How Much Does Parging Cost in Ottawa? Complete 2026 Price Guide
⚡ Quick Answer
The average parging cost in Ottawa ranges from $3 to $10 per square foot depending on whether you need a repair or full new installation. Repairing existing parging runs $3–$6/sq ft, while new parging cement application costs $5–$10/sq ft. A full-perimeter foundation parging job on a typical Ottawa home costs $1,500–$6,000+.
Prices reflect 2026 Ottawa-area rates including surface prep, materials, labour, and cleanup.
If you’re an Ottawa homeowner noticing cracked, flaking, or crumbling foundation walls, it’s time to think about parging. Understanding parging cost before you request quotes helps you budget accurately and avoid overpaying—or worse, choosing a contractor who cuts corners on a job that protects your home’s most critical structure.
Parging is a thin protective coating of parging cement, acrylic, or lime-based mortar applied to exterior foundation walls. It shields your foundation from Ottawa’s punishing freeze-thaw cycles, prevents moisture infiltration, seals hairline cracks, and gives your home’s exterior a clean, finished appearance. Without it, your exposed foundation absorbs water, cracks propagate, and small cosmetic issues escalate into expensive structural repairs.
At Ottawa Masonry, our Red Seal masons specialize in professional parging built to survive Ottawa winters. This guide breaks down every cost factor so you can make an informed decision.
What Exactly Is Parging and Why Does It Matter?
Parging is a thin coat of mortar—typically cement-based, acrylic, or lime-based—trowelled onto the exposed portion of your foundation wall. Think of it as a protective skin: it doesn’t carry structural load, but it shields the concrete or block underneath from the elements.
Here’s why Ottawa homes specifically need quality parging. According to Environment Canada climate data, Ottawa experiences over 55 freeze-thaw cycles annually—one of the highest rates in Eastern Ontario:
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Freeze-Thaw Protection
Ottawa averages 55+ freeze-thaw cycles per year. Water enters tiny cracks, freezes, expands, and breaks the concrete apart. Parging seals those entry points.
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Moisture Barrier
Prevents water penetration that causes interior dampness, mould growth, and basement waterproofing failures.
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Crack Prevention
Acts as a sacrificial layer—it cracks first so your foundation doesn’t. Much cheaper to re-parge than to repair structural cracks.
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Curb Appeal & Value
A freshly parged foundation looks clean and maintained. Crumbling, stained parging signals neglect to buyers and neighbours alike.
Ottawa 2026 Parging Pricing Breakdown
Your final price depends primarily on whether you’re repairing sections or applying a full new coat, and which material is used. Here’s what Ottawa homeowners pay in 2026:
Parging Cement & Material Costs Compared
The type of parging cement or coating material significantly affects both price and performance:
💡 Pro Tip: For Ottawa’s climate, a two-coat application of parging cement is strongly recommended. The first coat bonds to the foundation and fills imperfections; the second coat provides the finished surface and cures more evenly. Many budget contractors skip the second coat to save time—this dramatically reduces lifespan.
What Will Your Parging Project Actually Cost?
Per-square-foot numbers are useful, but what does that translate to for real-world projects? Here are typical parging scenarios Ottawa homeowners face:
Most Ottawa parging contractors have a minimum project fee of $300–$500 to cover mobilization and setup. If you need parging alongside related work—like tuckpointing, brick repair, or chimney repair—bundling saves on labour costs since the crew is already on site.
7 Factors That Affect Your Parging Price in Ottawa
Two homes on the same street can have vastly different parging bills. Here’s why:
1 Condition of Existing Parging
Minor cracks and chips can be patched at $3–$6/sq ft. But if more than 20% of the surface sounds hollow when tapped, or parging is actively delaminating, full removal and re-application is needed—doubling the cost. A professional tap-test assessment before quoting is essential.
2 Total Area (Square Footage)
Larger projects have a lower per-square-foot cost because fixed costs (travel, setup, cleanup) are spread across more area. A full-perimeter job often costs less per square foot than patching a single wall.
3 Material Choice
Standard parging cement (Portland-based) is the most affordable. Acrylic costs 30–60% more but resists cracking better in Ottawa’s extreme temperature swings. Lime-based parging is preferred for heritage stone or brick foundations because it allows moisture to escape.
4 Surface Preparation Required
If old parging needs to be fully removed (chipped off by hand or with power tools), if cracks need epoxy injection, or if foundation repairs are needed underneath, preparation can add $2–$5 per square foot to the total. Proper prep is non-negotiable—parging applied over compromised surfaces fails within 1–2 years.
5 Foundation Height & Accessibility
Most exposed foundation walls are 1–3 feet above grade, which is straightforward. Taller exposed foundations, walkout basements, or areas requiring scaffolding or ladder work increase labour costs by 20–40%. Tight spaces between houses where the crew can’t easily access the wall also add time.
