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Home Additions in Westboro
Westboro homes are worth adding to, and harder to add to than most. OGC designs, engineers, permits, and builds additions across Westboro, McKellar Park, Dovercourt, and Wellington Village, with fixed pricing and a 7-year warranty.
Why Westboro Homeowners Add On Instead of Moving
Most of Westboro went up between the 1920s and the 1950s, on lots that are typically 30 to 50 feet wide with mature trees, no rear lane, and a neighbour close on either side. The houses are solid, the location is one of the best in Ottawa, and the floor plans were drawn for a way of living that ended sixty years ago.
That is why so many Westboro homeowners end up choosing between selling to an infill builder and adding on. Adding on almost always wins on the numbers, because you keep the lot, the trees, and the walk to Richmond Road. What it takes is a builder who plans for what is under the house and around it, not just what goes on top. That planning is the whole job in Westboro, and it is where OGC spends its time before anyone breaks ground.
- Foundation and structural assessment before we quote a second storey
- Zoning, variance, and tree permits handled before design is finalized
- Site logistics planned for narrow lots, tight access, and no rear lane
- Fixed pricing and an industry-leading 7-year warranty
How a Westboro Home Gains Space
When the lot is 33 feet wide, the space has to come from above, behind, or below. Here is what we build most across Westboro and Kitchissippi.
A 1938 brick two-storey on Dovercourt with three small bedrooms and one bathroom for a family of five. A war-time bungalow in McKellar Park that has been renovated inside twice and still has 1,100 square feet. A Westboro Beach home where the owners want the parents close by and the lot is deep enough for a coach house. In every one of these, the house is worth far more than the addition will cost. That is the case for building rather than moving, and it is why Westboro additions are worth doing properly.
we add on to
is 30 to 50 feet wide
on Merivale Road
Second Floor Additions
The most common answer on a narrow Westboro lot. Turn a bungalow or one-and-a-half storey into a proper family home without touching the footprint or the trees.
Explore second floors.webp)
Rear Extensions
Westboro lots are narrow but often deep. Twelve to twenty feet off the back can give you the kitchen, family room, and rear entry the original plan never had.
Explore extensions
Coach Houses & Garden Suites
A detached backyard home, now permitted on many Ottawa lots. On a deep Westboro property it can house family, generate rent, or both, without changing the main house.
Explore coach houses
Attic & Loft Conversions
Unlike newer suburban homes, Westboro's older roofs were stick-framed, which often makes the attic genuinely convertible into a bedroom, office, or loft bathroom.
Explore attic renovations
In-Law Suites
A self-contained suite with its own entrance, built into a rear addition or a lower level, so family can stay close while everyone keeps their independence.
Explore in-law suites
Lower-Level Suites
Westboro basements are usually too short to be legal living space. Underpinning lowers the floor and buys you the height, turning a crawl-height cellar into a real suite.
Explore basement suitesWhat a Westboro Addition Has to Account For
Six things decide whether a Westboro addition goes smoothly or badly, and five of them are settled before construction starts.
This is the single biggest variable in Westboro. Homes from the 1920s to the 1940s were often built on stone, rubble, or unreinforced concrete foundations with footings that were never sized to carry a second storey. Before we price a project we look at the foundation, the footings, and the beam line, and we tell you plainly whether it needs reinforcing, underpinning, or replacement. Finding that out in the quote is far cheaper than finding it out in month three.
Ottawa applies extra rules in established inner-urban neighbourhoods like Westboro, where new work has to sit sensibly against the existing streetscape. Front-yard setbacks are influenced by the houses beside you, and lot coverage, height, and rear-yard requirements are tight on a narrow lot. Minor variances are common here, and we handle the Committee of Adjustment application as part of the job rather than sending you to do it.
Most Westboro streets have no rear lane and a side yard you can barely walk a wheelbarrow down. Excavated soil, lumber, trusses, and waste all have to come and go through the front, which usually means smaller equipment, a bin on the street, and a City road occupancy permit for the crane or the container. We plan the logistics at the design stage and coordinate with your neighbours, because on these streets goodwill matters as much as scheduling.
