01Ottawa · Security and low-voltage
Security and low-voltage cost in Ottawa, ON
Access control, cameras, intrusion detection, structured cabling and audio-visual. Almost always excluded from a general contractor's price, and almost always needed on day one. In Ottawa, the band moves with the curated local cost factor of 0.95× the national baseline.
02The local rate
Commercial hourly
$90 – $152
Ottawa adjusted
General hourly
$81 – $138
House-scale work
Commercial $/sf
$3 – $7
4% of hard cost
General $/sf
$11 – $17
From the residential band
The per-square-foot figures come straight from the curated Ottawa hard-cost bands, taken at 1% for a new build and 4% for a fit-out. Nothing on this page is a separate estimate — it is the same market data, sliced by trade.
Local context: Federal tenant fit-outs set the quality benchmark in Ottawa, pulling office TI budgets above the provincial average.
03General versus commercial
The two segments in Ottawa
| Segment | Hourly | New build $/sf | Fit-out $/sf |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / residential | $81 – $138 | $3 – $4 | $11 – $17 |
| Commercial | $90 – $152 | $2 – $3 | $3 – $7 |
What the quoted rate covers
Normally: Device supply and installation; Structured cabling and terminations; Programming and commissioning. Normally not: Network hardware, servers and licensing; Monitoring subscriptions; Door hardware and electric strikes; Integration with an existing base-building system.
What moves security and low-voltage pricing here
Device count and cable pathway length are the entire quantity. Door count for access control drives both hardware and door modification cost. Integration with a base-building system usually means the incumbent vendor sets the price. Recurring licensing and monitoring are operating cost, not capital, and are routinely missed.
Buildlor facts
- Ottawa runs at 0.95× the national construction cost baseline.
- Security and low-voltage is 1% of new-build hard cost.
- Security and low-voltage is 4% of fit-out hard cost.
04Questions
How much does security and low-voltage cost in Ottawa?
Security and low-voltage in Ottawa is billed in a band. The hourly and per-square-foot figures on this page are the national bands adjusted by the curated Ottawa cost factor, which is the same factor the Ottawa market page uses.
Is commercial security and low-voltage priced differently in Ottawa?
Commercial systems are networked, integrated with access control and fire alarm, and commissioned to an IT standard. Residential systems are self-contained consumer devices.
Does Buildlor do the work?
No. Buildlor publishes cost data. Use these bands to sanity-check a quote before you tender, then price the full project in the Cost Stack Builder.
Buildlor Construction Cost Index · Last updated 2026-01-15 · Maintained by Buildlor Cost Desk
Scope: Security and low-voltage, Ottawa, ON
Not advice — Buildlor is a data publisher. We do not bid, price, estimate, or build work, and nothing here is a quote, a tender price, or construction advice. Figures are indicative order-of-magnitude benchmarks for early budgeting and must be confirmed by a qualified cost consultant, quantity surveyor, or general contractor before you rely on them. About Buildlor