What Widening a Doorway Costs in Ottawa, and What May Help Pay for It
Published guides put widening a doorway in a non-load-bearing wall at about $500 to $2,500 per door; a load-bearing wall costs more. Widening a doorway is on the City of Ottawa's permit list. Below the price are the programs that list this work; each program decides who is eligible and what it pays.
1 What published guides show
- Doorway in a non-load-bearing wall $500 to $2,500 per door
A doorway in a load-bearing wall costs more; we found too few published prices to give that range.
Published Ontario and Canadian installer guides, 2025–26; installed. Yours will differ. How we set these ranges
2 Programs that may help pay
- Home Accessibility Tax CreditSee its conditions
- Ontario Renovates (City of Ottawa)See its conditions
- Home and Vehicle Modification ProgramLists widening of doors and sliding or folding doors.
- Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax CreditSee its conditions
The CRA's medical expense examples include "enlarging halls and doorways" for a person with a severe and prolonged mobility impairment. The CRA sets the conditions.
Each program decides who is eligible and what it pays; nothing here is subtracted from the price. Checked September 2026.
3 Plan the order
Some programs will not pay for work done before they approve it, so the order matters.
- Get written quotes. Price, scope and dates, in writing. March of Dimes: from a registered medical vendor, supplier or contractor. Ontario Renovates: verified project quotes.
- March of Dimes: apply, then wait for authorization. No repayment for costs before it.
- Ontario Renovates: apply, then wait for approval. Work before approval is not eligible; open until March 31, 2027.
- Settle the permit question. Enlarging a door is on the City's permit list, so the permit comes before the work.
- Sign a written contract, then start.
- Keep invoices and receipts for a tax claim. The CRA decides each claim.
4 The rules that apply
The City of Ottawa's permit list includes "enlarging or relocating a window or door". A doorway in a load-bearing wall is also a structural alteration. 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). For houses, the Code's door table gives door sizes, not clear openings: 810 mm for the main entrance, 760 mm for most rooms, 610 mm for a bathroom.
5 What a fair quote lists
- Whether the wall is load-bearing
- The new door, frame and hardware
- Patching and finishing on both sides
- Who applies for the permit, and the fee
- Start and completion dates
Ask before you sign
- Is this wall load-bearing, and what does the structural work involve?
- Who applies for the permit?
- Will you give me a written quote I can send to a funding program first?
6 Accessibility IQ answers about this
- Why does widening a load-bearing doorway cost more in Ottawa?
- Is $1,800 a fair price to widen one door in Westboro?
- What does widening one interior doorway cost an Ottawa homeowner?
- Is widening Ottawa doorways a medical expense the CRA recognizes?
- What should an Ottawa doorway widening quote cover?
- What changes when an Ottawa doorway is in a load-bearing wall?
Questions
Do I need a permit to widen a doorway in Ottawa?
Yes. Enlarging or relocating a door is on the City's permit list, and a doorway in a load-bearing wall is also a structural alteration.
Can widening a doorway be a medical expense?
It may. The CRA names "enlarging halls and doorways" as an example for a person with a severe and prolonged mobility impairment, where the work would not normally be expected to increase the home's value. The CRA decides each claim.
More on the work itself: Doorway Widening · All costs and programs
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