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Guides

Renovation guides for Calgary homeowners.

194 articles on costs, permits, hiring, design and specialty rooms, from the team that plans, designs and builds Calgary's award-winning renovations.

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The 2026 Calgary Renovation Cost Guide.

The Calgary Renovation Cost Guide 2026: real investment ranges for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions and whole-home renovations, plus the hidden costs to plan for.

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Essential guides.

Climate-controlled wine cellars in Calgary: a builder's guide

Specialty builds · 9 min read

Climate-controlled wine cellars in Calgary: a builder's guide

A wine cellar is a small, sealed refrigerated room inside a heated house. How it is insulated, vapour-sealed, cooled and humidified so a collection keeps for decades in Calgary's dry climate.

October 9, 2026 · Read →
Custom steam showers and home saunas in Calgary: a builder's guide

Specialty builds · 9 min read

Custom steam showers and home saunas in Calgary: a builder's guide

A steam shower or sauna is a sealed room full of heat and moisture, wired to a large dedicated circuit. How they are waterproofed, powered, permitted and finished so they last for decades.

October 9, 2026 · Read →
Building a legal basement suite in Calgary: the 2026 guide

Basements · 7 min read

Building a legal basement suite in Calgary: the 2026 guide

The permits, safety requirements and deadlines that turn a basement into a legal, registered secondary suite, and how the 2026 zoning changes affect your plans.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Calgary's rezoning repeal: what it means for your renovation or addition

Additions & custom homes · 5 min read

Calgary's rezoning repeal: what it means for your renovation or addition

Council reversed the 2024 citywide rezoning, effective August 4, 2026. Here is what changed for additions, suites and R-CG properties, and what to check before you design.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Building a hail-resistant exterior in Calgary

Outdoor & exterior · 6 min read

Building a hail-resistant exterior in Calgary

Class 4 roofing, tougher siding and smarter details: how to rebuild an exterior that stands up to Calgary hail, and what has happened to the City's roofing rebate.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Protecting your Calgary basement from water before you finish it

Basements · 5 min read

Protecting your Calgary basement from water before you finish it

Heavy summer rain is getting heavier. The steps that keep water out of a Calgary basement, and why they belong at the start of any basement development.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Radon in Calgary homes: test before you finish the basement

Basements · 4 min read

Radon in Calgary homes: test before you finish the basement

One in eight Calgary-area homes tested above Canada's radon guideline. How to test, what the result means, and why the time to fix it is before the basement is finished.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Paying for energy upgrades during a Calgary renovation (2026)

Costs · 5 min read

Paying for energy upgrades during a Calgary renovation (2026)

What is open and what has closed in 2026: Calgary's property-tax financing program, the federal loan that ended, and how to fold efficiency upgrades into a larger renovation.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Asbestos and vermiculite: renovating an older Calgary home safely

Hiring & planning · 4 min read

Asbestos and vermiculite: renovating an older Calgary home safely

If your home was built before 1990, asbestos is part of the renovation plan. Where it hides, what the City requires before a permit, and how to keep it from derailing your schedule.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
What changed for Calgary homeowners in 2026: rules, codes and incentives

Hiring & planning · 8 min read

What changed for Calgary homeowners in 2026: rules, codes and incentives

One place for the 2026 changes that affect renovations, additions, suites and new homes in Calgary and Alberta, with links to the official sources.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Backyard suites in Calgary: the 2026 rules and the City incentive

Additions & custom homes · 6 min read

Backyard suites in Calgary: the 2026 rules and the City incentive

A garden or laneway suite can house family, add rental income or become a studio. Here is what changed in 2026, what the City will contribute, and how to plan one.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Tax credits, rebates and financing for Calgary renovations in 2026

Costs · 6 min read

Tax credits, rebates and financing for Calgary renovations in 2026

Most renovations aren't tax-deductible, but several federal programs help with suites, accessibility and new homes. What is available in 2026, and what has ended.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Paying a renovation contractor in Alberta: licences, contracts, holdbacks and liens

Hiring & planning · 6 min read

Paying a renovation contractor in Alberta: licences, contracts, holdbacks and liens

Alberta law protects homeowners who pay deposits and progress payments, but only if you know the rules. What to check before you pay anyone.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
Alberta's building codes in 2026: what changed for renovations and new homes

Additions & custom homes · 5 min read

Alberta's building codes in 2026: what changed for renovations and new homes

The codes behind every permit have changed in the last two years. What applies to your Calgary renovation, addition or custom home now, and what is still being debated.

October 5, 2026 · Read →
How to choose the right renovation contractor

Hiring & planning · 5 min read

How to choose the right renovation contractor

Written estimates, warning signs, licences and insurance: the checks to make before you sign with anyone, including us.

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Signing a renovation contract and paying for the work

Hiring & planning · 4 min read

Signing a renovation contract and paying for the work

What belongs in the contract, how to handle blanks and changes, and how a fair payment schedule works.

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Planning a luxury renovation: from first idea to final walkthrough

Hiring & planning · 6 min read

Planning a luxury renovation: from first idea to final walkthrough

How a design-build project runs at Kay2, and what you will decide at each step.

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Planning an indoor pool or spa at home

Specialty builds · 6 min read

Planning an indoor pool or spa at home

Structure, humidity and mechanical systems: what an award-winning indoor pool project has to get right.

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Golf simulators, theatres, courts and cellars: planning specialty rooms

Specialty builds · 5 min read

Golf simulators, theatres, courts and cellars: planning specialty rooms

The room dimensions, systems and early decisions that make specialty spaces work.

Read →

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