Moving in Barrhaven: describe the move, a local crew calls with a quote

Where Barrhaven sits

Barrhaven is about 17 km southwest of downtown Ottawa. It was part of the City of Nepean until the 2001 amalgamation. Its edges are clear on a map: the Greenbelt to the north, the Rideau River to the east, Highway 416 to the west, and the Jock River and Half Moon Bay to the south.

The neighbourhoods inside include Old Barrhaven, Longfields, Davidson Heights, Chapman Mills, Stonebridge and Half Moon Bay, the newest of them. Chapman Mills Marketplace, at Strandherd Drive and Greenbank Road, is the main retail hub. The CitiGate business campus sits by Highway 416.

Routes in and out

• Highway 416 runs along the west edge and joins the 417, a direct line toward Kanata and the west end.
• Woodroffe Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive run north toward the core.
• Strandherd Drive crosses the Rideau River on the Vimy Memorial Bridge, opened in 2014, and becomes Earl Armstrong Road in Riverside South. It is the direct link between the two suburbs.
• Hunt Club Road crosses Highway 416 and runs east across the south of the city to the 417 near Ramsayville, a route toward the east end.
• Inside Barrhaven: Greenbank Road, Fallowfield Road, Jockvale Road and Cambrian Road.

Travel is billed on top of the hours at the address. Ask the company how it charges the drive and put the answer in the written estimate.

Townhouses: stairs are the job

Most Barrhaven streets are lined with townhouses, with some streets of larger suburban houses. For a moving crew, a townhouse means stairs inside the unit, often on every level, and a short carry to the driveway. Stairs add labour time, and labour time is the bill.

What helps:

• Measure the stair turns and the front door. Box springs, sectionals and large dressers decide the plan.
• Take apart beds and tables the day before, and bag the screws.
• Stage boxes on the ground floor near the door. The crew loads faster from one room than from three floors.
• Ask whether a third mover costs less overall. On three floors of stairs, an extra pair of hands can cut hours.

Shared driveways and visitor parking

A row of townhouses may share a strip of driveway and a few visitor spots. Talk to your neighbours a few days ahead so the truck can park near your door. Within the posted rules the truck needs no City permit, and an unsigned street allows 3 hours, 7 am to 7 pm.

Portable storage containers

If you need a storage container between homes, decide where it sits before you book it. A container on any part of the road allowance needs a Temporary Construction-related Encroachment permit. In 2026 a simple permit costs $101, the road rental is charged per square metre per day with a $41 daily minimum, and fees are non-refundable. Apply at least 10 business days before the delivery date.

Moving into a new build

Half Moon Bay is the newest part of Barrhaven. Before a move into a new build, ask the builder when the driveway, walkway and steps will be finished. Give the crew the exact address and any site access notes, since new streets may be missing from older maps.

Winter on townhouse stairs

Snow on the front steps and wet boots on three flights slow every trip. Clear and salt the walk, and lay runners on the stairs inside. From November 15 to April 1, overnight street parking is banned when the City forecasts 7 cm of snow or more.

See also: moving cost in Ottawa, Kanata, Orléans.