In short
- Seventy-one per cent of Westboro homes are detached, most of them built from 1900 to 1960. The Westboro area had 22,725 residents in the 2016 Census.
- Westboro lies along the Ottawa River, with Richmond Road as its commercial street and Island Park Drive as its eastern edge.
- Older plaster, paint, putty and caulking can hide asbestos, Health Canada says, so the build year belongs in the request.
- Almost all electrical work in Ontario must be reported to the Electrical Safety Authority by notification of work.
- HomeStars' Ottawa guide gives $85–120/h for general repairs and $120–350 for seasonal jobs such as storm windows.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Handyman time, general repairs | $85–120/h | HomeStars Ottawa guide, updated 21.08.2026 |
| Door installation or window fixes | $250–900 | Per job, same guide |
| Small painting or touch-up | $200–400 | Per room or area plus materials, HomeStars page for Gloucester, Ottawa |
| Curtain rail or blind installation | $50–120 | Per job, same Gloucester page |
| Seasonal tasks such as storm windows | $120–350 | HomeStars Ottawa guide |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: HomeStars, How much does a handyman cost in Ottawa? (updated 21.08.2026); HomeStars, Handyman in Gloucester, Ottawa (undated). Area facts: Wikipedia, Westboro, Ottawa. Rules: Health Canada, health risks of asbestos; ESA, notifications and inspections; City of Ottawa, projects not requiring building permits; City of Ottawa, submitting building permit applications.
A village on Richmond Road
Westboro started in the late nineteenth century as a place with views across the river to the Gatineau Hills. It was a police village from 1903 until Ottawa annexed it in 1949, and a streetcar line along what is now Byron Avenue brought Ottawa residents to what was then cottage country. Richmond Road, the old road to Bells Corners, is the commercial centre today. The community association defines the area between the Transitway, Tweedsmuir Avenue, Carling Avenue and Denbury Avenue. Westboro Beach sits just north.
A company that serves the west end needs your postal code and the nearest cross street.
Houses from 1900 to 1960
Wikipedia states that most Westboro houses date from 1900 to 1960, and that 71 per cent are detached. Many cottage-like homes remain near the river north of Scott Street. That age shapes the list:
- Trim and doors. Casings and doors of that age may need matching pieces. A same-size replacement is exempt from a building permit; a matching profile needs a company that stocks or mills it. See door and trim repair.
- Plaster walls. A crack in plaster differs from a crack in drywall, and the repair is priced as a different job. The drywall repair page explains how companies quote patches, and a ceiling patch belongs on the same list.
- Drafts. Older frames leak. Seasonal tasks such as storm windows run $120 to $350 in the HomeStars Ottawa guide; see weatherstripping and drafts.
Asbestos and wiring: where the list stops
Health Canada lists plaster, drywall, paint, putty, caulking and spackling among older materials that may contain asbestos, and says the material was used mainly for insulation before 1990. It advises hiring a professional to test before renovating, and warns that drilling, sawing and sanding can release fibres. If your house is from the early or middle part of the century, say so before any line that means cutting into a wall.
Wiring is a second boundary. The Electrical Safety Authority states that the Code requires almost all electrical work to be reported by a notification of work, and that a building permit is a separate thing. A loose switch plate is a handyman line. New circuits, replacement of old wiring and a panel are for a contractor the ESA licenses. The handyman or trade page sorts the lines.
Condo units near Richmond Road
New condo buildings along and near Richmond Road keep adding residents, Wikipedia notes. In a condo the list needs access details: the unit number, the building’s rules for contractors, and a booking for the elevator. Put them in the request so the company can say on the first call if it can attend.
Permits and the City Hall counter
The City’s exempt list covers most of a Westboro handyman list: paint, floors, same-size doors and windows. It adds that designated heritage buildings, and any building inside a heritage district overlay, get no exemptions. For those, speak to a Building Code Client Service Centre representative before work starts; the FAQ has the City Hall counter hours.
How the request is handled
Westboro lists go from the desk to one independent company that works the west end. The company phones, prices the jobs and sends the person who does them.
Questions to ask the company
- My house is from the 1930s or 1940s. How do you treat a line that means drilling or cutting a plaster wall?
- Can you match old trim and a door in the same opening, and who buys the pieces?
- For a condo unit, what do you need from the building: a booking, a deposit, an elevator slot?
- Will one afternoon cover the list, or should I split it?
- If I mention an outlet or a light, will you tell me when it goes to an electrician?
Have this ready for the call
- Your postal code and the year the building was constructed
- For a condo: unit number, the board's contractor rules, elevator and loading-dock booking
- Door and trim measurements, taken inside the frame
- Photos of each job, one wide and one close
- Parking: a permit zone, a driveway or visitor spots on Richmond Road side streets
Questions people ask
My Westboro house has plaster walls. Can a shelf still go up?
Usually, once the company knows what is behind the plaster and how old it is. Drilling is one of the steps Health Canada says can release asbestos fibres from older materials, so the company may ask for a test first. It will say so on the call.
Our 1940s ceiling fixture hangs loose. Is rewiring it a handyman job?
Ontario’s Electrical Safety Code requires almost all electrical work to be reported to the Electrical Safety Authority, and the work is done by a Licensed Electrical Contractor or the homeowner. Ask the company where it draws the line before it comes.
The front door on our 1930s house is shot. Is a new one a permit job?
A door swapped into an opening of the same size is on the City of Ottawa’s permit-exempt list; widening it or cutting a new one needs a permit. A designated heritage building or a property in a heritage district overlay gets no exemption, so contact the Building Code Client Service Centre first.
Which Building Code counter serves a Westboro address?
City Hall at 110 Laurier Avenue West has a Building Code counter, open Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with appointments and walk-ins. Call 3-1-1 if you want to check by phone.
