Older suburbs, east Ottawa

Home renovations in Gloucester

Gloucester was a city until amalgamation in 2001 and now names much of east and south-east Ottawa. This page covers its older suburbs, most of them built between the 1950s and the 1970s and bordered by the Greenbelt.

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Homes in Gloucester

Blossom Park's first lots were sold from 1947, and its 1950s core is mostly bungalows on lots of about 150 by 100 feet. Blackburn Hamlet, a planned community surrounded by Greenbelt land, had its first residents in 1967, and most of its homes date from the 1960s and 1970s. Beacon Hill was built in the 1960s and 1970s and Carson Grove in the early 1970s.

Most of these houses are 50 years old or more, so original or once-renovated kitchens and bathrooms and older wiring are likely.

What tends to come up

  • Kitchens and bathrooms in Blackburn Hamlet, Beacon Hill and Carson Grove are often due for a full redo.
  • Blossom Park's large bungalow lots leave room for rear additions.
  • Basement suites, and bringing older suites up to code, are worth asking about.
  • Several neighbourhoods back onto the Greenbelt or a creek valley, which matters for decks and additions near the lot line.

What we build in Gloucester

Typical totals with HST for a mid-range job of each kind at a Gloucester address. Each page covers what matters for that work here.

Prices are estimates based on published Ottawa and Ontario price guides, checked October 2026. They are not an offer. A firm written quote follows a site visit.

Permits and approvals in Gloucester

What to check before work starts. Rules change, so we confirm what applies to your address and your project.

  • Rideau Valley Conservation Authority

    Green's Creek and the other east-end creeks are in the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority's area, and their valleys, slopes and floodplains are regulated. RVCA treats work inside the existing walls, roof and foundation that does not change the use as generally not needing its approval; enlarging the house, changing its use or adding a unit does.

  • Next to the Greenbelt

    Blackburn Hamlet is surrounded by Greenbelt land, Beacon Hill and Pineview have it on their east side and it forms the southern edge of Blossom Park. The National Capital Commission controls the Greenbelt itself, so decks, additions and fences stay within your surveyed lot lines.

  • Older secondary suites

    Secondary units were permitted before 2005 in the former Gloucester. The City says units from that period must meet the Building Code and Fire Code, so an older suite may need work to bring it up to standard.

  • Building permits

    The City generally requires a building permit to finish a basement, move or remove walls, alter plumbing, add or enlarge windows and doors, and build an addition. Replacing kitchen cabinets without moving plumbing fixtures usually does not need one. Electrical work is inspected separately by the Electrical Safety Authority. Houses of this age often have plaster, older wiring or materials that need testing before they come out; the estimator's older-house allowance is a cushion for that.

  • Decks and porches

    An attached deck needs a building permit when its surface is more than 600 mm (about 24 inches) above the ground, or when it is the main way into the house. A freestanding deck needs one when it is larger than 10 square metres (about 108 sq ft) and more than 600 mm up. Porches generally need a permit when they are larger than 10 square metres.

  • Secondary suites

    A suite inside an existing house needs a building permit and has to meet the Building Code for ceiling height, exits, fire separation, windows and alarms, with electrical inspected separately. Basement suites have no size limit, the suite needs its own entrance (not a new door in the front wall), and new parking cannot go in the front yard. On lots with City water and sewer, current rules allow more than one additional unit on most residential lots, so we check what your lot can hold.

  • Trees

    On urban lots of one hectare or less, the City's Tree Protection By-law requires a permit to remove or injure a distinctive tree, which the current by-law sets at 30 cm or more across at chest height. Footings and trenches near big trees are planned around their roots. The thresholds have changed in recent years, so we check the by-law in force.

  • Zoning

    Additions and larger decks have to meet the zoning setbacks, height and lot coverage for your lot. Most of Ottawa's new Zoning By-law 2026-50 is in force (the parts not under appeal took effect from March 2026), and where a provision is still under appeal the stricter of the old and new rules applies, so we check the rules for your address before design starts.

Questions from Gloucester

Why does the estimator price Gloucester at central Ottawa rates?

Blackburn Hamlet, Beacon Hill, Carson Grove and Blossom Park are inside or surrounded by the Greenbelt, so travel and delivery cost the same as for central Ottawa.

Which parts of Gloucester do you cover?

All of the older suburbs on this page, including Blackburn Hamlet, Beacon Hill, Carson Grove, Pineview, Cyrville, Blossom Park and the streets around them.

Where these local facts come from

Checked October 2026. Rules change: we confirm what applies to your address.

Nearby areas

Planning a renovation in Gloucester?

Use the estimator with Gloucester prices, then send it to us. We confirm the numbers on a site visit and follow up with a written quote.

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