Do I need a permit to lower thresholds in my Ottawa home?

Lowering or removing thresholds is not on the City of Ottawa's published list of work that requires a permit, and it is also not on the list of work that is explicitly exempt. That gap means the answer depends on what the work actually involves.

"New flooring" is on the City's list of projects that do not need a permit. Structural alterations and plumbing alterations are on the permit list, so if the work goes beyond the flooring itself, describe it to the City.

The safest step is to describe exactly what your contractor proposes to do and ask the City of Ottawa's Building Code Services whether a permit is required for that specific scope. The owner and the builder are equally responsible under the Building Code Act if work that needed a permit proceeds without one. If a permit is needed, the City's fee for alterations is $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value, with a minimum of $117 (fee schedule dated January 1, 2026), and construction value includes materials, labour, overhead and professional fees.

On the cost side, we found too few published prices for threshold work to give a reliable range. Ask any contractor for a written quote that breaks out materials and labour separately, and confirm in writing exactly what will be done to the floor, frame and any adjacent finish work.

The request form on this page sends your project details to Ottawa contractors listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory who do accessibility work.