Its latest initiative, Backyard Homes, brings practical and high-quality housing solutions to homeowners across London and the surrounding areas.

Copp’s Buildall has deep roots in London’s history. Originally called Copp’s Brothers, the company was founded as a supplier of essential building materials such as timbers and bricks. William Copp also played a pivotal role in constructing many historic homes in London, some of which still stand today.

The company evolved over time, rebranding as Copp’s Buildall and expanding its services. Despite these changes, its core values remained intact: high-quality products, exceptional customer service, and a strong connection to the community. As Mac Copp states, “We don’t do anything that we’re not going to stand behind. And we’ve always been customer-centric, focused on making sure the job goes well, that the customer is taken care of.”

Copp’s Buildall has also built a reputation for fostering long-term relationships with customers and employees alike. The company celebrates employee anniversaries each year at its Christmas party, where it’s not uncommon to see employees who have been with the company for over 30 years.

“We really value our employees and the contributions they make,” Copp says. “We treat our team the way we would want to be treated, and that creates an environment where people stay and grow with us.”

Copp’s Buildall has a history of pioneering housing solutions. In the 1970s, the company introduced the ‘Build by Numbers’ program, which allowed homeowners to purchase complete home-building kits ranging from 400 to 900 square feet. These kits made homebuilding more accessible and provided a streamlined approach for those looking to build their own homes.

As housing needs shifted over the years, the demand for this type of product declined. However, with the passing of Ontario’s Bill 23 in 2022, which encourages homeowners to build additional residential units (ARUs) on their properties, Copp’s Buildall saw an opportunity to reintroduce a modernized version of the Build by Numbers concept: Backyard Homes.

Backyard Homes are high-quality, fully detached ARUs ranging from 400 to 800 square feet. These units are designed to provide an efficient and affordable housing solution without compromising on quality.

Unlike traditional home additions, Backyard Homes are entirely separate structures built in the customer’s backyard. They function as independent living spaces, complete with kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas, making them ideal for a variety of uses. They provide a solution for homeowners looking to maximize the potential of their property, whether for family accommodation or financial gain through rental income.

“When you buy a Backyard Home from us, not only are you getting a great product, but you’re buying something from a company that’s been around for a long time and will continue to be around for a long time,” says Copp. “We stand behind our word. When we quote something and sign a contract, we’re going to deliver on that.”

The demand for Backyard Homes comes from homeowners who need additional living space for family members, those looking to generate rental income, and people searching for affordable housing solutions without the high cost of a new primary residence. Many homeowners are using Backyard Homes to house aging parents, adult children, or even themselves while renting out the main home. The shift toward multi-generational living is growing as families seek solutions that allow them to stay close while maintaining independence.

“Whether it’s parents moving into the backyard or kids moving into the main house, we’ve seen a big shift toward multi-generational living,” says Copp. “It’s a smart solution that allows families to stay close while still having their own space.”

For homeowners interested in generating rental income, Backyard Homes provide an ideal investment opportunity. Rising housing costs have made it increasingly difficult for many individuals to enter the housing market, and ARUs offer a more accessible path to home ownership. Property owners are turning to Backyard Homes to create rental units that help offset their mortgage or increase cash flow while providing high-quality living spaces for tenants.

“We understand the rental market, and we structure pricing so that investment property owners can achieve positive cash flow with our Backyard Homes,” Copp explains. “Our goal is to create a product that makes financial sense for landlords while still providing quality living spaces.”

The company offers a full-service approach, handling everything from initial planning and zoning requirements to construction and final installation. This streamlined process removes the complexity from homeowners who may otherwise struggle with navigating the permitting and building process. And the company works closely with trusted contractors to ensure that each Backyard Home meets the highest construction standards. A team of experienced professionals guides clients through every stage of the process, ensuring that the finished product is not just a house but a home that seamlessly integrates into the existing property.

