Ottawa committee approves plan to require licensing for landscapers

An example of a hardscaping project the city says must be removed over a bylaw violation. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)

Councillors on Ottawa’s emergency preparedness and protective services committee have approved a plan that would require landscapers who do hardscaping work pay an annual licensing fee in order to operate in the city.

Contractors who install, alter or pave hard landscaping features on private property would be required to obtain an annual licence from the city, at a cost of $381 plus a $60 administration fee.

Licensed snow plow contractors who also do hardscaping will not be required to pay a second fee, staff said.

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A list of licensed contractors would then be made available on the city’s website.

“We have a number of contractors who simply aren’t playing by the rules, and it’s costing everyone money,” said committee chair Coun. Riley Brockington. “It’s a cost to taxpayers to have our staff go out there multiple times. And it doesn’t create happiness; it creates a lot of ill will with residents who are having to remediate their properties.”

• RELATED: Kanata couple told to rip out $40K landscaping over bylaw violation

According to the staff report prepared for the committee meeting, a hardscaping contractor operating in Ottawa must meet specific application and renewal requirements, including:

• Confirming the name of the licensee and of the business
• Providing proof of valid commercial general liability insurance of at least $2 million
• Providing a business address in Ontario where the Chief Licence Inspector can send documentation or communications directly to the licensed business, such as the licensee’s business address or the address of an agent
• Payment of the applicable annual licence fees

A staff presentation at the committee meeting Thursday said the city receives an average of 385 service requests per year for non-compliant driveway alterations, such as widenings and extensions onto city property. There was an average of 100 enforcement actions per year, such as tickets, notices to fix, or orders to fix the non-compliant work.

Many instances go unreported, staff said.

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The report also said there were around 315 requests per year for unauthorized storage of landscaping materials in the city’s right-of-way, such as on the road or on the sidewalk. Again, many cases go unreported. Staff also said that around 50 per cent of contractors and residents do not know the rules around landscaping or could use more information.

Staff said consultations included around 1,100 landscaping contractors, seven industry associations, councillors, other municipalities, and the public. More than half of the contractors who were consulted (58 per cent) opposed a licensing regime.

Jonathan Gilman, owner of Ottawa Interlock Repair, told committee members he started his business at 17 and said the proposed rules would limit people under 18 from starting their own businesses, because they cannot legally sign contracts.

“The intention of this licence is to increase the bylaw and regulatory awareness, increase the general level of competence of hardscaping contractors in Ottawa, and I am all for that. I hold myself to a high standard and I prefer to compete against good contractors, not fly-by-night contractors this licence is supposed to curb,” he said.

“These guys cut corners and make it difficult for the honest guys. But I doubt that people who want to remain under the radar, doing cash jobs, I doubt they will get licensed as it is. I know that young people trying to make it landscaping, the new Canadians, the hard workers who don’t have the time or knowledge for extra paperwork, they will want to get licensed but they will not be able to, or will struggle to. It’s a small percentage who will be affected, but for those who are affected, it is not a small thing.”

The report goes to city council for a final vote on Oct. 22.

The City of Ottawa said in a news release Thursday that the new rules would take effect March 1, 2026.

With changes on the horizon, Bylaw and Regulatory Services Director Roger Chapman told committee members that some enforcement of non-compliant hardscaping is being deferred until next spring.

“We don’t want to be in situations where we’re being heavy-handed or enforcing bylaws that exist now that we know are going to change,” he said. “We’re still taking the complaint, we’re still investigating… unless it’s an obvious violation that we know is not going to change come Q1 next year, when the new regulations come into play, we’re holding off on enforcement action.”

Chapman urged councillors to ensure there’s a level playing field for all contractors and residents under the new licensing program.

“Speaking from experience, we set up these programs without enforcement to support these programs. They’re set up to fail. We need enforcement. I know it’s not always popular,  but we have to ensure that there’s a fair pay playing field for all contractors and all residents across the board.”

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Pringle