Core Renovations
Whole home renovations in Calgary
Love the location, not the house? We re-plan and rebuild it top to bottom.
Many Calgary homeowners face the same choice: move, or make the home they already own work for the next twenty years. A whole-home renovation lets you keep the street, the lot and the neighbours while changing everything inside.
Kay2 treats the house as one design rather than a series of rooms. Layouts, structure, mechanical systems and finishes are planned together and built by one team. Both of our Renovator of the Year awards were for whole-home transformations.
What's included
- Complete design and architectural drawings
- Open-concept layouts and structural changes
- Mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades
- Additions and energy-code upgrades where needed
- Kitchens, baths, flooring and millwork throughout
- Permits, inspections and one project manager
4.7on Google · 81 reviews
2× Renovator of the YearBILD Calgary Region, 2018 & 2022
CHBA National AwardBest Basement Renovation in Canada
Fixed-price contractsOne team, one project manager
What we plan for
A Kay2 whole home renovation, considered from every angle.
The decisions that separate a good result from an exceptional one, and how we handle each.
01
Start with the plan, not the finishes
We map how you want to live in the home for the next decade, then decide which walls, rooms and systems change to get there.
02
Structure and systems
Whole-home projects are the right time to upgrade electrical, plumbing, heating and insulation, before new finishes go in.
03
Phasing and living arrangements
We plan whether you stay, move out or phase the work, and build the schedule around that decision.
04
One design language
Flooring, millwork, lighting and hardware are chosen together, so the house reads as one considered design.
05
Additions where they add the most
Many whole-home projects include an addition. We design it with the interior so new and existing spaces flow.
2026 costs
What a whole-home renovation costs in Calgary.
Planning ranges per square foot for renovating a Calgary home in 2026.
Updated finishes, same layout
$80 – $130 / sq ft
A refresh of surfaces and fixtures throughout.
New layout, quality finishes
$150 – $230 / sq ft
Reworked plan with updated mechanical systems.
Luxury renovation
$250 – $400 / sq ft
Custom finishes, full mechanical and electrical, and structural change.
Example: an 1,800 sq ft home renovated with a new layout and quality finishes runs about $270,000 to $415,000. Planning ranges, not quotes; your price is confirmed in a fixed-price proposal after design. Most whole-home renovations take 4 to 8 months. Try the cost calculator or get the free 2026 cost guide.
How it works
One plan for the whole house.
Kay2 designs, permits and builds every room under one contract and one project manager.
- 01
Complimentary consultation
We walk through your home, talk about how you live and what isn't working, and look at the structure and systems behind the walls.
- 02
Design and drawings
Kay2's in-house designers plan the space, draw it and detail it, and engineering is arranged where the work needs it.
- 03
Selections at the Showroom
Choose cabinetry, stone, tile, flooring, lighting and fixtures for every room in person at the Kay2 Showroom and Design Centre in SE Calgary.
- 04
Fixed-price proposal and permits
You receive a detailed, fixed-price proposal, and Kay2 takes care of the City of Calgary permits and inspections.
- 05
Build and handover
One project manager runs the whole renovation from demolition to final walkthrough, with weekly updates and a site cleaned every day.
Local expertise
Whole home renovations in Calgary: what to know
Calgary's established neighbourhoods are full of well-located homes from the 1950s to the 1990s that no longer suit how families live. A whole-home renovation lets you keep the lot, the trees and the commute while replacing dated layouts, systems and finishes.
Larger projects in Calgary often combine interior work with additions, new mechanical systems and energy-code upgrades, with development and building permits from the City of Calgary. Kay2 manages the drawings, engineering, permits and inspections as one project, with one project manager.
Proof, not promises
See it built by Kay2.
Google reviewers describe Kay2 renovating kitchens, bathrooms, floors and exteriors in one project, and a high-end renovation in Chestermere delivered on time.
Read Kay2's 81 Google reviews
★ 2022 BILD Calgary Region Awards finalistRutland Park, SW Calgary
Rutland Park Revamp
A family home reworked on every level: an open main floor with the kitchen at its heart, a new mudroom, an upstairs ensuite and a finished basement.
- Whole home
- Kitchens
- Ensuites
★ 2018 BILD CR Renovator of the YearMayland Heights, NE Calgary
Mayland Heights: Whole-Home Renovation with Basement Pool
A dated 1987 house transformed into a clean, modern family home, with three additions and an in-ground pool built beneath it.
- Whole home
- Additions
- Pools & spas
- Exteriors
★ 2022 BILD Calgary Region Awards finalistBankview, SW Calgary
Bankview Bliss
An inner-city home opened up and brightened, with a two-tone island kitchen, a fireside dining room and a primary suite that looks out over downtown.
