Removing a Load-Bearing Wall in Ottawa: What You Pay For, Step by Step
We found too few published Ottawa prices for taking out a load-bearing wall to give you a fair range: no Ottawa figure had two independent sources behind it. This page shows what you pay for instead, in the order the work happens, with the line to ask for on each quote. ottawa.ca lists "adding or removing walls" as permit work, so the City's permit fee is the one figure you can work out yourself.
Reviewed 2026-10-01 · why these pages have no ranges
Paid steps
Wall removal and beams: what a quote pays for, in order
-
Beam and post design
- What it is
- Drawings showing the new beam, its posts and how the load above reaches the foundation.
- On the bill because
- A design sent in with a permit application has to come from someone the Building Code Act allows to prepare it. Who may design it
- Ask for it itemized
- The design as its own line, with the name of whoever prepares it.
A qualified, registered designer (BCIN), engineer or architect, or you, for a house you own (Div. C 3.2.5.1.(3)(b)).
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Building permit
- What it is
- The City's permit for the alteration.
- On the bill because
- The owner is responsible for making sure a permit is obtained, and may authorize the contractor or designer to apply for it.
- Ask for it itemized
- Whether applying for the permit is in the price, and whether the City's fee is included or paid by you.
ottawa.ca building permit FAQ
-
Testing old plaster and paintOlder homes
- What it is
- A test of the wall's plaster and paint before anyone opens it.
- On the bill because
- Health Canada lists plaster and paint among older materials that may contain asbestos, and advises hiring a professional to test before renovating.
- Ask for it itemized
- Who arranges the test, and how the quote changes if it finds something.
Health Canada, Asbestos and your health
-
Temporary support
- What it is
- Supports that hold up the floor or roof above while the wall comes out and the beam goes in.
- On the bill because
- Between the old wall coming out and the new beam taking the load, the structure above still has to be carried. The designer and carpenter plan where the temporary supports go.
- Ask for it itemized
- Temporary support as a line of its own, so two quotes can be compared on it.
-
Taking the wall out
- What it is
- Stripping the wall's finishes and framing and hauling the debris away.
- On the bill because
- It is labour plus disposal, and the wall can hide wiring, ducts or pipes that another trade has to move first.
- Ask for it itemized
- Whether disposal is included, and who arranges moving anything that runs inside the wall.
-
Beam and posts
- What it is
- The new beam and the posts at each end, built to the design.
- On the bill because
- The Code sets end bearing of not less than 89 mm on each support, and a wood column at least as wide as the member it carries. Every size beyond that comes from the design, not from this page.
- Ask for it itemized
- Beam and post material priced apart from labour, and whether anything below the posts in the basement is included.
OBC 9.23.8.1.(1); 9.17.4.1.(1)
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City inspection
- What it is
- Inspections of the work at key stages.
- On the bill because
- ottawa.ca asks you to book inspections 48 hours in advance. Work covered up before its inspection may have to be uncovered.
- Ask for it itemized
- Who books the inspections, and whether waiting for them is priced in.
ottawa.ca, submitting building permit applications
-
Patching and finishing
- What it is
- Closing up the ceiling, wall ends and floor where the wall stood.
- On the bill because
- Taking a wall out leaves a strip of ceiling and floor to make good, and drywall, paint and flooring can each be a different trade.
- Ask for it itemized
- Exactly which patching the quote covers and which it leaves to you or another trade.
Totalon your written quote
Get quotes for thisCity permit fee
Work out the permit fee
On the City's permit list: "adding or removing walls, i.e., creating different room sizes and/or uses".
Estimated feeThe fee is $12.75 per $1,000 or part thereof of the valuation, with a minimum fee of $117.
Estimate only; the City sets the valuation. How the fee is worked out
Ask before you sign
- Whose design the quote is built on, and whether a change to the design reprices it.
- What happens to the price if opening the wall shows something the quote did not expect.
- Whether the permit and the inspections are in the price or left to you.
The contract, cancellation, estimate and holdback rules that apply to every carpentry quote: before you sign any carpentry quote.
More on this work: Wall Removal & Beams
Carpentry IQ answers on this job
- What should a quote for removing a load-bearing wall itemize in Ottawa?
- How is the City of Ottawa permit fee worked out for a wall removal?
- What does my Gloucester carpenter need from the designer before cutting?
- What holds the ceiling up while a bearing wall comes out in Barrhaven?
- Is there an option cheaper than a steel beam for my Ottawa opening?
- How can I tell if a wall in my Kanata split-level is load-bearing?
Quick answers
Who can design the beam when a load-bearing wall comes out?
A qualified, registered designer (BCIN), engineer or architect, or you, for a house you own (Div. C 3.2.5.1.(3)(b)). We found no City rule requiring an engineer's stamp. Ask the City what it will accept for your wall.
Is a non-load-bearing wall exempt from the permit?
Not on the City's wording. ottawa.ca lists "adding or removing walls" as permit work and does not split load-bearing walls from partitions. Confirm with the City before any wall comes out.
Why is there no price range here?
No Ottawa wall-removal price we found had two independent published sources, and the Ottawa pages we read disagreed even on the design fee. The City's permit fee is the one figure published by a public body.
Want this done at your place?
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