6 Number of Coats
A single-coat application is cheaper but less durable. A two-coat process—base coat plus finish coat—costs 25–40% more but lasts significantly longer and cures more evenly, preventing the blotchy appearance common on single-coat jobs. Reputable Ottawa masons always recommend two coats on bare concrete.
7 Season & Timing
Parging should be applied when temperatures stay above 5°C for at least 72 hours after application for proper curing. In Ottawa, the ideal window is May through mid-October. Applying parging in cold weather risks premature cracking and adhesion failure. Booking in early spring or late fall may save 5–10% versus peak summer pricing.
⚠️ Warning: Road salt is the #1 enemy of parging in Ottawa. Salt-contaminated splash-back eats through parging cement faster than any other factor. If your foundation faces a salted driveway, sidewalk, or roadway, clear salt residue each spring with a garden hose. This single habit can double your parging’s lifespan.
Crumbling Foundation? Get a Free Parging Estimate
Ottawa Masonry — Two-coat parging by Red Seal masons, built for Ottawa winters.
📞 (613) 454-8186
Repair or Replace? How to Decide
Not every parging issue requires a full redo. Here’s a straightforward framework for deciding between a spot repair and complete re-parging:
→ Hairline cracks (under 2 mm wide)
→ Small chips or surface flaking
→ Less than 20% of surface affected
→ Parging sounds solid when tapped
→ No moisture penetration behind the parging
→ Parging is less than 10 years old
Cost: $3–$6 /sq ft
→ Large areas crumbling or falling off
→ Hollow sounds across most of the surface
→ Visible moisture staining or efflorescence
→ Parging is 15+ years old with widespread damage
→ Cracks wider than 3 mm
→ Previous patches are also failing
Cost: $5–$10 /sq ft
How Professional Parging Is Applied: Step by Step
Proper technique is what separates parging that lasts 20 years from parging that fails in 2. Here’s the process our masons follow:
Surface Preparation
All loose, cracked, or hollow parging is removed down to sound substrate using chisels or power tools. The wall is wire-brushed to remove dust, salts, and efflorescence. Any foundation cracks wider than 2 mm are filled with patching compound or epoxy. Soil and landscaping are cleared 6+ inches from the foundation.
Dampen & Prime
The wall is thoroughly dampened—not soaked—with water. A bonding agent (SBR or acrylic primer) is applied to help the new parging adhere to the concrete. Without this step, dry concrete will wick moisture out of the parging mix too quickly, causing poor adhesion and premature cracking.
First Coat Application
The parging cement mix is trowelled onto the wall in a thin base coat (approximately 6–10 mm thick). This coat fills imperfections and creates a uniform bonding surface for the finish coat. It must cure for at least 24 hours before the second coat is applied.
Finish Coat & Texturing
A second coat is applied and trowelled smooth (or textured, if a decorative finish is desired). This coat provides the final weatherproofing layer. Edges are carefully feathered where new parging meets existing surfaces to create a seamless transition.
Curing & Protection
The slower parging cures, the stronger it becomes. In hot weather, the wall is covered with damp burlap for up to three days to prevent rapid moisture loss. In cooler weather, curing happens naturally. The parging reaches full strength in approximately 28 days, though it’s functional within 72 hours.
Parging vs. Stucco vs. Waterproofing: What’s the Difference?
Ottawa homeowners sometimes confuse these three services. They’re related but serve different purposes:
Key takeaway: Parging is not waterproofing. It resists surface moisture and prevents minor water penetration, but if your basement has active leaks or groundwater pressure, you need dedicated basement waterproofing in addition to parging. If your home’s exterior walls above the foundation need a decorative finish, stucco is the appropriate choice.
How Long Does Parging Last in Ottawa’s Climate?
Parging is designed as a sacrificial layer—it’s meant to take the punishment so your foundation doesn’t. With proper installation and maintenance, expect the following lifespans in Ottawa’s climate:
Cement-Based
10–20 yrs
Salt exposure reduces to 8–12 yrs
Acrylic
15–25 yrs
Best freeze-thaw resistance
Lime-Based
15–30 yrs
Self-healing micro-cracks
The five common causes of premature parging failure in Ottawa are: freeze-thaw cycles accelerated by poor drainage, road salt splash-back, improper surface preparation before application, single-coat (instead of two-coat) installation, and applying parging in temperatures below 5°C. Avoiding these five issues is the difference between a 5-year and a 20-year result.
5 Ways to Save Money on Parging Without Sacrificing Quality
1. Bundle with other masonry work — If you also need concrete steps repaired, tuckpointing done, or chimney work, combining projects with one contractor saves on mobilization fees.
2. Do the full perimeter at once — Parging one wall at a time over several years costs significantly more per square foot than doing the entire foundation in one project.
3. Book in early spring or late fall — Demand is lower and you may negotiate 5–10% off peak summer pricing while still being within the safe temperature window.
