Is the Ottawa street permit fee refunded if I cancel the bin?

The City's TCE permit fee is not refunded. The City's TCE page states plainly: "All fees … are Non-Refundable." That applies to the application fee whether the permit is approved, denied, or the job is cancelled after approval.

The 2026 fees are set out separately from any bin company charge. A Simple permit (10 working days or less) costs $101.00. A Complex permit (more than 10 working days, or a renewal) costs $998.00. On top of those, the City charges a daily rental for the space: $0.87 per square metre per day on the boulevard, or $2.02 per square metre per day on the sidewalk or roadway, with a $41.00 daily minimum. City staff determine which permit type applies. None of those amounts come back to you if plans change.

The bin company's cancellation terms are a separate matter entirely, and they vary. The Consumer Protection Act, 2002 gives a 10-day cancellation right for a direct agreement (one negotiated in person away from the supplier's place of business), and different disclosure and copy rules apply to internet and remote agreements. But none of those rights touch the City's permit fees, which are gone once paid.

The application fee is paid when the application is submitted, and the City requires a minimum of 10 business days to process it, so the fee is paid before the bin arrives. If the job is delayed or cancelled in that window, the fee does not come back. The same is true after the permit is issued.

One practical point: the City says TCE applications may be submitted by residents, contractors or construction companies, so agree in writing with the bin company before the application goes in about who pays the permit fee and what happens to it if the job changes.

Read the bin company's cancellation terms in full before you hand over any payment, and confirm in writing what happens to any deposit if the job date shifts.