In short
- Manotick is about 25 km from downtown, outside the 20 km radius one Ottawa firm uses for a local move.
- Another firm bills one hour of travel within 30 km of City Hall and adds 15-minute steps further out.
- Riverside South had 19,802 residents in the 2021 census and was settled in 1996, per Wikipedia.
- One Ottawa firm prints $1,645–2,120 as its typical cost of a 3-bedroom house move.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 movers + 26 ft truck, local move | from $175/h | One Ottawa firm’s list; suits 3–4 bedroom homes |
| 2 movers + 26 ft truck, local move | from $139/h | Same firm; suits 2–3 bedroom homes |
| 3-bedroom house, local move | $1,645–2,120 | Another firm’s typical total |
| 4-bedroom house, local move | $2,100–3,120 | Same firm; varies with day, crew and access |
| Travel, pick-up 60 km or more from the firm's office | 2 h flat | A third firm; one hour inside that distance |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: ottawabestmovers.ca, Prices (rates, 20 km rule); First Rate Movers, Local Moving in Ottawa (30 km travel rule, totals); Move-Ottawa Movers, Our Prices (travel time); Wikipedia, Riverside South; Wikipedia, Manotick; Capital Current, Riverside South growth (Feb 2025); City of Ottawa, Parking; Ontario.ca, Hiring a mover. The company that calls you quotes its own price.
South of the Greenbelt
Riverside South is a suburb in the south end, just southwest of the airport and east of the Rideau River. Manotick is a village of 5,315 people on the Rideau River, about 25 km from downtown, in Rideau-Jock Ward. The two are close to each other and far from the core, and the quotes show it.
How movers bill the drive
Companies define “local” differently, and the definition decides your bill. OttawaBestMovers.ca draws a 20 km circle around City Hall and adds travel time past it. First Rate Movers bills one travel hour up to 30 km, then 15-minute steps. Move-Ottawa Movers charges one flat hour locally and two once the pick-up is 60 km or more from its office.
Manotick sits past the first limit and inside the second. Ask the company for the rule in writing and for the hour the clock starts. The moving cost guide walks through a worked example.
Riverside South: a young suburb
The community was settled in 1996. The 2021 census counted 19,802 residents, and the community association’s projection is 24,920 by 2034. Older Honey Gables, built around 1950, has three streets west of River Road. Capital Current reported a new O-Train station, a secondary school and a retail development along Earl Armstrong Road for 2025.
In a new development, ask the builder about move-in hours, visitor parking and access while building continues, and pass the answers to the crew. Neighbouring Barrhaven has the same pattern, described on the Barrhaven page.
Roads, the bridge and the train
Limebank Road backs up in the morning as commuters head toward downtown. The Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge, completed in 2014, links Riverside South to Barrhaven. O-Train Line 2 reached Limebank with the reopening in early January 2025. Every minute the loaded truck sits in that queue is on the clock, so ask the company when it plans to be on Limebank.
Manotick: village and rural lots
Manotick grew around a stone mill built in 1859 on the Rideau River. Moss Kent Dickinson founded the village in 1864, and Watson’s Mill is now a working museum. The village of Long Island Locks on the Rideau Canal was first settled in 1833. Beyond the village are rural lots with long driveways.
The truck matters more here than the street. A long driveway adds carry distance, gravel and slopes slow the crew, and a tight gate can stop a 26 ft truck. Ask what truck the company plans.
What it costs
For south-end houses the useful figures are the bigger crews: $139 an hour for two movers on a 26 ft truck and $175 for three, on one Ottawa card. First Rate Movers’ typical house totals are $1,645–2,120 at three bedrooms and $2,100–3,120 at four, and they shift with the day, the crew, the access and the drive. The company that calls sets its own price. For crew sizes see local moving; for the next suburb west, Barrhaven; for the next one north, Nepean.
City streets and your rights
Where the truck loads from the street, the by-law’s daytime limit is three hours on an unsigned block. Collect three written estimates, as Ontario.ca advises; a contract over $50 must be written, and the 10% cap keeps the bill close to the estimate. See the quote checklist.
Who calls you
A south-end request goes from us to one independent mover. It asks about the driveway, the stairs and the drive out, then gives its price.
Questions to ask the company
- Where does the clock start for a move out to Manotick, and is the travel charge flat or in 15-minute steps?
- Will the truck fit my driveway, and how far is the carry from the door to the ramp?
- What time do you plan to be on Limebank Road or the Strandherd bridge?
- Is there a charge for a private road, gravel or a steep drive?
Have this ready for the call
- Measure the driveway length and note the surface, the slope and any gate.
- For a townhouse, count the stairs inside the unit and photograph the front step.
- Give both postal codes in the request so the company can work out the distance.
- Ask the condo or townhouse association about move-in hours and visitor parking.
Questions people ask
Why is a move to Manotick priced differently from one in Barrhaven?
Distance. Manotick is about 25 km from downtown, past the 20 km radius one Ottawa firm uses for local moves, though inside the 30 km where another firm charges a flat hour of travel. The rule of the company that calls decides how the drive shows on the estimate.
Does the new O-Train line help a move to Riverside South?
Line 2 reached Limebank in early January 2025 and carries commuters; the truck still takes the road. Ask the crew what time it plans to drive.
Can a crew work on a rural driveway in spring?
Tell the company the surface, the slope, the length and whether there is a gate or a turn-around. Soft or rutted ground in spring can stop a loaded truck short of the door, so ask in advance what the crew does when the drive is muddy.
What if my closing date moves?
State the closing date and a back-up date in the request. Ask the company how it handles a changed date and whether a deposit moves with it, and get the answer in the written estimate. Ontario.ca advises asking what happens if there are unforeseen events such as a breakdown or a traffic jam.
Is a move from Manotick to Gatineau still local?
It depends on the company. One Ottawa firm counts any move within 100 km of City Hall as local, another uses a 20 km radius and adds travel beyond it. Pick Local move in the form, give both postal codes, and the company that calls says how it prices the distance and the river crossing.
