Heritage Masonry in Ottawa: Approvals, the City Grant and What a Quote Should Show
No single range for heritage work
Repointing with heritage lime runs about $15 to $45 per sq ft on the repointing page (published Ontario contractor pricing, 2025–26; yours will differ)
Reviewed 2026-10-01 · how we set these ranges · rules for every masonry job
Heritage masonry jobs vary too much for one range. This page covers the approvals that can come first, the City's Heritage Property Grant, and what a quote for work on a designated property should show.
City Heritage Property Grant
- Up to $15,000 for small-scale buildings and up to $35,000 for large-scale buildings, on a matching basis
- For buildings designated under Part IV or Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act
- Can fund "the restoration and repointing of exterior brick masonry"; "not intended to assist with the regular ongoing maintenance"
- Masonry repair projects may be phased for up to three years
Applications for the 2027 program: October 19 to November 30, 2026.
Check eligibility with the City before you plan around it.
What a quote should show
| Line | Published figure | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage approval | Staff-level alterations $309; some maintenance applications have no fee | Whether your work needs an application |
| Mortar | See the repointing page | Lime-based or not, and the plan's wording |
| Matching brick or stone | Ask | Size, colour and texture |
| Cleaning | Ask | The method; a test patch first |
| Building permit | Ask | Heritage approval is not a building permit |
Rules specific to this job
In a heritage conservation district, no part of the property other than the interior may be altered without a permit, except minor alterations the district plan describes; "alter" includes restore and repair.
Ontario Heritage Act s.1, s.42The Centretown and Minto Park, Wilbrod/Laurier and Daly Avenue plans list repointing and foundation repairs as regular maintenance that needs no heritage permit; Centretown adds "using heritage methods and materials". Other districts' plans may differ.
HCD plans read 2026-09-30"Sand blasting is not an appropriate method" in the Centretown plan, which asks for a test patch before cleaning masonry.
Centretown & Minto Park HCD Plan 6.2 d)
Permits, the hardscaping licence, contracts, disposal, cold weather and dust apply to every job: see the shared rules.
Ask before you sign
- Which approvals the work needs, and who applies
- Which mortar, and how it follows the district plan
- Where matching units come from
- Whether the work could fit the grant program
- How the quote changes if more damage appears
More on this work: Heritage Masonry
Masonry IQ answers on this job
- Do I need a heritage permit to repoint in Centretown?
- Is my house in an Ottawa heritage conservation district?
- Is an Ottawa heritage approval also a building permit?
- Is a heritage property exempt from Ottawa permit exemptions?
- When can I apply for the Ottawa heritage property grant?
- Painting brick in a Centretown heritage district, allowed?
- Should old Ottawa brick get lime mortar or Portland cement mortar?
Quick answers
What does the City heritage grant fund?
The City says the grant is "not intended to assist with the regular ongoing maintenance" of a heritage building. It is for Part IV or Part V designated properties; check eligibility with the City.
Want this done at your place?
Tell us about your brick or stone job and we'll send it to local Ottawa masons, who reply by email. We send it out to local contractors for you. Free, no pressure.