In short
- Gloucester was a township from 1850 and a city from 1981 before it joined Ottawa in 2001. Its population was about 150,012 in the 2021 Census.
- It covers the east and south side, from Billings Bridge and Blossom Park to Blackburn Hamlet, Findlay Creek and Carlsbad Springs.
- HomeStars prints a Gloucester page: $50–100 an hour for general tasks, TV or shelf mounting $80–250, minor repairs $75–150.
- HomeStars' citywide Ottawa guide runs higher, at $85–120/h, and names minimum charges and travel among price drivers.
- In Ontario a renovation or repair contract worth more than $50 goes in writing, and the bill may top a written estimate by 10 per cent at most.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General tasks, hourly | $50–100/h | HomeStars page for Gloucester, Ottawa, undated |
| Handyman time, general repairs | $85–120/h | HomeStars Ottawa guide, updated 21.08.2026 |
| TV, shelf or artwork mounting | $80–250 | Per job, Gloucester page |
| Minor repairs: wall patches, small fixes | $75–150 | Per job, Gloucester page |
| Furniture assembly or disassembly | $50–100 | Per job, Gloucester page |
| Small painting or staining | $200–400 | Per room or area plus materials, Gloucester page |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: HomeStars, Handyman in Gloucester, Ottawa (undated); HomeStars, How much does a handyman cost in Ottawa? (updated 21.08.2026). Area facts: Wikipedia, Gloucester, Ontario; Wikipedia, List of neighbourhoods in Ottawa; Wikipedia, Blackburn Hamlet. Rules: Ontario, your rights when starting home renovations or repairs; City of Ottawa, projects not requiring building permits.
A wide area, so start with the postal code
Gloucester was proclaimed a township in 1850 and a city in 1981, and it was folded into Ottawa in 2001. The 2021 Census counted about 150,012 people there. The area east and south of the inner core takes in Billings Bridge, Blossom Park, Beacon Hill, Blackburn Hamlet, Findlay Creek and Carlsbad Springs, among many other neighbourhoods.
The list of neighbourhoods is long, and the drive from one end to the other adds up. A company that covers Blackburn Hamlet may not cover Findlay Creek. Orléans has its own page at Orléans. On this page the postal code decides who calls.
What Gloucester housing asks for
Blackburn Hamlet shows how part of Gloucester grew: it was built in the 1960s and 1970s once the Greenbelt was authorised, and the first residents arrived in 1967. A home from that period brings original doors, trim and old caulking to the list. A recently built house brings first-year fixes, shelves and blinds. The year of construction shapes the list more than the postal district does: door and trim repair, weatherstripping and drafts and shelves, curtain rods and art cover most of it.
The prices HomeStars prints for Gloucester
HomeStars carries a page titled for Gloucester. It states $50 to $100 an hour for general tasks and then per-job figures: TV, shelf or artwork mounting $80 to $250, minor repairs such as wall patches $75 to $150, furniture assembly or disassembly $50 to $100, small painting $200 to $400 per room or area plus materials. The Ottawa guide on the same site prints a higher hourly range, $85 to $120, and adds that minimum charges can include a set number of hours.
The two sit side by side in the table above. A per-job price lets you compare quotes line by line. An hourly price needs an estimate of hours. For a list with several lines, ask for the total and the lines it covers, and read it against the handyman cost guide.
Rules for the quote
Ontario’s consumer page gives three numbers for the quote. A contract worth more than $50 goes in writing. The final bill can run at most 10 per cent over an estimate written into the contract, unless you sign a change. The down-payment it recommends is 10 per cent. Sign a contract worth $50 or more at home, and you have 10 calendar days to cancel it.
Permit questions in the east and south
Painting and decorating, new flooring and a door or window swapped in an opening of the same size are permit-free in Ottawa, though each must still meet the Ontario Building Code. Bigger projects go to the City’s Building Code Client Service Centre, or start with a call to 3-1-1.
Who calls you
The desk sends your Gloucester list to one independent company whose area includes your street. That company phones, quotes and does the work, and the call is the moment to ask how it bills the drive.
Questions to ask the company
- Is my street in Gloucester inside your usual area, and what do you charge for the drive?
- Is your price per job, per hour, or per visit with a minimum number of hours?
- Will you put the price, the lines covered and the hardware in writing before you come?
- If a line takes longer than expected, at what point do you stop and call me?
- Can you do several lines from my list on the same visit?
Have this ready for the call
- Your postal code, since Gloucester spans many different parts of the east and south
- A list in order of priority, one job per line
- Photos, wide and close, with the size written on each
- Any hardware you already bought, with the receipt or box
- Who will be home, and which door or entrance to use
Questions people ask
Which part of Ottawa counts as Gloucester?
Gloucester was a separate city until 2001 and the name still describes the area east and south of the inner core. Wikipedia’s neighbourhood list includes Beacon Hill, Blackburn Hamlet, Blossom Park, Carson Grove, Findlay Creek and Carlsbad Springs. Orléans has its own page. Give your postal code and the company confirms coverage.
Why does the Gloucester page print lower rates than the Ottawa guide?
HomeStars prints $50 to $100 an hour on its Gloucester page and $85 to $120 in its Ottawa guide. The Gloucester page carries no date. Treat both as a range of what companies charge, then compare the written quotes you get for your own list.
Gloucester runs from Billings Bridge to Carlsbad Springs. Does that spread change the bill?
It can. The HomeStars Ottawa guide lists travel and call-out fees as a price driver, with distance adding to them. Gloucester is wide, so ask the company how it bills the trip and whether the fee is charged once for a visit with several jobs.
Our Blackburn Hamlet house is from the late 1960s. What tends to show up on the list?
Original doors that bind, worn trim and caulking that has dried out. Blackburn Hamlet’s first residents arrived in 1967, so many houses are near sixty years old. Give the build year and a photo per line; a door that needs a new slab in the same opening needs no City permit.
