Last reviewed
How Long Does a Home Renovation Take in Ottawa?
Time on site for each kind of project, plus the permit, inspection and working-hour rules that set the calendar around it.
Renovation guides
Renovation Guides for Ottawa Homeowners
The questions homeowners ask before they call a contractor: how long it takes, how to plan it, what needs a permit, what is legal, what money is available and what it’s built from. Each guide cites its primary sources, shows when it was last reviewed, and says where it stops.
Planning
Last reviewed
How to Plan a Kitchen or Bathroom Renovation in Ottawa
What to decide first, how much room a kitchen and bathroom need, what to check in an older house, and the order the work happens in.
Last reviewed
How to Plan a TV Feature Wall in Ottawa
How big and how high to mount the screen, whether it can go above a fireplace, what holds it up, and where the power and cables run.
Last reviewed
Renovating in an Ottawa Winter
Which indoor work goes ahead in the cold months, the temperatures tile, drywall, paint and wood floors need, and handling dry winter air.
Rules and money
Last reviewed
Building Permits for Home Renovations in Ottawa
Which renovation work needs a City of Ottawa building permit, which is exempt, and why electrical is a separate permit.
Last reviewed
Renovation Rebates, Loans and Tax Credits for Ottawa Homeowners
The tax credits, loans and rebates a renovating Ottawa homeowner can claim, what each covers, and which programmes have closed.
Last reviewed
Ottawa Legal Basement Apartment Guide
Ontario Building Code thresholds and City of Ottawa zoning rules for a legal basement apartment, with a feasibility checker.
Materials and how-to
Last reviewed
How to Choose Basement Flooring in Ottawa
Which floors work below grade, the moisture barrier each one needs, and the humidity, radon and flood checks to make before a basement is finished.
Last reviewed
Waterproofing a Shower: What Goes Behind the Tile
Why tile isn’t the waterproof layer, what the Ontario Building Code asks for, pan liners versus bonded membranes, and the flood test.
Last reviewed
Bathroom Exhaust Fans: Size, Ducting and Controls
How big a bathroom fan should be, what Ontario’s Building Code asks for, why the duct matters as much as the fan, and how long it should run.
Last reviewed
Plywood, MDF or Particleboard? What Built-ins Are Made Of
How plywood, MDF and particleboard are made, where each is strong, how they handle water and screws, and Canada’s formaldehyde limits.