When a whole home renovation makes sense
Most of our whole home clients have the same story. They love the neighbourhood, the lot and the neighbours, but the house was built for a different way of living. Small closed rooms, a dated kitchen, tired bathrooms and old mechanical systems all need attention at once.
Renovating everything together is usually cheaper and faster than doing it room by room over ten years, because the walls are only opened once and every system is planned as a whole.
What it costs per square foot
- Updating finishes while keeping the same layout runs about $80 to $130 per square foot.
- A new layout with quality finishes runs about $150 to $230 per square foot.
- A luxury renovation runs about $250 to $400 per square foot.
What usually changes
A whole home renovation often opens up the main floor, moves the kitchen, adds or enlarges bathrooms, creates a proper primary suite and updates every surface. Behind the walls, it is a chance to bring wiring, plumbing, heating and insulation up to current standards.
In Rutland Park, Mayland Heights and Bankview, Kay2 re-planned and rebuilt homes top to bottom. The Mayland Heights renovation, which included three additions and new foundations under the house, became Kay2's first Renovator of the Year project.
What older Calgary homes can hide
- Aluminum wiring and undersized electrical panels in homes from the 1960s and 1970s. A panel upgrade typically runs $3,500 to $7,000 installed.
- Cast iron drains that crack and corrode with age. Replacing them typically costs $3,000 to $8,000.
- Asbestos in plaster, flooring, insulation and duct wrap in homes built before 1990. Abatement typically runs $2,000 to $15,000.
- Thin insulation and drafty windows that make the house hard to heat.
Living somewhere else during the work
Most whole home renovations take 4 to 8 months of construction, and for most of that time the house is not livable. A furnished rental in Calgary typically runs $2,200 to $3,500 a month. We plan the schedule with that in mind and give you a realistic timeline before work starts.
Some projects can be phased so you stay in part of the house, but it usually adds time and cost. We will tell you honestly whether it makes sense for your home.
For project-by-project timelines, see our guide to how long a renovation takes, and for the right sequence of work, read what order to renovate a house in.
Energy upgrades while the walls are open
A whole home renovation is the cheapest time to add insulation, air sealing, better windows or a heat pump, because the walls and ceilings are already open. When the City of Calgary's Clean Energy Improvement Program reopens, it can finance eligible upgrades through your property tax bill.
Permits and inspections
Whole home renovations need building, electrical, plumbing and gas permits, and sometimes a development permit if the exterior or footprint changes. Kay2 prepares the drawings, applies for the permits and books every inspection.
Keeping a large project on budget
The biggest budget risk on a whole home project is decisions made late. We finish the design and choose finishes before construction starts, then sign a fixed-price contract, so the number you agree to is the number you plan around. We still recommend a contingency of 10 to 15 percent for what the walls reveal.