4. Maintain your parging proactively — Patch small cracks the moment you see them (a $300 repair) rather than waiting until the entire wall needs redoing (a $3,000+ job).
5. Clear soil and mulch away from the foundation — Keeping 6+ inches of clearance between soil and parging prevents moisture wicking that accelerates deterioration.
DIY Parging vs. Hiring a Professional: Is It Worth It?
Parging materials are available at any building supply store for $0.50–$3 per square foot—so DIY can seem tempting. But here’s the reality:
🛠️ DIY Parging
Suitable for: Small patches under 50 sq ft on sound substrate where the underlying concrete is in good condition.
Materials cost: $50–$200 for a typical patch job.
Risks: Improper mixing, poor bonding, uneven thickness, and incorrect curing lead to failure within 1–3 years. Looks noticeably different from professional work.
👷 Professional Parging
Suitable for: Any project over 50 sq ft, full-perimeter jobs, foundation repairs, walls with active damage or moisture issues.
Investment: $3–$10/sq ft with proper prep, bonding agents, two-coat application, and curing protection.
Benefits: 10–25 year lifespan, even finish, warranty coverage, root cause assessment for existing damage, and proper integration with drainage and foundation drainage systems.
Frequently Asked Questions About Parging in Ottawa
How much does parging cost per square foot in Ottawa?
Parging repair costs $3–$6 per square foot in Ottawa, while new full-coat installation runs $5–$10 per square foot. The final price depends on wall condition, material type (cement, acrylic, or lime), accessibility, and whether old parging needs removal. Decorative or textured parging costs $7–$12 per square foot.
How long does parging last in Ottawa?
Professionally applied cement-based parging lasts 10–20 years in Ottawa’s climate. Acrylic parging lasts 15–25 years, and lime-based parging can last 15–30 years. Road salt exposure, poor drainage, and single-coat application are the main factors that shorten lifespan. Annual spring cleaning to remove salt residue is the single best maintenance habit.
What is the best time of year for parging in Ottawa?
May through mid-October, when temperatures consistently stay above 5°C for at least 72 hours after application. Parging applied in cold weather won’t cure properly and will crack prematurely. The ideal conditions are overcast days around 15–20°C with moderate humidity—direct hot sun can cause the parging to dry too fast.
What is the difference between parging and stucco?
Parging is a thin protective coating applied to foundation walls, primarily for protection with aesthetic benefits. Stucco is a thicker, multi-coat decorative finish system applied to above-grade exterior walls. Parging runs $3–$10 per square foot; stucco runs $8–$15 per square foot. Different products, different areas of the home, different purposes.
Can I paint over parging?
Yes, but wait at least three weeks for the parging to fully cure. Use a high-quality exterior masonry paint or elastomeric coating designed for concrete surfaces. Painting can add UV protection and further extend the parging’s lifespan. However, paint also traps moisture, so ensure the underlying parging and foundation are in good condition before painting.
Why does my parging keep cracking and falling off?
The five most common causes are: poor surface preparation (no bonding agent, dirty substrate), application in cold weather below 5°C, single-coat application that’s too thick, underlying foundation movement or cracks, and chronic moisture exposure from poor drainage or salt. If your parging has failed multiple times, a professional assessment of the root cause is needed before re-applying.
Does parging count as waterproofing?
No. Parging provides moisture resistance by shedding surface water, but it is not a waterproofing system. It will not stop hydrostatic pressure from groundwater pushing through your foundation walls. If your basement has active water infiltration, you need proper waterproofing (membrane, drainage tile, or interior systems) in addition to parging the above-grade portion.
Is cement-based or acrylic parging better for Ottawa?
Both work well when properly applied. Cement-based parging is more affordable and traditional but is slightly more prone to cracking. Acrylic parging is more flexible, better at handling Ottawa’s temperature swings, and offers a smoother finish with colour options—but costs 30–60% more. For salt-exposed foundations (near driveways or roads), acrylic’s superior flexibility is often worth the premium.
Do I need a permit for parging in Ottawa?
No. Parging is considered cosmetic and protective maintenance, not structural work. No building permit is required from the City of Ottawa for standard parging repair or installation. However, if your project involves structural foundation repairs underneath the parging, a permit may be required for that portion of the work.
How do I maintain my parging to make it last longer?
Inspect annually each spring for cracks or chips and repair promptly. Rinse salt residue off with a garden hose after winter. Keep soil, mulch, and landscaping at least 6 inches below the parging line. Ensure gutters and downspouts direct water at least 6 feet away from the foundation. Avoid piling snow against parged walls during winter. These simple habits can double the service life of your parging.
Protect Your Foundation Before Winter Hits
Ottawa Masonry — Professional two-coat parging by certified masons.
Serving Ottawa, Kanata, Barrhaven, Orleans, Nepean, Gatineau & surrounding areas.
📞 (613) 454-8186