What winter tarping costs in the GTA, and what drives the price

Updated October 2026 · By GTA Tarping INC, Newmarket

Price drivers

• Linear feet and storeys. More scaffold face means more tarp, more fastening and more labour. A three-storey elevation takes more material and time than a two-storey one.
• Elevations covered. Wrapping one rear wall costs far less than enclosing all four sides.
• Material. Reinforced poly is lighter and quicker to install; insulated tarps hold heat better and cost more. See shrink wrap vs insulated tarps.
• Duration. Enclosures that stay up for months need more maintenance than those up for a few weeks.
• Re-secure visits. Exposed, windy sites need more visits to keep panels tight.
• Access and travel. Tight lots, road occupancy and travel distance all affect labour time.
• Multi-lot efficiency. Several homes on the same phase can be scheduled back-to-back, which reduces set-up and travel per house.

Example scopes from real jobs

We'll publish example scopes from real jobs, with the city, storeys and scope, once they're documented. Until then, we'd rather give you a real quote for your site than an invented example.

What a good quote includes

• The address, elevations and approximate linear feet covered
• The material for each elevation
• What's included: measure, install, re-secure and strip
• What's excluded: scaffold, heaters and fuel, snow clearing
• Duration assumptions and how extra time is priced
• Who supplies heat, and how the enclosure is set up for it

Ways to cut cost without cutting protection

• Book before freeze-up so installation isn't rushed.
• Tarp only the elevations where masonry or envelope work is happening.
• Match material to need: insulated tarps where you need to hold heat, reinforced poly where you mainly need to block weather.
• Group homes on the same phase into one programme.
• Keep scaffold access clear on install day.

FAQ

Is winter tarping priced per house?

No. It's priced per job, based on linear feet, storeys, elevations, material, duration and access.

Are heaters included?

Not usually. Heaters and fuel are typically supplied by the masonry contractor or builder. The quote says who supplies them.

Can I get a price over the phone?

We can give a rough idea, but a written quote needs the address, storeys, linear feet and elevations.

Get a line-item quote

Send your site details for a line-item quote on winter scaffolding tarping, or call 905-251-0101. Related guide: Winter construction in the GTA: a builder's checklist. Get a quote