Put your bunkie up
this year.

It depends on your municipality. Bylaws and setback rules differ from one township to the next, so the only reliable answer is the one you get from your own planning department. Phone them before you order.

One thing that makes that call go better: tell them a Bunkie Life bunkie is not a tiny home and has no plumbing. That is usually what the questions are really about. David has walked through the whole conversation on video, including what to ask and what to expect.

How to talk to your municipality

Yes, and most owners do. The boards arrive pre-cut, notched and interlocking, so it is assembly rather than construction. No framing experience needed and no specialist tools.

Most people are finished over a weekend with a few helpers. Written instructions and build videos come with every kit, and you can phone, email or text and talk to our dedicated build support team.

In the kit: pre-cut, notched and interlocking boards in premium J grade spruce; windows; doors; tongue and groove floor boards; roof boards; a wooden ladder to the loft on loft models; and all the hardware.

Not in the kit: your foundation, since that is specific to your site, and we do not supply foundation materials. Roofing, because we give you the roof boards and you choose the covering. Stain and sealant.

Three approaches cover most builds: a floating foundation, a deck foundation, or a slab. Which one suits comes down to your ground, your slope, and how permanent you want it. There are other ways to do it, and none of them are wrong.

We do not supply foundation materials, so this is the first real cost after the kit itself. Worth pricing before you order rather than after.

The three foundation types explained

Your kit arrives on one pallet, or two for the larger loft models like the Sprucewood. Roughly 14 to 16 feet long, 4 feet wide, and somewhere between 2,500 and 4,700 lbs. You need about 16 feet of flat space to put it down.

In Ontario you can choose group delivery, where the cost is split across four to six orders on one flatbed with a Moffett to offload, or private delivery for a specific date and time. Private is the one to pick for difficult access, gated properties, or water access. You can also collect it yourself from Guelph.

Elsewhere in Canada we ship to whichever of our fourteen depots is nearest you, then either you collect it or we arrange a smaller truck to your door.

In the USA we ship to a local depot and a local service brings it the rest of the way.

Delivery is quoted on your address and added to your final invoice, which is due a week before it arrives. Water access properties are no problem, we just need to look at your location together.

Full delivery details by region

As they come, the kits are made for three to three and a half seasons. To push into late fall and winter you can insulate the floor and the roof during the build, and add a heat source.

How to insulate a bunkie

All three, and clients do. Power comes either from your property’s existing supply or off grid with solar and a battery. Heat is your choice of source. For a bathroom, composting and other off grid toilets work well, since the kits have no plumbing. Anything electrical should be done by a licensed trade.

Yes. You can apply and get an answer in minutes, with no obligation to buy and a soft credit check, so it costs you nothing to find out where you stand.

In Canada we work with iFinance. In the USA, SoFi. Your rate and term depend on your own credit, so the monthly figure depends on how much you finance.

Financing options and how to apply

Anywhere in Canada and the USA. Ontario direct from the factory, fourteen depots across the rest of Canada, and a depot network throughout the States. Alaska and Hawaii run on a seasonal schedule, so ask us early.

Water access properties are common for us. If a ferry runs to you we add a ferry fee. If not, we deliver to a mainland address and you handle the last stretch by boat or barge. Send us your address and we will tell you exactly how it would work.

We offer a full refund policy. Fourteen days, no questions asked. After that we issue your refund as soon as we have sold your unit.

Every kit ships with extra boards, so a small shortfall does not hold up your build. Check your kit against the inventory list before you start, and send photos of anything damaged or missing to our support team within thirty days of delivery.

If you spot any mishandling while the kit is being offloaded, note it on the paperwork when you sign. Hardware is covered by a five year repair or replace warranty, and building within thirty days of delivery keeps that warranty intact.