Westboro's canopy is protected. Ottawa's tree by-law covers trees on private property in the urban area, and removing one, or excavating inside the root zone of a neighbour's or a City tree, can require a permit, an arborist report, and a tree protection plan. We identify this before the design is locked so the addition is shaped around what has to stay.
Opening up a Westboro house usually turns up something: knob-and-tube remnants, an undersized electrical service, galvanized supply lines, balloon framing with no fire blocking, and walls with little or no insulation. Some of it has to be brought up to code once you touch it. We include a discovery allowance in the contract and walk you through anything we find before a dollar of it is spent.
The brick on a 1930s Westboro home is not made any more, and the window proportions, soffit depth, and roof pitch are all part of why the house looks right. A bad addition announces itself from the sidewalk. We source the closest available brick, carry the original proportions into the new work, and design the roofline so the house reads as one building.
The Order We Build a Westboro Addition In
On a ninety-year-old house the sequence matters as much as the design. Structure gets settled before anything new goes up.
We go downstairs before we talk about layouts. The foundation, the footings, and the beam line decide what your house can carry, and that answer shapes every decision that follows it.
- Foundation, footings, and load path assessed before anything else
- Lot width, site access, and protected trees reviewed
- An honest budget range that already includes likely structural work
A Westboro addition gets judged from the sidewalk. We carry the original window proportions, soffit depth, and roof pitch into the new work, then render the full elevation so you can see the whole house before committing.
- Layouts that work with an older home's bones rather than against them
- Matched brick, trim, and roofline shown in the elevation renderings
- Finishes selected in person at our Merivale Road design centre
This is the longest step in Westboro and the one worth starting early. A minor variance is common on a narrow lot, and tree and road occupancy permits usually come along with it.
- Committee of Adjustment application prepared and presented by OGC
- Stamped structural drawings covering new loads and any underpinning
- Tree and road occupancy permits arranged before anyone mobilises
A quote on an older home is only as good as its allowance for what is behind the plaster. Ours is written in, itemised, and spent only with your sign-off on each item.
- Structural and underpinning work priced rather than guessed at
- Written discovery allowance for wiring, framing, and insulation finds
- Fixed price backed by our price-match guarantee
Underpinning, new footings, and reinforcement all happen before a single new stud goes up. The house is shored and stays weathertight while that work is done, and the street stays workable for the people who live on it.
- Foundation work completed and inspected before framing begins
- House shored, sealed, and heated through the structural phase
- Bins, deliveries, and parking coordinated with your neighbours
We walk the finished house with you, not just the new part, because on an older home the join between old and new is where quality shows. Everything outstanding is closed out before the final inspection is booked.
- Walkthrough covering the join between the original house and the addition
- Final City of Ottawa inspection booked and passed
- Industry-leading 7-year OGC warranty in your hands
Recent Work on Older Ottawa Homes
Second storeys, rear extensions, coach houses, and loft conversions completed on established homes across Westboro and Ottawa's inner-urban neighbourhoods.
What Westboro Homeowners Get From OGC
For over a decade, OGC has been Ottawa's most reviewed design-build firm, with 200+ verified reviews across Google, Houzz, and HomeStars.
Experienced on Older Homes
Century and pre-war houses are a different discipline. We know what Westboro's foundations, framing, and services look like behind the finishes, and we price for it up front.
One Dedicated Project Manager
A single project manager runs your entire addition and stays reachable by phone or text. No handoffs, no gaps, no wondering who is in charge.
See It Before We Build It
Every addition starts with full 3D renderings, so you can judge the matched brick, the roofline, and the streetscape fit before construction begins.
Fixed Pricing, No Surprises
What you are quoted is what you pay, with a discovery allowance written in so an older home's surprises are handled without a blank cheque.
Industry-Leading 7-Year Warranty
OGC backs every addition with a 7-year warranty, one of the strongest in Ottawa. A major investment deserves matching peace of mind.
Design Centre 15 Minutes Away
Come to 1886 Merivale Road, Nepean to sit with a designer and compare real finishes side by side, then leave knowing exactly what your addition will look like.
