Costs
What a renovation actually costs in Calgary
Most renovation companies won't tell you what moves a price until you're mid-quote. We will. Here's what drives a Calgary renovation up or down, and how McAra Design + Build turns that into a fixed number.
What moves the price by project type
| Project | What moves the price |
|---|---|
| Kitchen renovation | Layout changes, whether plumbing or electrical moves, stock versus custom cabinetry |
| Bathroom renovation | Whether the layout or plumbing locations change, tile and fixture selections |
| Basement development | Whether a bathroom or wet bar is added, ceiling height and framing condition, finish level |
| Whole-home renovation | Number of rooms involved, structural or footprint changes, age and condition of existing systems |
| Flooring | Material choice, square footage, and subfloor repair or levelling needed |
| Interior painting | Square footage, number of colours, and prep work like patching or trim |
| Furnace, ventilation & air quality | Equipment type, home size, and condition of existing ductwork |
What pushes a project to the top of its range
Moving plumbing or electrical, changing the footprint or removing a wall, custom cabinetry or millwork, and higher-end finishes all move a project toward the top of its range. So does an older home where the mechanical, wiring or structure behind the finishes needs work before the visible renovation can happen.
What brings it down
Keeping the existing layout, reusing plumbing and electrical locations, and stock cabinetry or standard finishes keep a project at the low end of its range. A smaller, well-defined scope — one room instead of a knock-on sequence of rooms — also keeps the number down.
What usually adds cost after the quote
The two most common sources of added cost are something found behind a wall — moisture, old wiring, undersized ventilation — and scope added mid-project because a homeowner decides to upgrade a finish or extend the work into another room. Both are normal. What isn't normal is being billed for either without agreeing to it first.
A fixed-price scope stops this. McAra Design + Build writes the scope, the allowances and the price down before work starts. If something is found behind a wall, it's documented and priced as a change order that you sign before it's added — the number never moves on its own.
We won't be the cheapest
There will always be a lower quote in Calgary. It's usually lower because it skips a permit, an inspection, or the ventilation work behind a wall that nobody sees at handover. Our number includes those things, plus a workmanship warranty and a completion date in writing. Read the guarantee →
Frequently asked questions
- Most renovation companies avoid publishing numbers because a low number brings in leads and a real number scares off the leads that were never going to convert. McAra Design + Build publishes ranges for all 7 renovation types instead, because a homeowner comparing quotes deserves a starting point before the first phone call, not after it.
- Renovation quotes in Calgary vary because contractors scope different things under the same word — one quote assumes stock cabinetry and no plumbing moves, another assumes custom work and a relocated drain. McAra Design + Build writes a fixed, itemized scope before quoting a number, so the price reflects the actual work rather than a guess anyone could walk back later.
- Costs usually rise after a quote when something is found behind a wall — old wiring, moisture damage, or a structural change nobody accounted for — or when the homeowner adds scope mid-project. McAra Design + Build fixes the price and scope in writing before work starts, and a stated allowance covers items like tile or fixtures so a personal upgrade doesn't get billed as a surprise.
- No. McAra Design + Build is not the cheapest quote a Calgary homeowner will get, and it says so directly rather than competing on a number that gets cut by skipping permits, inspections or proper ventilation. The workmanship warranty and the fixed completion date are priced into the number from the start.
- A fixed-price quote from McAra Design + Build includes a written scope, itemized allowances for materials like cabinetry, tile and fixtures, a locked total, and a completion date, all delivered within three business days of the walkthrough. Anything outside that scope requires a signed change order before it's added, so the number doesn't move without the homeowner agreeing to it first.
- Larger renovations McAra Design + Build takes on in Calgary do cost less per square foot than small ones, because fixed costs like permits, dumpsters and mobilizing a crew get spread across more finished space. A whole-home renovation rarely costs seven times a single bathroom, even though it covers many times the area. McAra Design + Build prices each project on its own scope rather than a per-square-foot average.