Renovation quotes are where good projects go wrong. The number on the cover page looks reasonable. The contract is signed. Then the change orders start, and by month four the homeowner is angry because every other invoice contains something they thought was already covered.
The fix is to read the quote line by line before you sign. The fix is also to know which lines are missing if they are not there. Here are the ten things every Ottawa renovation quote should include, written out as a separate, named line item with a dollar value.
1. Permits and plan-review fees
Ottawa permits start at a $117 minimum and scale with the size and complexity of the project, with a full second-storey addition sitting well above that floor. The quote should name the specific permits required (Building Permit, Electrical Permit, Plumbing Permit, HVAC Permit) and the actual fees as a line item.
If you see "Permit fees as required" with no number, that is an open-ended cost. Push for the dollar amount. The contractor knows it. They are just not telling you because it makes the bottom line look bigger.
2. Demolition and selective demolition
Demo costs vary wildly. A simple cabinet pull and floor strip in a kitchen is light. A full strip of a master bath down to studs is heavier. A wall removal with shoring is heavier still. The quote should name the demo scope and its value, separately from the rebuild.
The reason this matters: if the demo reveals something unexpected (rotten subfloor, mould behind drywall, knob-and-tube wiring), you and the contractor agree how to handle it before signing. If demo is buried inside a "renovation total," there is no clean baseline to discuss change orders against.
3. Disposal and dumpster fees
A typical kitchen reno generates 1.5 to 2 bins worth of debris. A bathroom generates 1 bin. A basement strip generates 3 to 5 bins. Disposal cost scales directly with the bin count, so the larger the demo, the larger this line.
The quote should name the bin count, the bin size, and the disposal fee per bin. If "disposal" is a single token line that obviously cannot cover the real debris volume, the contractor is hiding the rest of it inside another line, or planning to invoice it later.
The disposal trick to watch for
Some contractors quote a small disposal fee, then send the homeowner a separate invoice from a hauling company they own. Ask whether the disposal cost is final or variable. If variable, ask for a cap. A real disposal line is a fixed dollar amount, no exceptions.
4. Structural review or engineering
If your project touches a load-bearing wall, removes a beam, alters a roof slope, or affects the foundation, you need a stamped engineering drawing. The cost depends on the complexity of the structural work involved.
The quote should name the engineer or note "engineering allowance" with a dollar value. If your project does not need engineering, the quote should explicitly say so. Without that note you have ambiguity, and ambiguity becomes a change order.
5. Electrical permits and ESA inspections
Electrical work in Ontario requires an Electrical Safety Authority permit and inspection. ESA fees scale with the scope of the work, from small jobs up to full service upgrades. There are typically two inspections: rough-in and final.
The quote should name the ESA permit fee, the load calculation cost, and any service upgrade or sub-panel work as a separate line. If your panel is borderline, the load calc tells you whether you need to upgrade now or can defer it. Either way, get the calc done.
6. Material allowances vs. specifications
This is the single most-abused area of a renovation quote. An "allowance" is a dollar value the contractor budgets for a material the homeowner has not yet selected. A specification is a named product with a known price.
The right mix on a renovation quote is mostly specifications, with allowances only on items the homeowner is genuinely undecided about. A bathroom quote built entirely from allowances for tile, plumbing fixtures, vanity, and lighting is not really a quote. It is a budget. The final price tends to land 15 to 30 percent higher because most homeowners pick something nicer than the allowance.
A real quote names the tile by manufacturer and series, the faucet by brand and model, the vanity by maker and door style, and the light fixtures by SKU. If the homeowner wants to upgrade, the change order is clear. The base number does not move.
7. Contingency line
Every honest renovation contract has a contingency. The number is typically 5 to 10 percent of the contract value, set aside for genuine unknowns behind walls. Rotten subfloor, mismatched framing, knob-and-tube discovered during demo, plumbing that does not match the original drawings.
The quote should explicitly name the contingency, explain what triggers a draw against it, and describe what happens to unused contingency at the end of the project. We refund unused contingency at substantial completion. Other contractors keep it. Both are common. You should know which one you are signing.
If a quote does not have a contingency line, the contingency is not zero. It is hidden inside another line, where you cannot see it. Ask where.
8. Daily site cleanup
This is the one homeowners notice most while the project is happening. A clean site at end of day means the kitchen counter is wiped, the floor is swept, the tools are stacked, the dust is contained, and you do not walk into your home at 6 PM and feel like you live on a job site.
A real quote includes "daily site cleanup" as part of the labour scope. It is not free, but it should not be a line you debate later. We bake it in at every project. Some contractors do not, and the homeowner ends up paying extra for "deep clean" twice during the project.
If it is not in your quote, ask. The answer should be "every day, end of day, included." Anything else means you are picking up after the crew yourself, or paying extra to avoid doing so.
9. Warranty terms in writing
The quote (or its accompanying contract) should specify three warranties: workmanship, manufacturer, and any extended structural coverage.
Industry standard in Ottawa for workmanship is 1 year written from the date of substantial completion. Manufacturer warranties cover materials and run from 1 year (paint) to 25 or 50 years (some flooring and roofing products). Structural warranties on additions or new builds typically run 5 to 10 years. We provide a 1-year DTR workmanship warranty, the 25-year manufacturer warranty on materials, and a 10-year structural warranty on additions.
If the warranty is not in writing, it does not exist. Get it on paper before you sign anything.
10. Draw schedule
The quote should include a draw schedule that names the deposit amount, the milestone draws, and the holdback at substantial completion. A typical schedule, expressed as a percentage of the contract value, looks like:
- 10 percent deposit on contract signing
- 25 percent at demo and rough-in start
- 25 percent at rough-in inspection passed
- 25 percent at drywall and finish carpentry complete
- 15 percent at substantial completion and deficiency review
The numbers can vary. The structure should not. If your contractor wants 50 percent up front, they have cash flow problems. If they have no holdback at the end, they have no incentive to come back for the deficiency walk. A balanced draw schedule protects both sides.
What an honest quote looks like
Our quotes typically run 8 to 14 pages. The first page is the summary. The next four to six pages are line items by trade (demo, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, tile, cabinets, counters, painting, finish carpentry, fixtures, hardware, clean-up). The remaining pages cover allowances and specifications, the contingency policy, the warranty terms, the draw schedule, and the change-order process.
A one-page quote with five line items is not a quote. It is a sales document. The contractor is asking you to trust the number on the page without showing you what is behind it. That is the wrong way to start a renovation relationship of any size.
If you want a quote built this way for your Ottawa project, our project estimating page walks through how we run the process. Or call 613-862-4555 for a free 48-hour feasibility review.
The quote is the most important document in any renovation. Read every line. Ask about every gap. The contractor who can answer every question on the page is the one you want.