How long does a renovation take in Calgary?

The short answer

Most kitchens take 6 to 10 weeks of construction. A primary ensuite takes 4 to 7 weeks, a basement with a bathroom takes 8 to 14 weeks, and a whole-home renovation takes 4 to 8 months. Additions usually take longer than any of these, because they involve foundations, framing and a new roof or wall tying into the house.

Those numbers cover construction, from demolition to the final walkthrough. Design, pricing and permits come before that, and on a well-run project they take longer than most people expect.

Typical construction timelines

• Kitchen, 6 to 10 weeks.
• Primary ensuite, 4 to 7 weeks.
• Basement with a bathroom, 8 to 14 weeks.
• Whole-home renovation, 4 to 8 months.
• Home addition, longer than a whole-home interior renovation in most cases, and set during design once the structure and scope are known.

These are the ranges in our Calgary Renovation Cost Guide. Your schedule is confirmed with your fixed price, before work begins.

The time before construction starts

Design and pricing come first. For a single room this can be a few weeks. For a whole home or an addition it is often a couple of months, because the drawings, the engineering and the finishes all need to be settled before anyone can give you a real price.

Then comes the permit. The City of Calgary lists a review target of about seven days for a basement development or home renovation, but in practice two to four weeks from submission to approval is a safer plan for a straightforward building permit. A legal secondary suite takes longer because it can need a development permit and a building permit in sequence. Our permit guide explains the details.

Long-lead items

Some things have to be ordered weeks or months ahead. Custom cabinetry, special-order windows and doors, stone slabs and some appliances are the usual ones. If they are chosen late, the crew can be ready and waiting for parts. That is why we ask clients to choose finishes during design, at our Showroom, rather than once construction has started.

What most often causes delays

• Changes after construction starts. Moving a wall or switching a finish mid-project means new drawings, new orders and sometimes a new inspection.
• Surprises inside the walls. Older homes can hide aluminum wiring, cast iron drains or asbestos, and dealing with them properly takes time. Our guide to renovating an older Calgary home covers what to look for.
• Incomplete permit applications, which are the main reason permits take longer than the City's target.
• Inspections. Each stage has to pass before the next one can start, so a failed inspection holds up the trades that follow.
• Winter. Exterior work, concrete and excavation are slower in the cold, though interior work carries on normally.

Can you live at home during the work?

For a basement or a single room, usually yes. For a kitchen it is possible with a temporary kitchen set up elsewhere in the house. For a whole-home renovation or a second storey, most families move out for at least part of the project. Our guide to living at home during a renovation goes through each case.

How Kay2 keeps a schedule on track

We finish the design and choose finishes before construction starts, order long-lead items early, and plan permits and each phase of the work in advance. One project manager runs the site from start to handover and sends a weekly status email, so you always know what was done, what comes next and which decisions are due.