In short
- Orléans roughly quadrupled during the 1970s, so a large share of its houses carry 1970s to 1990s construction.
- A house older than 2012 meets the age rule for the City's sanitary valve rebate, and one older than 2004 for the storm valve too; each pays up to $1,000.
- A whole Ottawa basement runs $35,000 to $95,000 and a basement bathroom $8,000 to $30,000 (HomeStars Ottawa, 2026).
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Whole basement renovation | $35,000–$95,000 | Ottawa-wide figure, HomeStars 2026 |
| Basement bathroom | $8,000–$30,000 | Ottawa-wide figure |
| Bathroom, mid-range rebuild | $15,000–$30,000 | New tile, vanity, toilet and fixtures |
| Renovation per square foot, Ottawa | $120–$180 | HomeStars city table |
| City permit fee, renovation | $12.75 per $1,000 | Minimum $117 |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: HomeStars, 2026 Basement Renovation Cost Guide for Ottawa (updated 21/08/2026); HomeStars, Bathroom Renovation Cost Guide for Ottawa (updated 21/08/2026); HomeStars, How Much Does a Home Renovation Cost in Canada 2026; City of Ottawa, Comprehensive Building Code Fee Schedule; City of Ottawa, Residential Protective Plumbing program; City of Ottawa, Finishing a basement. Area facts (1970s growth, neighbourhood eras, housing mix, 16 km, Green’s Creek clay, 2001 amalgamation): Wikipedia, Orléans, Ottawa, read 29.10.2026.
Three building eras in one suburb
Orléans began as a French-Canadian farming parish in the 1830s. The suburb arrived later. Construction of Queenswood Heights in the late 1960s started the shift from farmland to subdivisions, and improvements to Highway 174 in the 1970s sped it up. Between 1971 and 1981 the head count rose about fourfold, from some 6,000 to some 24,000, and it passed 107,000 by 2011.
Three bands of housing sit side by side. Convent Glen and Queenswood Heights hold ranch and split-level houses from the first wave. Fallingbrook and Chapel Hill, built in the 1980s and 1990s, are mostly two-storey brick houses and freehold townhouses. Avalon, Notting Gate and Cardinal Creek, built since the early 2000s, have narrower lots and more stacked townhouses. The year of your house tells the company more than the street name does, so put it in the request.
What the era means inside the house
Wikipedia’s descriptions stop at the façade: ranch and split-level houses on larger lots first, brick two-storeys later. What sits behind the walls of a given house, the company finds on the visit.
A renovation per square foot in Ottawa runs $120 to $180 in HomeStars’ city table. Kitchens and bathrooms cost the most per square foot, because cabinetry, tile, fixtures and plumbing share a small room. Kitchen timelines in the Canada-wide guide run four to eight weeks, bathrooms two to four. See kitchen renovation and bathroom renovation for the jobs room by room.
Basements in the east end
About 85% of Orléans households own their home, and more than half of the homes are single detached. HomeStars prices a whole Ottawa basement at $35,000 to $95,000 and a basement bathroom at $8,000 to $30,000. A basement home office runs $10,000 to $25,000. The basement finishing cost guide breaks them down.
Past 10 square metres of finished area, roughly 108 square feet, the City wants a permit, and it aims to answer a basement application within five business days. If your lot backs onto Green’s Creek or the escarpment slope along St. Joseph Boulevard, say so. Clay soil and slopes are the first thing a basement company wants to hear about, and the basement moisture guide covers what they check.
Flood rebates for the first two waves
Nearly every Orléans house from Queenswood Heights to Chapel Hill predates 2004, so both valve rebates are open by age. The newer Avalon and Cardinal Creek streets went up across both cut-off dates, so check the build year first. A battery-backed sump pump in a freshly dug pit is worth up to $3,000, and the plumbing permit fee comes back in full. Get the permit before the floor opens, then file the claim inside 18 months.
Permit fee on an Orléans job
The City charges $12.75 for each $1,000 of construction value, materials, labour, overhead and professional fees included, with a $117 minimum. A $40,000 basement therefore carries a $510 fee. Which jobs need a permit: renovation permits in Ottawa.
Townhouses and condos
Apartments and condominiums are about 9% of Orléans housing, mostly along Innes Road and near Place d’Orléans. A condominium unit has two rule books: the City’s and the corporation’s. Send the corporation’s rules with the request.
On the map
Orléans sits on the Ottawa River, some 16 km east of downtown. Main roads: Regional Road 174, St. Joseph Boulevard, Innes Road, Tenth Line Road. The west edge borders Gloucester, so give a postal code.
The company on the other end
Your Orléans request leaves the Desk for one independent renovation company. It phones to set a time, sees the rooms in person and prices them in writing under its own name. The Desk stays out of the price.
Questions to ask the company
- In Convent Glen or Fallingbrook houses of my age, what usually hides in the walls?
- On a freehold or condo town, how do you work around the party wall and the corporation's rules?
- Do you cover my street every week?
- Should the backwater valve go in while the basement floor or walls are open?
- Whose name goes on the permit application, yours or mine?
Have this ready for the call
- Postal code and the nearest of St. Joseph, Innes or Tenth Line.
- Which wave the house belongs to: late 1960s, 1980s–1990s, or 2000s onward.
- For a townhouse or condo: the corporation's name and its renovation rules or move-in booking requirements.
- Photos of the room, the basement stairs and the utility room.
Questions people ask
Is Orléans different from the rest of Ottawa for renovation permits?
The rules are the same. Orléans sat in two municipalities, Gloucester and Cumberland, until both joined the City of Ottawa in 2001. One City fee schedule applies today. Applications go online through My ServiceOttawa, and the counter at 255 Centrum Boulevard serves in person, Monday to Friday.
Which Orléans houses fall outside the storm valve rebate?
Those built from January 1, 2004 on, which takes in part of Avalon, Notting Gate and Cardinal Creek. Older houses from Queenswood Heights to Chapel Hill qualify by age for both valves, up to $1,000 each. The rebate pays only for a new device under a plumbing permit taken out first, so ask the company what is in the floor now.
Does a house near Green's Creek need anything extra?
Wikipedia describes the Green’s Creek valley as clay floodplain from old Champlain Sea deposits. Mention a creek, ravine or any past water in the basement in the request, so the company checks drainage and moisture before it prices finishes, flooring and walls.
How many Orléans houses are townhouses?
Wikipedia puts townhouses at roughly 30% of Orléans housing, with single detached houses above half. A townhouse job shares a wall with the neighbour, so expect the company to ask about noise hours, notice next door and where its van can stop.
Can the renovation call happen in French?
Note French, or English, in the request beside your name. The note travels with the rest of your details to the renovation company. Who takes the call, and in which language, is the company’s choice, so mention it again when they phone if it matters to you.