Budgeting a Home Addition in Westboro
Westboro additions sit at the higher end of Ottawa's range, and the reason is almost always what has to happen below grade and at the curb before the new space begins.
and single-room rear extensions
and underpinned lower-level suites
and detached coach houses
What Is Under the House
Reinforcing or underpinning an older foundation to carry new load is the largest single line item on many Westboro projects. It is also the one that separates an honest quote from a low one that grows.
Site Access
No rear lane, a narrow side yard, street bins, and a road occupancy permit all add cost that a suburban lot never sees. Smaller equipment and more hand work is simply the price of building here.
Size & Finishes
Additions in Ottawa generally run $300 to $500+ per square foot all-in, and Westboro projects usually land in the upper half of that range, higher again where underpinning or full structural replacement is involved.
Want the full breakdown by addition type? Read our detailed guide to home addition costs in Ottawa.
Westboro Addition Questions, Answered
The questions Westboro homeowners ask us most before adding on.
Most Westboro additions run from about $80,000 for an attic conversion or single-room rear extension to $400,000+ for a full second storey or a detached coach house. Additions in Ottawa generally run $300 to $500 per square foot all-in, and Westboro projects usually sit in the upper half of that range because of foundation work and site access. See our full home addition cost guide.
Often yes, but it depends entirely on the foundation. Many Westboro homes from the 1920s to the 1940s sit on stone, rubble, or unreinforced concrete with footings that were never sized for a second storey, so the design may include reinforcement or underpinning. We assess the foundation, footings, and load path before quoting, and our structural engineer stamps the design. Learn more about second floor additions in Ottawa.
A City of Ottawa building permit is required for any addition, and in Westboro a minor variance is common on top of it. Ottawa applies additional rules in established inner-urban neighbourhoods covering how new work sits against the existing streetscape, and narrow lots make setbacks, lot coverage, and height tight. OGC handles the permit and the Committee of Adjustment application for you. Here is more on permits for home additions in Ottawa.
In many cases, yes. Ottawa now permits additional residential units on many lots, including detached coach houses and garden suites, and Westboro's deeper lots are often well suited to them. What decides it is your lot size, rear-yard space, access, and setbacks. We review your property, tell you honestly whether it qualifies, and handle the approvals if it does.
Quite possibly. Ottawa's tree by-law protects trees on private property in the urban area, and Westboro has a lot of mature canopy. Removing a protected tree, or excavating inside the root zone of one on your lot, a neighbour's, or the City's boulevard, can require a permit, an arborist report, and a tree protection plan. We identify this during design so the addition is shaped around what has to stay.
Yes. It is the normal condition in Westboro, and we plan for it. That means smaller excavation equipment, materials staged and craned in rather than driven in, a bin on the street under a City road occupancy permit, and a schedule that keeps disruption short. We coordinate with your neighbours before work starts rather than after the first complaint.
Construction usually runs 4 to 9 months, with design, variance, and permitting before that. Older homes and inner-urban approvals both add time compared with a suburban build, so we give you a realistic schedule in writing before work starts rather than an optimistic one to win the job.
Neighbourhoods We Serve Around Westboro
OGC designs and builds home additions throughout Westboro and the surrounding Kitchissippi neighbourhoods. If you live here, we come to you.
Why Homeowners
Choose OGC
See what your neighbors have to say about our Ottawa renovation services in their own words! We’ve left
many customers thrilled with their homes, and we’d love the chance to do the same for you.
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Are Saying...
See what Ottawa has to say about us
The other company we dealt with had extra charges and it was like I was signing a blank check – they delivered what they said they would within our budget. They went well beyond what I expected in many ways.
What your neighbours
are saying…
See what Ottawa has to say about us
OGC is well organized at every step of the renovation process, from meeting to understand what I wanted done, to design and choosing finishes and materials, and finally the construction. All staff were knowledgeable, professional and friendly. They were all very responsive to my questions in person, over the phone, by email and text.
What your neighbours
are saying…
See what Ottawa has to say about us
Our project manager was very personable, responsive and efficient. He offered insightful ideas during the project on what to upgrade to make our home even more comfortable with 4 young kids in the house.
