What makes an exposed aggregate quote in Nepean expensive?

Exposed aggregate concrete runs about $13 to $28 per square foot in the Ottawa area, and small jobs often hit a minimum charge of about $5,500, according to Ottawa price pages. Where your quote lands in that range depends on several things that are worth understanding before you compare bids.

The factors that push a quote toward the higher end include:

• site access and excavation
• removal and disposal of existing concrete, which a national cost page puts at about $1,000 to $5,000 or more for a project, and which should be itemized separately in any quote
• base preparation, which the contractor's written specification should spell out
• the size of the pour relative to a contractor's minimum charge
• cold-weather protection, which adds labour and equipment if the pour happens when the air is below 5 °C, since the 2024 Ontario Building Code then requires the concrete to be kept at not less than 10 °C for 72 hours after placing
• the concrete mix itself, which the 2024 Ontario Building Code sets at a minimum of 32 MPa at 28 days for exterior flatwork, with a water-to-cement ratio no higher than 0.45

A few City of Ottawa rules also apply to the job. Since March 1, 2026, any business installing a concrete patio, walkway or steps on private property in Nepean is required to hold a City of Ottawa Hardscaping Contractor Licence, carry commercial general liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence, and provide written contracts. If the work touches the City right of way, an access permit costs $208 under the Access By-law 2026-139, and a road cut permit is also required before work begins. For applications deemed complete on or after March 11, 2026, Zoning By-laws 2008-250 and 2026-50 both apply, with the most restrictive provisions applying, so confirm the rules for your lot with the City.

Before any digging starts, a locate request must be submitted through Ontario Dig Authority at least five business days in advance, under the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012. Locates are free; ask the contractor who will submit the request.

When you have a quote in hand, ask the contractor to show you their City of Ottawa Hardscaping Contractor Licence and to break out the base preparation, removal and disposal, and cold-weather protection as separate line items, so you can see exactly what is driving the number.