Six months ago, every developer was focused on finding land. Today, the real problem is projects bleeding money after breaking ground.

75% of Canadian construction projects go over budget. Most of them weren’t hit by surprises.
The story is always the same. The root cause never changes.
Here’s what actually happens:
→ A client changes the flooring after demolition: +$3,500 and 2 weeks lost → A layout decision gets revised mid-framing: +$5,000 minimum → A permit gets skipped to save $300: potential fine of $10,000+
The projects that hold? The ones where every decision was locked before day one.
The ones that bleed? The ones where the design was still “open” when the first wall came down.
This isn’t about market conditions. Not material costs. Not labour shortages.
What causes it?
No one froze the design before starting.
For any developer, contractor or investor running projects in Alberta right now — one question matters more than the budget itself:
WHO SIGNED OFF ON THE DESIGN — AND WHEN.
Not “is the budget realistic?” It might be.
But a realistic budget doesn’t survive a design that keeps moving.
Process does.
I use a one-page design freeze agreement on every project. Signed before day one. It doesn’t prevent changes — it makes every change a conscious decision with a known cost.
If you want to see the document — send me a message.

#Alberta hashtag#AlbertaRealEstate #CalgaryRealEstate #CanadaConstruction #ConstructionCanada #HousingMarket #RealEstateCanada #AlbertaConstruction #Feasibility #ProjectManagement #BusinessDevelopment #RealEstateDevelopment #ConstructionManagement #HousingStarts #PropertyDevelopment #AlbertaEconomy #CalgaryConstrucion #NewBuilds #RealEstateInvesting #UrbanDevelopment