This team takes pride in ensuring that every Backyard Home is built to the highest standard. As a licensed Tarion builder, the company guarantees that its units are durable and come with a warranty for peace of mind. And Backyard Homes are thoughtfully designed with both aesthetics and functionality in mind. Mac’s sister, Averil, an experienced interior designer, contributes to the project by ensuring that the interiors are both stylish and practical. The most popular model, the 720, features high ceilings, large windows, and a bright, open-concept design that makes the compact space feel expansive.

“We wanted to design something that feels spacious despite the smaller square footage,” says Copp. “The vaulted ceilings and big windows make a huge difference.”

Each Backyard Home is built with high-quality materials to ensure longevity, efficiency, and comfort. Homeowners can choose from various design options, allowing them to customize their units to fit their personal style and needs.

While the current focus is on London and the surrounding areas, Copp’s Buildall has ambitious plans to scale the Backyard Homes division. The team is continually refining its processes to enhance efficiency, reduce construction time, and make homes more accessible to a wider audience. “We’re mastering our processes right now, streamlining production so we can bring more units to market faster,” Copp says. “The demand is there, and we want to be ready to meet it.”

In the coming years, the company aims to expand beyond London and serve more areas in Southwestern Ontario. “We’re seeing interest from people outside our current service area,” says Copp. “For now, we’re focused on perfecting our process, but in the future, we definitely plan to expand.”

As Ontario’s housing market continues to evolve, innovative solutions like Backyard Homes will play a crucial role in addressing affordability and accessibility. Copp’s Buildall, with its deep roots in the community and unwavering commitment to quality, is leading the way in providing homeowners with smart, sustainable housing options that stand the test of time.

For those considering a Backyard Home, Copp’s Buildall provides a hassle-free experience, handling everything from concept to completion. Whether it’s for family use or rental income, these compact yet high-quality homes offer a smart solution for today’s housing challenges. As Copp concludes, “We want to make it easy, take care of any problems, and never push issues back onto the customer. When we take on a job, we own it from start to finish.”

Site Prep

Things To Consider:

1. Access To Property

Does your lot sit on a busy street, or intersection? Does the street allow for heavy machinery parking, or building material delivered by a Moffett truck?

2. Access To Site

Do you have a side yard of 7’ 6” or more? Will a backhoe loader fit through the left or right or your existing house?
Do you have trees, gardens, fences or structures obstructing the side yard access?
Are you willing to part with a fire pit, shed, or tree within your backyard in order to fit a new unit?
Aerial hydro lines, clothing lines, pools and other miscellaneous obstacles should also be considered.

3. Utilities In Yard

This pertains to existing underground obstacles that may be cut or trampled in the construction process. Do you have a sprinkler system, septic tank, buried hydro or water line? In order to build in your yard we use Kubotas, and other equipment to deliver and construct. Services will be trenched and connected from the unit into your existing homes basement.

This includes:
Sanitary
Water
Electrical

Step 1 – Inquiry

After checking out our website or taking a tour of our models, you can connect via e-mail or our online form on our website!

Step 2 – Qualifying Process

Once we know that you are interested, we can begin our qualifying process. This includes a series of questions in regards to your property and what you are looking for from Copp’s Backyard Homes. Once we have gathered this information and reviewed, we can determine what we believe is possible for your lot.

Step 3 – Plotting Deposit

After we have determined your property’s eligibility, we can move onto the next step of processing a $3,000 (plus tax) deposit. This deposit will cover the costs of our engineers plotting a Backyard Home on your property.

Step 4 – Selections Meeting & Servicing Site Visit

After deposit is paid, we will schedule to meet at our models to review selections. Afterwards, we will reach out to arrange a site visit with our Plumbing & Electrical Contractors.

Step 5 – Formal Quote

Taking your chosen selections and information from our site visit, we will create a formal quote.

Step 6 –Signing of Documents and Timeline

After reviewing and approving the formal quote, we will meet and sign the official documents and discuss timeline.