- Whole home
- Kitchens
- Ensuites
Why Kay2
Why Calgary homeowners choose Kay2 for whole home renovations.
The concerns we hear most are budget creep, timelines slipping and nobody taking ownership. This is how we prevent them.
Twice Renovator of the Year
BILD Calgary Region's top renovation honour in 2018 and 2022, plus a CHBA national award.
One team, one contract
Design, estimating, project management and construction under one roof. No hand-offs, no finger-pointing.
Fixed-price contracts
Scope is drawn and priced before construction, so the number you sign is the number you plan around.
One project manager
The person who plans your project runs it to handover, with a weekly status email.
Hiring separately
- Designer, contractor and trades each with their own contract
- Drawings priced after they're finished, often over budget
- Several people to call when something changes
Kay2 design-build
- One team and one contract from first sketch to handover
- Design priced as it's drawn, then a fixed-price contract
- One project manager who makes the call on site, same day
Planning whole home renovations in Calgary?
Start with a complimentary consultation with a Kay2 estimator.
How your project runs
- 01ConsultationA complimentary conversation about your home, how you want to live in it and what must be included.
- 02BudgetAn estimator shapes your wish list into a scope and budget, with options you may not have considered, and discusses financing.
- 03DesignArchitectural drawings, then finishes and fixtures chosen at the Showroom. Permits, lead times and each phase are scheduled before work begins.
- 04BuildStructure, systems and finishes built to the drawings, on a protected and tidy site, with a weekly status email.
- 05CompletionA detailed walkthrough checklist, final inspections and sign-off only when you are fully satisfied.
Investment
Every Kay2 project is priced to its scope. After design you receive a detailed, fixed-price proposal.
Timeline
Your schedule is set before construction begins, including permits and material lead times, and you get a weekly status email throughout.
Free guide · 2026 edition
Plan your budget with our free 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.
Your first step
What your complimentary consultation includes.
- A conversation about your homeYour goals, how you live, what isn't working today and what must be included.
- An estimator's honest viewScope, feasibility and options you may not have considered, before anything is drawn.
- Clear next stepsHow budget, design, permits and financing will work for your project, and roughly when work could start.
- No cost, no pressureThe consultation is complimentary. Ask us the hard questions; there's no obligation afterwards.
On video
Whole Home Renovations by Kay2, on video.
Project tours · 0:44
Rutland Park whole-home renovation
An open-concept main floor with load-bearing walls removed, a new kitchen and mudroom, an ensuite and walk-in closet upstairs, and a finished basement.
FAQ
Whole Home Renovations in Calgary: your questions answered
Can't see your question? Call 403.273.2202 or send us your project.
Is it better to renovate or move in Calgary?
If you love your location and lot, a whole-home renovation lets you keep them while redesigning the house around how you live now. Kay2's Mayland Heights clients chose this route to stay close to family, renovating a 1987 home with three additions.
Can we live in the house during a whole-home renovation?
It depends on the scope. Some projects can be phased; full transformations usually mean moving out for part or all of the build. We plan this with you before work starts. See our guide on living through a renovation.
How much does a whole-home renovation cost in Calgary?
In 2026, updating finishes on the same layout runs about $80 to $130 per square foot, a new layout with quality finishes $150 to $230, and a luxury renovation with structural change $250 to $400. An 1,800 sq ft home with a new layout typically lands around $270,000 to $415,000.
How long does a whole-home renovation take?
Most whole-home renovations take 4 to 8 months from demolition to final walkthrough, depending on the scope, structural work and permits.
Do you handle permits and engineering?
Yes. Kay2 coordinates the drawings, engineering, development and building permits, and inspections as part of every project.
Service area
Serving Calgary and the surrounding area
Kay2's award-winning and award-finalist work includes homes in Bankview, Rutland Park, Stanley Park, Southwood, Mayland Heights and Bridgeland in Calgary, in Lower Springbank, and on Chestermere Lake. We work across Calgary's inner-city and established neighbourhoods and in nearby Chestermere, Springbank, Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Strathmore, Canmore and Banff. Every project is planned from our Showroom and Design Centre at 3336 47 Ave SE, Calgary.
Guides
Plan with confidence.
Costs · 12 min read
What Is the Typical Cost of Renovating a House in Calgary?
A typical Calgary home renovation runs between $35,000 and $150,000 depending on scope. A kitchen gut and rebuild averages $45,000 to $85,000. A full ensuite renovation runs $30,000 to $65,000.…
August 13, 2026 · Read →
Hiring & planning · 9 min read
Can You Live in Your House During a Renovation?
Every renovation website shows you the finished kitchen. Almost none of them tell you what the eleven weeks before that photo are like. It is a fair question and homeowners ask it constantly: can…
September 23, 2026 · Read →More core renovations