May a two-riser stoop sit on grade in Riverside South?

Yes, a two-riser stoop may sit on grade. The 2024 Ontario Building Code, at section 9.12.2.2(3) and (4), permits concrete steps with one and two risers to be laid on ground level, without the deeper foundation required for stairs with more than two risers.

That said, sitting on grade does not mean anything goes. The Code still governs the steps themselves. Each riser must be between 125 mm and 200 mm, and each run must be between 255 mm and 355 mm, per Table 9.8.4.1. Risers must be uniform, with no more than 5 mm difference between adjacent treads or landings and no more than 10 mm between the tallest and shortest risers in the flight, per section 9.8.4.4. The stoop must be at least 860 mm wide, per section 9.8.2.1(4). Treads and the landing surface must be wear-resistant, slip-resistant, and smooth, even and free from open defects, per section 9.8.9.6. Those requirements apply regardless of whether a building permit is required.

On the permit question, the City's Landscaping Education Guide (March 2026) says some hardscape structures need a building permit, including stairs and landings that provide access to a building. The City's Building Code Services advisory on landscaping materials adds that a landscaping structure providing access to an egress is built under a building permit where certain conditions apply, including a difference in elevation of more than 600 mm (2'-0") between adjacent surfaces. A two-riser stoop at a front or side door sits at the threshold of that analysis. The safe step is to ask the City's Building Code Services whether this specific stoop, at this entrance, in Riverside South, needs a permit before any work begins.

Zoning is also in play. Both Zoning By-law 2008-250 and Zoning By-law 2026-50 apply to applications deemed complete on or after March 11, 2026, with the most restrictive provisions from each governing. Soft-landscaping minimums for the front or exterior side yard depend on the yard's setback depth and the lot width. Confirm the rules for the specific lot with the City.

Before anyone digs, even for a shallow base, a locate request must be submitted through Ontario Dig Authority at least five business days before the dig. That is a requirement under the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, and it applies to any ground-breaking, regardless of depth.

The contractor doing the work must hold a City of Ottawa hardscaping contractor licence, which has been required since March 1, 2026 for businesses installing concrete steps on private property. The licence requires the contractor to carry commercial general liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000 and automobile liability of not less than $2,000,000, and to provide a written contract and a copy of the City's Landscaping Education Guide.

When you are ready to hire, ask the contractor to show you their City of Ottawa hardscaping contractor licence and then confirm their name appears on the City's published list of licensed hardscaping contractors.