7,500 back.
- The new unit has to be self-contained, with its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area.
- It has to let a family member who is 65 or older, or an adult eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, live with a relative.
- Contractor work, materials, equipment rental and permits count. Furniture and appliances don't.
- It's claimed on the tax return for the year the work is finished, and only once per qualifying person.
It's not huge on a six-figure build, but it's real money and it pairs well with CMHC's suite refinancing. Our financing guide covers both. Check the details with your accountant before you count on it.
Ideas
Granny Suite Ideas
Small, bright and on one level. Each one designed for its own lot.
FAQ
Granny Suite Questions
Short answers. If yours isn't here, call and ask. It costs nothing.
What is a granny suite?
A self-contained home for a parent or grandparent on the same lot as your house, either in the back yard or attached to the house. In Winnipeg it's built as a secondary suite, attached or detached.
Is there a tax credit for building a granny suite?
Yes. The federal Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit is a refundable credit of 15% on up to $50,000 of eligible costs, so up to $7,500, when you build a self-contained unit for a family member who is 65 or older or eligible for the Disability Tax Credit. It's claimed for the year the work is finished.
Were there Manitoba grants for granny suites?
Manitoba Housing has run a Secondary Suites Program in the past, a forgivable loan tied to renting the suite at an affordable rate to a lower-income tenant for ten years. That usually doesn't suit a family suite, and the program's current status is worth checking with Manitoba Housing directly.
Should a granny suite be attached or detached?
Detached gives everyone more privacy and is easier to rent later. Attached costs less and keeps help a few steps away, which matters more as care needs grow. Both can be built step-free.
What happens to the suite later on?
It stays a legal secondary suite, so it can house the next family member, become a long-term rental, or be a guest house. We design them with that in mind, so it isn't only usable by one person.
Free site check
Find out what your lot can hold
Tell us where you are and what you have in mind. We'll look at your lot, the lane, the sewer line and the by-law, and tell you straight what's possible and roughly what it costs.
Rather talk it through? Call or text(431) 444-6291