Lowering kitchen counters in an Ottawa home: permit or not?

Lowering kitchen counters does not appear on the City of Ottawa's list of projects that require a permit, and replacing kitchen or bathroom cabinets where plumbing fixtures stay in the same location is explicitly listed as a project that does not need one. If the counters and cabinets are lowered without moving any plumbing, that exemption may cover the work; ask the City to confirm.

Lowering a counter can also mean moving a sink drain or supply lines. Moving plumbing is a different matter: alterations, additions or extensions to a plumbing system (other than replacing existing fixtures in place) are on the City's permit-required list. If the work involves shifting a drain or supply line even a short distance, ask the City's Building Code Services whether a plumbing permit applies before work starts.

A few other things worth checking before the contractor begins. If the counter runs along a wall that also carries electrical outlets or under-cabinet wiring, ask the contractor what happens to those circuits. We found nothing in the City's published lists about electrical work tied to a counter relocation, so confirm with the City whether that portion of the work triggers anything.

On the Building Code side, the Ontario Building Code's barrier-free section does not apply to a house; it covers public buildings. We found no Part 9 rule on counter heights. What the counter height should be is a question for whoever is advising the person who will use it.

One question worth putting to the contractor in writing before signing: ask them to itemise separately what the quote includes for plumbing reconnection, patching walls or flooring where the old counter sat, and any electrical adjustments, so those costs are visible rather than folded into a single line.