On signing day, every renovation looks on budget. By rough-in week, half of them aren’t.
The $80,000 quote becomes $112,000. Three weeks late. Three trades coming back.
The plan changed. The contract didn’t.
Here’s what the data actually shows:
→ Canadian renovations get underestimated by 30-50% when owners price against US benchmarks → Moving a sink or bathroom after rough-in: $2,000–$5,000 in extra costs, every time → Over-improving past 10-15% of property value: capital you don’t recover at sale
The change that hurts the most? Layout shifts after rough-in. Plumbing follows tile. Tile follows electrical. Move one fixture, three trades come back.
This isn’t a contractor problem. And it’s not a client problem either.
What actually changed?
Decisions got made on site instead of on paper. The design package was rough. The CAD wasn’t dimensioned. The math always catches up.
For anyone signing renovation contracts in Alberta right now — owner, GC, designer — one question matters more than the quote:
WHICH layouts are locked, WHICH dimensions are confirmed, WHICH trades have signed off.
Not “is the budget realistic?” It usually is on paper.
But a budget doesn’t survive a vague design. A dimensioned package does.
If you’re starting a renovation in Alberta and want a second read on the design package before rough-in — I’m happy to take a look.
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