Q2 2026 (April-June) is the busiest renovation quarter of the Ottawa year — and it shows in pricing. This market report consolidates the latest contractor quotes, material price changes, and availability data across the 8 most common Ottawa renovation categories. Use it to calibrate your own quotes and budget against the broader Ottawa market.
**Overall Ottawa renovation pricing is up 4-6% year-over-year** in Q2 2026, driven primarily by labour rate increases (+5-8%) rather than material cost increases (mostly flat). Contractor availability is the tightest it has been since 2022 — most reputable Ottawa contractors are booking 10-16 weeks out for new projects. Permit office wait times have stabilized at 10-15 business days for standard plan review. Premium and luxury tier projects ($150,000+) are seeing the steepest competition for top...
Mid-range Ottawa kitchen renovations: **$42,000-$68,000** (up from $40,000-$65,000 in Q4 2025). Premium custom-cabinet kitchens: **$72,000-$115,000**. Cabinet lead times have stabilized at 8-12 weeks for premium custom, 6-8 weeks for semi-custom, 3-5 weeks for quick-ship. Quartz countertop pricing flat year-over-year. Appliance pricing stable after 2024 surge.
Standard full bath: **$19,000-$30,000** (up 4-7% YoY). Primary ensuite: **$29,000-$48,000**. Premium spa-style ensuites: **$58,000-$98,000**. Tile pricing flat. Fixture pricing up 3-5%. Custom shower glass lead times extended to 3-4 weeks. Heated floor systems (Schluter DITRA-HEAT) continue to drive demand and represent the highest-value upgrade.
Architectural asphalt shingles: **$7-$10/sq ft installed** (flat YoY — material costs stabilized). Metal standing-seam: **$15-$23/sq ft** (up 8-12% YoY due to steel supply). A typical 1,800 sq ft Ottawa roof: $13,000-$18,000 asphalt, $28,000-$42,000 metal. Roofing contractor availability is tight — book by March for an April-June install.
PT lumber decks: **$36-$46/sq ft installed** (lumber pricing flat). Composite (Trex, TimberTech): **$66-$88/sq ft** (slight 2-4% increase). PVC premium decking: **$88-$112/sq ft**. May-June bookings are full for most Ottawa deck specialists; July-August starts are still available. Composite material lead times: 2-4 weeks during peak season.
Main-floor additions: **$360-$520/sq ft** (up 5-8% YoY). Second-storey additions: **$420-$640/sq ft**. Basement SDUs (legal): **$90,000-$175,000** (up 8-12% YoY — strong demand from CMHC MLI Select financing). Engineering and architectural drawings: $5,500-$11,000 typical. Conservation Authority approvals adding 4-8 weeks where required.
Unlikely. Labour costs are the primary driver and the skilled-trade shortage continues. Best-case scenario is flat pricing into 2027. Material costs may give some relief but represent only 35-45% of total renovation cost.
January-March (winter off-season) and September-October. Contractor pricing is typically 8-15% lower than Q2 peak season. Trade-off: shorter days and weather considerations for exterior projects.
Reserve 15-20% contingency above the mid-range estimate. For older homes (pre-1980), reserve 20-25% for discovery work (knob-and-tube, asbestos, cast-iron drains).
Ottawa typically runs 5-15% below Toronto and 5-10% above Montreal. Labour rates are lower than Toronto but higher than Montreal. Material costs are similar across the three markets.
Ranges represent the 25th-75th percentile of Ottawa quotes for typical residential projects in established Ottawa neighbourhoods. Premium West End neighbourhoods (Westboro, Glebe, Rockcliffe) run 10-20% above the high end. Rural Ottawa often runs at the low end.