Are railings and stairs usually extra on Ottawa deck quotes?

Some published Ottawa and Ontario builder packages exclude railings and steps, so read each quote carefully to see what is and is not covered.

When you are comparing quotes, it helps to know what the Code requires, because that shapes what any quote must account for. Under the 2024 Ontario Building Code, a guard is required on any open side of a deck where the drop is more than 600 mm (24 in.) within 1.2 m of the edge. For a deck serving a single dwelling unit, that guard must be at least 900 mm high where the walking surface is not more than 1 800 mm above finished ground, and at least 1 070 mm high above that height. The infill between 140 mm and 900 mm above the walking surface must be designed so no member or opening facilitates climbing, and horizontal rails or cables in that zone can facilitate climbing, which is what the rule targets. On stairs, a handrail is not required if there are three risers or fewer on an exterior stair serving one dwelling unit, but is required for more than three risers.

The per-square-foot ranges published by Ottawa and Ontario builders are: pressure-treated about $25 to $65, cedar about $45 to $80, composite about $45 to $95, and PVC about $59 to $110 or more. Those are published Ottawa and Ontario builder prices read in September 2026, and the spread is wide. We found no published Ottawa price range for railings or stairs on their own, so we cannot give you a per-foot or per-step figure.

When you get quotes, here is what to check on each one:

• does the price include guards and handrails, or are they priced separately
• what material and infill style is being quoted for the guard
• are stairs included, and if so how many risers
• who applies for the building permit and books the three required City inspections (excavation or foundations, framing, and final)
• is removal of an existing deck included if there is one

If your deck will be attached to the house and its walking surface will be more than 600 mm (24 in.) above grade, or if it provides the main raised entrance to the house, a building permit is required under the City of Ottawa's rules. The permit application must include scaled drawings showing the guard height, infill detail, stair rise and run, and the deck-to-house connection, among other things.

Before you sign, ask each builder: can you show me exactly which line items are included in this price, and give me a written breakdown of anything that would be quoted separately?