Step 7 – Pre-Construction Deposit

At this point our construction team is mobilized, material is ordered and engineering is completed. This deposit will represent a percentage of the overall build cost.

Step 8 – Permits

We would get to work in securing building permits for your Backyard Home

Step 9 – Let’s Build!

Now it is time to start building your Backyard Home! Projects typically take between 90-150 days after a building permit is issued to be completed.

What kind of foundation do you use?

Copp’s Backyard Homes can be built on 4 different foundation options: Full Basement (unfinished), crawlspace foundation, slab-on-grade foundation or helical piles. Each of these construction methods have different costs and benefits depending on your project.

How do you hook up electricity, water and sanitary? Who takes care of that?

CBYH is responsible for the hydro, water & sanitary hookups for the backyard home from the existing home. Our team will plan and execute how to service the backyard home, taking the stress and complexity out of the project for you. Each project we do is unique and we price each job individually, hookups are not included in our starting price. We recommend our customers to budget $10k – $15k for this. It is important to remember that any additional services such as cable TV or internet are also at the expense of the home owner.

How does the timeline work?

The timeline will vary per project. Projects typically take between 90-150 days after a building permit is issued to be completed. While construction delays can happen, we are committed to providing a quick and easy install process for our customers.

What is the cost of each model?

The following costs are starting prices for our Backyard Homes. These prices do not include the costs of site prep as well as servicing hookups. Please note that Appliances and Furnishings are also not included.

Model 395 – starting price of $140,000
Model 540 – starting price of $170,000
Model 720 – starting price of $200,000
Model 800 – starting price of $220,000

Do you contract everything out from A to Z or is the customer in charge of something?

The building of your Backyard Home is the responsibility of our team of trusted contractors and tradespeople. A service that is not in our scope of work is any “site preparation” work that might need to be done. An example of this would be removal of a shed where the backyard home is being built.

What type of heating and cooling do you install?

Our standard model for heating and cooling is an electric heat pump and baseboard heaters. This is included in the price. Electric heat is eco-friendly, economical to operate, and provides consistent heating of the backyard home without the swings in temperature some gas furnaces experience.

What type of insulation do you use?

Temperatures in Ontario can range from +30 in the summer to -30 in the winter. When designing our Backyard homes we made yearlong comfort a priority. Our models are built to strict Ontario Building Code standards or in some cases above. Typically we use a combination of spray foam, batt insulation & blow-in insulation.

What construction methods do you use?

Our Backyard Homes are built like new build homes, built to Ontario Building Code Standard or Higher. The models are all constructed out of wood. A big part of the construction depends on the access to your backyard. If access is limited or restricted, the home will likely be “stick framed” on site. If we have clearer access then we will use pre-fabricated panel sections that will be assembled on site.

Do you give options of colour for siding and doors? Is customization available?

Yes, while our units are not 100% customizable we have a number of “standard” exterior packages. This includes premium James Hardie siding in different colour schemes. Customization beyond our designer curated colour combinations is available. This option is an upgrade beyond our standard pricing, and is quoted on a per job basis.

What are the flooring options?

We offer a selection of colours in LVP (luxury vinyl plank). LVP is highly durable, water resistant and comfortable underfoot. Like many of our options, upgrades beyond our standard is available.

Why Choose a Copp’s Backyard Home?

Experience, industry experts, and a name Southwestern Ontario has trusted for over 145 years are all reasons you should choose Copp’s Backyard Homes to execute your project. There’s an estimated 3000+ decisions that go into building a home. With Copp’s Backyard Homes, we’re simplifying that process so you can get a beautiful backyard home without the stress of traditional home building.

There are a few quick and easy questions we ask every potential customer to pre-qualify them for a Copp’s Backyard Home.

Do you have sheds, trees or fences in your backyard? These may need to be removed for a number of reasons, including but not limited to, lot coverage ratios, construction access, or servicing hook-ups. Are you willing/able to make these changes, if needed?

