Frequently Asked Questions

A bin on the road, boulevard, sidewalk or a public laneway sits on City property. Under the Road Activity By-law 2003-445 that needs a Temporary Construction-related Encroachment (TCE) permit first, and the City's own examples include a "Roll off or disposal bin in roadway or public laneway". The City accepts applications from residents, contractors or construction companies, so agree in writing who applies before the bin is booked.

The City's 2026 fees: $101 for a Simple permit (10 working days or less) and $998 for a Complex permit (more than 10 working days, or any renewal of a Simple permit). Rental is added: $0.87 per square metre per day on the boulevard, $2.02 per square metre per day on the sidewalk or roadway, with a minimum rental charge of $41 a day. All fees are non-refundable. Our own arithmetic: a single bin's footprint on the road works out below $41 a day, so for most single bins the daily figure is the $41 minimum.

The City requires a minimum of 10 business days processing time, so a bin cannot go on the street the day you call. If a parking space has to be removed, the City needs at least four business days notice. A permit runs for up to three months and can be renewed, and it may be limited to certain days or part of the day.

Post the permit prominently on the outside of the encroachment area. The City does not provide traffic control: all traffic control devices are the permit holder's responsibility, in general conformance with Ontario Traffic Manual Book 7. In winter the permit holder removes snow from the encroachment area and keeps walkways clear. A Complex permit also needs $5,000,000 of liability insurance naming the City.

The TCE permit covers City land: the road, boulevard, sidewalk and public laneways. The City's right-of-way includes the accesses to driveways and the boulevard beside your property, so the end of a driveway near the street can be City land. Check the approximate line on geoOttawa or ask the City's ROW Permit Office before the bin is placed there.

The City's Trail Waste Facility rates page says: "We do NOT accept asbestos at the landfill", and the same for commercial garbage, liquid waste and hazardous waste. There is a permanent ban on industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) waste. Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers must have their cooling chemicals removed and be tagged by a certified technician, or they are refused. Paint, propane cylinders, aerosols and motor oil are household hazardous waste.

No. Ontario's Reg. 347, s.17 allows asbestos waste to travel only in a rigid, impermeable, sealed container, or in bulk by a system whose Environmental Compliance Approval specifically allows asbestos, never with other cargo in the same vehicle. The City landfill does not accept it. Removal and disposal belong with an abatement company; see ottawaabatement.com.

Not by the City: its landfill refusal list does not name drywall, shingles or mattresses, and it tells residents to bring construction material to a landfill rather than put it out with garbage. Bans and per-item fees on those items are company rules, and they differ, so ask each company for its list of refused and surcharged items in writing.

Ottawa bin companies' own size guides point a single-room renovation such as a kitchen or bathroom to a 14 to 20 yard bin, and a large renovation or demolition to a 30 to 40 yard bin. Two companies describe a 20 yard bin as roughly 8 pickup-truck loads. These are typical figures; sizes and shapes vary by company, so check the dimensions of the bin you are quoted.

Heavy material fills a bin's weight long before its volume. Heavy material such as soil, concrete and brick usually needs a small or dedicated bin, or a partly filled one, billed by weight. Weight limits differ by company, so ask what the quoted bin may hold.

Two pricing models, never mixed. Bin fee plus weight: about $200 to $350 for delivery, pickup and about a week, plus disposal at about $150 to $160 per tonne. All-in: about $460 to $540 plus tax for a 14 to 20 yard bin for about a week with 1 to 2 tonnes included. Extra days run about $15 to $35 each. These are published prices from Ottawa bin companies, seen October 2026; for 30 and 40 yard bins, ask for a price in both models.

The City permit is $101 for 10 working days or less, or $998 for a longer permit or any renewal, plus a daily rental with a $41 minimum. Those are City fees, separate from anything the bin company charges, and they are non-refundable. Ask whether the company's quote includes the permit or leaves it to you.

It depends on how you booked. The Consumer Protection Act's 10-day cancellation without reason applies to direct agreements, which are made in person away from the company's place of business. A booking by phone or online is a remote or internet agreement, with its own disclosure and copy rules. A booking for a later drop-off over $50 must be in writing. Read the cancellation terms before you pay.

The City's list of businesses that need a municipal licence has no bin-rental category. Ontario says that, unless exempt, environmental permissions for waste transportation systems may include an Environmental Compliance Approval or registration in the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry. This site does not check any company's permissions, so ask the company directly.

There is no City or provincial rule on it; it is a contract term. Ask each company whether it puts boards or planks under the bin and who pays for damage to a driveway or lawn, and get the answer in writing.