Three steps most homeowners don't see until they've already hired someone.
Rear yard setback (25 percent of lot depth in most urban neighbourhood zones) and lot coverage limits, checked against your property before any drawing is worth paying for.
Egress, structural loads and code-required dimensions built into the drawings from the start, rather than discovered as review comments that delay approval.
Your fee estimate and a realistic review timeline, set out in writing before you commit.
Permit review is the longest wait before construction starts, and a full secondary-suite application takes longer again because of mechanical and fire-separation review. Those timelines are outside anyone’s control once the application is in, which is why we tell you the realistic range at the start of the project rather than after you’ve already scheduled a contractor around an optimistic guess.
Typical City of Ottawa fee ranges by addition scope.
$1,500-$6,000
Fee typically scales with declared construction value
Review timeline set out in writing
Design drawings priced separately, based on scope
$4,000-$12,000
Higher fee reflects the larger declared construction value
Structural engineering review often required
Review timeline similar to a single-storey addition
Handled as part of your project, not a separate hire
$3,000-$8,000
Mechanical and fire-separation review adds scope
Review timeline set out in writing
Separate entrance and egress confirmed at design stage
Handled as part of your project, not a separate hire
For this Gloucester home we added a great room with a vaulted ceiling. The ceiling is finished in white tongue-and-groove planks with exposed beams, and four tall windows along one wall bring daylight deep into the room.
Each step in order. The City sets a target for its first review; the rest depends on how complete the drawings are.
Setback and lot coverage confirmed against the City of Ottawa Zoning By-law before anything is drawn.
Sized to what your lot allows, with egress and structural requirements built in.
We prepare it and submit it to the City of Ottawa, with your fee estimate in writing.
The City's target for reviewing a complete house permit application.
Revised drawings go back for review, so approval doesn't stall on paperwork.
Construction can start once the permit is issued.
Reviews given to us directly by clients.
Home Additions Experts Ottawa built a beautiful family-room addition for our home. The team communicated clearly, stayed organized, and made sure the new space blended perfectly with the original house.
We hired them to add an extra bedroom and bathroom to our Ottawa home. The workmanship was excellent, and the team kept us informed throughout the entire project. We are very pleased with the finished space.
The team managed our home addition professionally from the initial planning stage through construction. They answered our questions, respected our property, and delivered a result that exceeded our expectations.
Setback and lot coverage should be confirmed against your specific lot before a design is worth paying for. Ask when in the process that check happens.
Ask whether egress window sizes and structural loads are addressed in the initial drawings or left as review comments to fix later, which delays approval.
Ask for your project's specific fee estimate and review timeline, not a general range.
Ask who is responsible for responding if the City comes back with questions during review, so nothing stalls waiting on you to relay information.
Yes, this service can be scoped on its own if you're planning to build later or want the drawings and approval in hand first.
It scales with declared construction value, roughly $12-$20 per $1,000. The table above shows the typical fee for each type of addition.
The property owner is the applicant of record, as required by the City of Ottawa. We prepare and submit the application on your behalf as part of the service.
The City aims to finish the first review in 10 business days; issuing the permit typically takes 4 to 12 weeks for a straightforward addition, and 7 to 14 weeks for a full secondary-suite application involving mechanical and fire-separation review.