Ontario · Energy · checked September 28, 2026

Thermal imaging inspections in Ottawa

An infrared camera shows missing insulation, air leaks and damp spots without opening a wall, but only when it's at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Ottawa's long heating season gives you months of good scanning weather.

Get matched in Ottawa → How an infrared scan works
Hands holding an infrared camera aimed at a ceiling corner beside a frosty window; the screen shows a cold streak

Cost

Usually included; confirm

Best conditions

≥10°C inside/outside difference

Winter design temperature

−24.3°C

Houses built before 1961

16%

How Ottawa is built

Ottawa's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Ottawa's 287,345 houses. Before 1961: 16%, 1961–1990: 40%, 1991–2000: 13%, 2001 or later: 32%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 16%
  • 1961–1990 40%
  • 1991–2000 13%
  • 2001 or later 32%
Each house stands for one in ten of Ottawa's 287,345 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. Snowfall scales with heating degree-days. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

When to book in Ottawa

Ottawa gets about 4,354 heating degree-days a year and has a winter design temperature of −24.3°C, according to NRCan's HOT2000 climate data for Ottawa International. That gives Ottawa a long window, roughly late fall to early spring, when the inside-outside difference comfortably exceeds the 10°C an infrared scan needs.

A 1950s brick bungalow on a snowy suburban street at dusk, lamplight in the front window
The same bungalow as an infrared camera sees it: heat glowing around the door, window frames, eaves and the rim joist above the foundation
Illustration: the same house in visible light and in infrared. A winter scan shows where heat escapes: door and window edges, the eaves, and the rim joist above the foundation.

What the camera finds in Ottawa houses

Of Ottawa's 287,345 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 16% were built before 1961 and 56% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Older houses are where the camera earns its keep: empty or settled wall cavities, gaps at the top of walls, and cold corners where framing bridges the insulation. Run it with the blower door test depressurizing the house and every leak shows up as a cold streak.

What it costs

Most EnerGuide advisors include an infrared scan with the evaluation, but it isn't required, so confirm when you book. Typical Ontario prices are about $500–$700 for the initial EnerGuide evaluation and $200–$450 for the follow-up, plus HST where it applies. Windfall Ecology Centre charges $500 + HST for the initial evaluation and $250 + HST for the follow-up, Reep Green Solutions charges $540 and $406 with no HST, and City-backed programs in Ottawa and London quote $500–$700 as typical for the first visit. Only assessments from the seven HRSP-approved organizations qualify for the $600 Home Renovation Savings rebate, and none of the seven publishes a price.

NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Ottawa

Most EnerGuide advisors bring an infrared camera, but it isn't a required part of the evaluation, so confirm when you book. The scan is most useful with the blower door running.

Only assessments from the seven HRSP-approved organizations qualify for the $600 Home Renovation Savings rebate and its assessment-path upgrade rebates; each listing below says whether it's one of them.

Source: NRCan list of licensed service organizations, checked September 28, 2026. Call to confirm your street is covered and ask about wait times.

Programs and local help in Ottawa

Provincial · needs an evaluation Home Renovation Savings — Home Energy Assessment path Up to $10,000 per home for insulation, windows and air sealing, plus $600 back on your assessments — if the follow-up assessment is done by December 31, 2026 Open · deadline

Thermal imaging inspection in Ottawa: common questions

When is the best time for a thermal imaging inspection in Ottawa?

Late fall through early spring, when it is at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Cold, overcast days with no direct sun on the walls give the clearest images.

Can a thermal camera see through walls?

No. It reads surface temperatures. Missing insulation or an air leak shows up because it changes the temperature of the wall or ceiling surface.

Who does thermal imaging in Ottawa?

Most of the 26 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Ottawa bring an infrared camera to an EnerGuide evaluation; confirm when you book.

Thermal imaging inspection near Ottawa

Thermal imaging inspection in Gatineau13 kmThermal imaging inspection in Kingston139 kmThermal imaging inspection in Laval155 kmThermal imaging inspection in Montréal161 kmThermal imaging inspection in Terrebonne163 km All 70 cities →

Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (Ontario); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Ottawa International (6 km away).

Get matched with a registered advisor in Ottawa

Tell us your postal code and what you’re planning. We’ll connect you with one licensed service organization serving your area. No spam, no shared lead lists.

Email us what you’re planning, your postal code and the type of building (a house, a duplex or triplex, or a larger multi-unit building) — we’ll reply with registered service organizations for your area and which rebates apply.

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