Two ramp quotes in Stittsville are thousands apart, why?

Two ramp quotes can sit thousands of dollars apart when they do not describe the same job, so the first step is to compare what each one includes.

What drives the difference

The items that show up differently across quotes for an entrance ramp in Stittsville:

• Rise and length: the Ontario Building Code allows a slope no steeper than 1 in 10 for an exterior ramp serving a house. A taller rise needs a longer ramp. Published 2025-26 prices for a short modular ramp run roughly $2,000 to $4,000; long or custom ramps cost more.
• Landings: the Code requires a landing at the top and bottom of any ramp steeper than 1 in 50, and wherever a door swings toward the ramp. A landing that a door swings over must be large enough for the door to open fully. Each landing adds material and labour.
• Handrails: a ramp that rises more than 400 mm requires handrails, 865 mm to 1 070 mm high. One quote may include them; another may not.
• Patching and finishing at the entrance: one quote may include it; another may price it separately.
• Permits: ramps are not on the City of Ottawa's published list of projects that do or do not need a permit. The City's page on decks says a deck at the main entrance needs a permit, so ask Building Code Services how a ramp and landing at your entrance will be treated. A permit fee for alterations is $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value, with a $117 minimum, and that cost may or may not appear in a quote.

The simplest explanation for a large gap is that the two quotes are not describing the same scope. One may include landings, handrails and patching; the other may be the ramp structure only.

Ask each contractor to give you a written, itemised breakdown: ramp structure, landings, handrails, surface finish, any work to the existing entrance, and whether the permit application and fee are included. Once the line items match, you can compare the two fairly.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, if a contractor gives you an estimate in any agreement, they cannot charge more than 10 per cent above it. A direct agreement signed somewhere other than the contractor's place of business, such as your home, must be in writing and delivered to you; you can then cancel without giving a reason within 10 days after you receive the written copy.

The most useful question to put to each contractor before you sign: "Can you walk me through every item in this quote and confirm whether the permit application is included or billed separately?"