Suburb, east Ottawa
Home renovations in Orléans
Orléans grew from a farming area into a commuter suburb from the late 1960s, from about 6,000 people in 1971 to about 24,000 by 1981, and kept growing. Before 2001 its west half was in Gloucester and its east half in Cumberland.
Homes in Orléans
Queenswood Heights, Convent Glen and Orléans Wood came first, from the late 1960s and the 1970s, with ranch-style and split-level homes on comparatively large lots. Fallingbrook (started in 1985) and Chapel Hill followed in the 1980s and 1990s, mostly two-storey detached homes with brick fronts. Avalon, Notting Gate and Cardinal Creek are from the late 1990s and 2000s onward.
The oldest homes are now around 45 to 58 years old and the Fallingbrook and Chapel Hill homes 25 to 40, so many kitchens and bathrooms may be original or dated.
What tends to come up
- Kitchens and bathrooms in Queenswood Heights, Convent Glen and Orléans Wood are often due for a full redo.
- Fallingbrook and Chapel Hill homes are at the age when builder-grade kitchens and bathrooms get replaced.
- The larger lots of the earliest neighbourhoods leave room for rear additions and bigger decks.
- Secondary units were already allowed in the former Gloucester and Cumberland's urban area before 2005, so some houses have older suites that need to meet the Building and Fire Codes.
What we build in Orléans
Typical totals with HST for a mid-range job of each kind at a Orléans address. Each page covers what matters for that work here.
- Kitchens in Orléans$44,300 to $59,400$295 to $396 per sq ftkitchen renovation, 150 sq ft, mid-range
- Bathrooms in Orléans$20,500 to $27,500$513 to $688 per sq ftthree-piece bathroom, 40 sq ft, mid-range
- Basements in Orléans$60,900 to $81,600$76 to $102 per sq ftbasement renovation, 800 sq ft, mid-range
- Additions in Orléans$122,000 to $163,600$305 to $409 per sq ftrear or side addition, one storey, 400 sq ft, mid-range
- Decks and porches in Orléans$21,200 to $27,800$88 to $116 per sq ftraised deck, 240 sq ft, cedar
- Secondary suites in Orléans$104,900 to $140,700$150 to $201 per sq ftsecondary suite, 700 sq ft, mid-range
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. Prices for Orléans include about 2% over central Ottawa for travel and delivery.
Permits and approvals in Orléans
What to check before work starts. Rules change, so we confirm what applies to your address and your project.
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
Bilberry Creek and the other east-end creeks are in the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority's area. RVCA recorded an erosion event on Bilberry Creek in 2017 that temporarily displaced three households, and its ravines, slopes and floodplains are regulated. Some land on the south-east fringe may fall under South Nation Conservation instead, so the authority depends on the address. 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.
Older secondary suites
Secondary units were permitted before 2005 in the former Gloucester and Cumberland urban areas. 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.
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 Orléans
Which parts of Orléans do you cover?
All of it, including Queenswood Heights, Convent Glen, Orléans Wood, Fallingbrook, Chapel Hill, Avalon, Notting Gate and Cardinal Creek.
Where these local facts come from
- ottawa.ca: 3000101
- ottawa.ca: wardboundary
- ottawa.ca: 267443
- documents.ottawa.ca: pathway study exist resd en
- ottawa.ca: 267417
- ottawa.ca: 1014169
- engage.ottawa.ca: tree protection by law amendment
- engage.ottawa.ca: zoning
Checked October 2026. Rules change: we confirm what applies to your address.
Nearby areas
Planning a renovation in Orléans?
Use the estimator with Orléans prices, then send it to us. We confirm the numbers on a site visit and follow up with a written quote.