In short
- Stittsville sits about 20 km west of downtown Ottawa, southwest of Kanata; it was part of Goulbourn Township until 2001.
- Stittsville ward counted 40,889 residents in the 2021 census.
- Ottawa exempts heat pump and AC installs from a building permit, except on designated heritage buildings and in Heritage District Overlays.
- Home Renovation Savings pays up to $7,500 for a cold-climate heat pump in a home heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Furnace repair, all cases | $100–$7,000 | HomeStars Ottawa guide |
| HVAC labour, hourly | $75–$150/h | HomeStars Ottawa guide, average about $110 |
| Diagnostic and repair, business hours | from $149/h + HST | one Ottawa firm’s rate; after hours from $225/h + HST |
| Common furnace part repairs | $100–$2,500+ | one Ottawa firm’s list |
| Electric baseboard to central gas heat | $10,000–$16,000 | HomeStars Ottawa guide |
| Electrical panel upgrade for new HVAC | $200–$2,000 | HomeStars Ottawa guide |
Sources. HomeStars, HVAC Costs in Ottawa, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026. Ottawa list A: one Ottawa firm’s furnace repair page, rates before HST, seen 29.10.2026. Ottawa list B: one Ottawa firm’s furnace repair cost guide, seen 29.10.2026. Rebates: Home Renovation Savings, Heat pumps, seen 29.10.2026. Permits: City of Ottawa, Projects not requiring building permits, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, Rules for businesses entering into contracts with consumers at home and Ontario, Guide for home renovation and roofing businesses, seen 29.10.2026. Gas work: TSSA, Be fuels wise, seen 29.10.2026. Warranty: Tarion, coverage for freehold and condo units, seen 29.10.2026. Area facts: Wikipedia, Stittsville and Wikipedia, Stittsville Ward, read 29.10.2026; Stittsville ward councillor’s office, Hartin House up for designation, 29.10.2026.
A village of 1854, a suburb of 40,000
Stittsville took its name in 1854, when Jackson Stitt became the first postmaster in Goulbourn Township. The Carleton County Fire of 1870 burned most of the village, and it was rebuilt along the railway, now a stretch of the Trans Canada Trail. Goulbourn joined Ottawa in 2001. The ward took in the newly built Blackstone subdivision in 2014, and the 2020 ward boundary changes added land at its edges for planned housing.
So the homes range widely: a handful of 19th-century stone houses, subdivisions from Amberwood Village and Granite Ridge to Fairwinds and Jackson Trails, and the newest streets. Put the build year in the request, and say whether the furnace is original. It helps the technician bring the right parts.
Stone houses and the heat pump exemption
The City of Ottawa lists installing air conditioning units and heat pumps among projects that need no building permit. Designated heritage buildings and buildings in a Heritage District Overlay are outside every exemption, and the City asks owners to contact a Building Client Service Centre representative. Exempt work must still meet the Ontario Building Code and the Zoning By-law, which matters for where an outdoor unit stands.
In Stittsville, City heritage staff have recommended designating the David Hartin House on Cedarow Court, a stone house from 1876, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act; the Built Heritage Committee takes it up on November 5, 2026. If your home is on the heritage register, say so in the request.
Name the fuel first
Home Renovation Savings, run by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy with Ontario support, sets heat pump rebates by what heats the house today:
- Enbridge Gas customer heating with natural gas: $500 a ton, up to $2,000, for a cold-climate air source heat pump; $3,000 for ground source.
- Electricity, oil, propane or wood, on the Ontario grid: $1,250 a ton, up to $7,500; ground source $2,000 a ton, up to $12,000.
- Rented heat pump, any fuel: $500 a ton, up to $2,000.
The owner applies, and homes occupied for six months or less do not qualify. A participating contractor files the pre-installation application, and pre-approval is mandatory. More in heat pump rebates in Ottawa. A baseboard-heated house can also move to gas: HomeStars puts that switch in Ottawa at $10,000–$16,000.
Rooms the ducts never reached
An addition, a finished basement or a room over the garage often sits at the end of a long duct run. A ductless mini-split heats and cools that room on its own. In the request, give the room’s use and size, where an outdoor unit could go, and the age of your electrical panel. HomeStars notes that newer HVAC equipment sometimes needs more electrical capacity.
What moves the price on a Stittsville visit
- Time of day. One Ottawa firm publishes $149 an hour plus HST in business hours, and $225 after hours, both as starting rates.
- The diagnosis. Another firm’s guide puts the Ottawa service call fee at $80–$200, with $50–$150 more after hours.
- The part. That guide lists a flame sensor at $100–$200, a blower motor at $400–$1,200 and a heat exchanger at $1,500–$2,500+.
- Distance. HomeStars says travel time within the Ottawa region can affect the hourly rate.
More in furnace repair costs in Ottawa. A cold house in January belongs on the no heat page.
Paper before the work starts
Ontario’s guide for renovation businesses says a contract over $50 needs a written agreement. With an estimate in the contract, the business cannot charge more than 10% above it unless you sign a change for extra work. TSSA states that furnaces and fuel-fired appliances must be maintained by TSSA-registered contractors, and its website has a lookup tool to check registration.
Who handles your request
Ottawa Heating Desk sends your Stittsville request to one independent local heating and cooling company. That company calls you back, looks at the equipment, quotes the job in writing and does the work. The price, the schedule and any warranty on the work come from that company.
Questions to ask the company
- Do you work in Stittsville and on the rural roads around it, and is there a travel charge?
- What is your TSSA registration number, and is the technician coming TSSA-certified?
- Are you a Home Renovation Savings participating contractor, and will you file for pre-approval first?
- If the outdoor unit needs a new circuit or a bigger panel, who does that part, and is it on the quote?
- Is the diagnostic fee credited to the repair, and will the full price with HST be in writing first?
Have this ready for the call
- Street and nearest main road, such as Stittsville Main Street, Hazeldean Road, Carp Road or Huntmar Drive
- Neighbourhood, such as Old Stittsville, Amberwood Village, Jackson Trails, Fairwinds or Blackstone
- Year the house was built, and whether it is a designated heritage property
- Main fuel: natural gas, oil, propane, electric baseboard or wood
- Photos of the furnace label, the thermostat and the spot for an outdoor unit
Questions people ask
Is Stittsville too far out for an Ottawa heating company?
Stittsville is inside the City of Ottawa, about 20 km west of downtown. HomeStars notes that travel time and distance can affect the hourly rate, so ask about a travel charge and give your postal code.
Our house is an old stone building near Main Street. Can we add a heat pump without a permit?
The City’s exemption for heat pumps and AC units leaves out designated heritage buildings and properties in a Heritage District Overlay. For those, contact a Building Client Service Centre representative first.
We heat with propane outside the urban area. Which rebate applies?
The Home Renovation Savings stream for electricity, oil, propane or wood: up to $7,500 for a cold-climate air source heat pump and up to $12,000 for ground source, if the home is on the Ontario grid.
Our Blackstone house is a year old and the furnace keeps failing. Who do we call?
Tarion’s year-two coverage includes heating, counted from the date of possession. Inside that window, start with Tarion’s claims process before paying for outside work.
The technician fixing our furnace offered a new one during the visit. Is that allowed?
Under Ontario’s rule, a business doing repairs at your home cannot sign a new furnace agreement during that visit unless you already have a contract with it, or it asked in advance and you agreed.
