Inner suburbs, west Ottawa

Home renovations in Nepean

Nepean was a city from 1978 until amalgamation in 2001, and the name still covers much of west and south-west Ottawa. This page is about its older inner suburbs, where many homes are bungalows and split-levels from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Get a free quotePrices in Nepean

Homes in Nepean

Lynwood Village in Bells Corners, more than 1,700 homes, mostly bungalows, was built from the late 1950s to 1966. Crestview is mainly 1950s and early 1960s bungalows, Parkwood Hills was built from 1959 to 1972, Westcliffe Estates from 1969 with later phases into the 1990s, and Centrepointe from 1984, mostly townhomes with about 1,000 detached houses.

Many of these houses are 50 to 70 years old. Original or second-generation kitchens and bathrooms may still be in place, and bungalows often sit on a full-footprint basement.

What tends to come up

  • Kitchens and bathrooms in the 1950s to 1970s neighbourhoods are often original or on their second round, so wiring and plumbing are part of the job.
  • Bungalow basements often cover the whole footprint, which can suit a family room or a suite where the ceiling height and exits work.
  • Owners of compact bungalows often add space with a rear addition rather than moving.
  • Tract bungalows were usually built with a simple stoop, so a rear deck or covered porch is a retrofit.

What we build in Nepean

Typical totals with HST for a mid-range job of each kind at a Nepean 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 Nepean

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

  • Rideau Valley Conservation Authority

    Where a lot is near a creek or valley inside the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority's regulated area, an addition or a new unit needs RVCA approval. 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

    Bells Corners is surrounded by Greenbelt land, and the National Capital Commission, not the City, controls what happens on it. Additions and decks stay within your own lot lines, so a survey matters on lots that back onto it.

  • 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 Nepean

Why does the estimator price Nepean at central Ottawa rates?

Bells Corners, Crestview, Parkwood Hills and Centrepointe are inside or surrounded by the Greenbelt, so travel and delivery cost the same as for central Ottawa.

Which parts of Nepean do you cover?

All of the older inner suburbs, including Bells Corners, Crestview, Parkwood Hills, Fisher Heights, Westcliffe Estates, Centrepointe and the streets around Merivale Road.

Where these local facts come from

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

Nearby areas

Planning a renovation in Nepean?

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

Get a free quote See sample quotes