Frequently Asked Questions

Published Ottawa and Ontario builder prices run roughly $25 to $65 per square foot installed for pressure-treated wood, $45 to $80 for cedar, $45 to $95 for composite and $59 to $110 or more for PVC. These are vendor estimates read in September 2026, not quotes, and the spread is wide. Some published packages leave out railings and steps, so compare what each quote includes, not only the total.

The City of Ottawa's fee schedule (January 1, 2026) charges $12.75 per $1,000 of the assessed value of the work, with a minimum fee of $117. The value is the total of materials, labour, overhead and professional fees. As an illustration only, a $15,000 deck works out to $191.25. Payment goes in with the application.

Ask for the foundation type (footings or helical piles), the board material, the guards and stairs, removal of any old deck, permit drawings and who applies for the permit, and the payment schedule. Under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, a supplier cannot charge more than 10 per cent above an estimate in the agreement. The Construction Act generally requires a 10 per cent holdback; get advice for your own situation.

The City says a permit is required, whatever the deck's area, when the deck is adjacent to or attached to the house and its walking surface is more than 600 mm (24 in.) above the adjacent grade, and for any elevated deck providing principal access to a building. A freestanding deck needs one when its walking surface is both greater than 10 square metres and more than 600 mm above grade. A deck that needs no permit must still meet the Ontario Building Code and the Zoning By-law.

Both, for now. Ottawa enacted Zoning By-law 2026-50 on March 11, 2026, and applications complete on or after that date must comply with both By-law 2008-250 and By-law 2026-50, with the most restrictive provisions from both applying. Most of 2026-50 is in force, but some parts are still under appeal, so confirm the current rules for your lot with the City before you design.

Yes, for a house you own. The City explains that the Building Code lets a homeowner take design responsibility for their own house, and Schedule 1 of the application lets you declare it. The exemption does not cover estates, tenants or numbered companies, or a building with more than two dwelling units. The drawings still have to be scaled and fully dimensioned: a site plan, a foundation and framing plan, and elevations.

When the difference in elevation is more than 600 mm between the walking surface and the adjacent surface within 1.2 m of the edge. The guard must be at least 900 mm high for an exterior guard serving one dwelling unit where the deck is not more than 1 800 mm above the ground, and 1 070 mm otherwise. Openings must stop a 100 mm sphere, and in Ontario nothing between 140 mm and 900 mm above the deck may make the guard easy to climb.

The Building Code table sets 1.2 m, but not less than the depth of frost penetration, for foundations in clay or soils not clearly defined, and Ontario says frost depth is set by local experience. We found no City of Ottawa page that fixes one depth for decks, so ask what your drawings show. On Leda clay, peat or fill, and for deep foundations such as piles, Ontario requires footings designed under Section 4.2 of the Code.

Yes. Ontario's underground infrastructure law treats anyone who digs, including a homeowner, as an excavator who must submit a locate request before digging. Ontario One Call's homeowner page says to contact it at least 5 business days before you dig, and the request is free. Private lines, such as a gas line to a barbecue or wiring to a shed, are the homeowner's job to have marked.

For deck boards, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory says the service lives of naturally durable and preservative-treated woods are quite comparable. For posts and anything in ground contact, it points to preservative-treated wood or the dark heartwood of a naturally durable species. The Forest Products Laboratory also says wooden decks are most commonly replaced because of checking and splitting, and that keeping water beading on the surface is the best way to prevent checking.

We found no government or standards-body lifespan figure for composite or PVC decking. Manufacturers publish warranty terms instead: 25- and 30-year limited product warranties on composite lines, and lifetime product warranties on some PVC lines. A warranty is not a measured lifespan, so read what it covers. In Ottawa, decking other than conventional lumber also needs a CCMC or BMEC material report for the permit.

The USDA Forest Products Laboratory's finish table gives these intervals for decking: tinted deck finishes every 1 to 2 years on new smooth boards and 2 to 3 years on weathered boards; semitransparent stain every 2 to 3 years on new boards and 3 to 6 years on weathered ones. They are US figures and depend on climate and exposure. Penetrating finishes are recommended for decks over film-forming ones.

We found no Ontario or City of Ottawa licence for deck builders. General Carpenter is a non-compulsory trade with Skilled Trades Ontario, so a certificate is optional. What is regulated is the work: the permit, the Building Code and zoning. Ask who will apply for the permit, who drew the plans, and who books the City inspections.

If the contract was made in your home, it is a direct agreement under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002. Direct agreements over $50 must be in writing, and you may cancel for any reason within 10 days after you receive your written copy. The newer Consumer Protection Act, 2023 is not in force yet, so the 2002 Act still applies.

WSIB's clearance policy does not apply to homeowners who hire a contractor directly for home renovation work on the home they live in, so you are not required to get one. You can still ask for one. The home renovation exemption does not cover the contractor's subcontractors, who need their own coverage. We do not check anyone's WSIB status.

Under Ottawa's Pool Enclosure By-law, an above-ground pool's own walls can serve as the enclosure only if they are at least 1.5 m high with nothing to climb, and the ladder area or deck that gives access to the pool is enclosed by a gated enclosure. Gates must be self-closing, with a self-latching device at least 1.35 m above the bottom of the enclosure, and a lock. Every pool enclosure needs a permit.

Ottawa's Pool Enclosure By-law treats a hot tub as a type of pool: it needs an enclosure unless it has a compliant, permanently attached safety cover, and the City says a pool enclosure permit and inspection are still required. The Building Code's deck design load does not size a deck for a filled hot tub, so confirm the structure with the City or an engineer before you buy.

The City of Ottawa says wood, including pressure-treated lumber, from construction, renovation or demolition is not collected with regular garbage; it goes to the Trail Road Landfill Site or another landfill. Health Canada says never to burn treated wood, indoors or outdoors. Decks built before 2004 are likely to be CCA-treated, so wear a dust mask, eye protection, gloves and long sleeves when cutting it.