Do you have access to a land survey of your property? While not necessary, this can greatly expedite the process for qualifying your property.

Besides these questions, we will ask you some standard questions such as the model you are interested in, your address, size of your lot, square footage of your current home, AMPs of electrical service, will this be a personal or income property, your timeline expectations, and so on.

All building projects come with many rules and regulations, and Copp’s Backyard Homes will be there to answer your questions every step of the way. We hope to see you soon!

Adding another home to your property can be complicated! There is a lot to think about. Do you have a suitable site? Do you have a design and floorplan? What building materials do I use? Copp’s Buildall is happy to announce that we are expanding our business into a new sector, Copp’s Backyard Homes. Let us bring our 146 years of experience to your own backyard! This is a new and emerging area in London and we are excited to help you every step of the way. When you choose a Copp’s Backyard Home, you’ll receive 1:1 support throughout the home-building process. There’s no need to be an expert in construction, materials or finding the right contractor. CBYH has an experienced team to guide you from start to finish. You can just sit back, relax and watch your new Backyard Home being built right before your eyes.

We know that there are multiple decisions that go into any major project. There is actually about an estimated 3000+ decisions that go into building a home. With Copp’s Backyard Homes, we’re trying to simplify that process so you can get a beautiful backyard home without the stress of traditional home building. When you work with us we will assist you through the major steps, such as design, planning and building.

If you are thinking that this sounds like it’s for you, where do we start? Well first, you need to have a place to build your Backyard Home. Do you own land already? If so, we’ll walk through the information needed to prepare a site and a pricing estimate. You can share your property’s address so that our team can start researching site specific information to ensure the property is viable for one of our Backyard Homes. The next step would be seeing if you have a site survey already available from when you purchased your property. If not, CBYH can help you obtain one, as well as determine what utilities you already have access to, if any. If you site is viable, we move on to the next step, designing your very own Backyard Home! What model are you most interested in? We have a range to choose from. What add-ons are you hoping to incorporate? Our team will walk you through the catalog and ensure you pick out your dream backyard home. Then comes the fun part, building from the ground up! Our Build Team of professional, licensed and insured contractors already know the ins and outs of our models, and are ready to bring your Backyard Home to life with great detail and care using only the finest quality of materials.

There you have it! Your own Backyard Home to enjoy for many years. Whether it is for personal reasons such as a granny suite or a separate space for income reasons, we believe we have found an affordable and viable solution for many people as our city sees rapid change in this area. Copp’s has been a trusted name in London since 1877; it has and will continue to be an honour to help you with all your building needs. We are excited about this new venture for our company and we look forward to helping you build you perfect Backyard Home.

Adding a Copp’s Backyard Home to your property may be an investment you hadn’t thought of. The Ontario governments passing of Bill 23 recognizes the need for increased density among residential properties. The simple fact is that there is not enough housing in Southwestern Ontario and in the current market, rental properties are generating the highest historical prices of rent per square foot, ever! With our tiny home, you are able to create an income generating asset without the risks of purchasing land in a volatile market. This rental model has a number of advantages for first time rental property investors and experienced pro’s alike. Maybe this is an opportunity you should be taking advantage of!

As children grow into adulthood, the desire for independence can stall with financial challenges and life transitions. Tiny homes offer a convenient solution, allowing these young adults to create their own routines, have their own privacy and responsibilities all while being close to the support of the parent. The backyard home offers the perfect compromise between independence for the child and peace of mind for the parent. Setting the child up for financial success without sacrificing the homeowner’s lifestyle and the family dynamic.

The choice to downsize can be a taxing one. The decision to move into a retirement home can be even harder. Copp’s Backyard Homes offers a solution to keep your loved ones close by, but allow them to still keep their independence. We offer accessible features in our homes including single-story floor plans, wide doorways, no-step entrances, grab bars, walk-in showers, adaptive kitchen appliances and much more. Placing a Copp’s Backyard home in close proximity to your residence ensures your peace of mind for their well-being.