Construction & Renovation Services in Northwest Communities
Calgary's northwest quadrant sprawls from the university district at Brentwood and Charleswood through the 1960s-70s bungalow belts of Dalhousie, Silver Springs, and Ranchlands, past the shopping power of Crowfoot Crossing, and into the newer hillside communities of Edgemont and Hamptons that push toward the city limits at Stoney Trail. Nose Hill Park — 11 square kilometres of native grassland, Canada's fourth-largest urban park — sits at the geographic and psychological centre of NW Calgary, shaping development patterns around its edges and providing the open-sky views that drew families here for decades. The Red Line CTrain runs the length of the quadrant, with stations at Brentwood, Dalhousie, Crowfoot, and Tuscany giving NW residents light-rail access that most suburban Calgarians lack. For the construction industry, the northwest's defining feature is timing: the oldest communities are now 55-65 years old, their original homes cycling into the renovation-or-replace decision that drives steady work across the quadrant.
Key Renovation Considerations for Northwest Communities
The most common renovation project across NW Calgary is the 1960s-70s bungalow full update. The scope follows a predictable pattern: kitchen remodel ($30,000-$60,000), two bathrooms ($20,000-$45,000), flooring throughout ($8,000-$18,000), paint and trim ($5,000-$10,000), window replacement ($15,000-$35,000), electrical panel upgrade to 200 amp ($4,000-$8,000), some rewiring for kitchen and bathroom circuits ($3,000-$8,000), and furnace/AC replacement ($8,000-$18,000). Total: $93,000-$202,000. Most homeowners add basement development ($40,000-$80,000 for a standard finish, $60,000-$100,000 if the ceiling is below 7 feet and underpinning is required) to the scope, bringing total investment to $135,000-$300,000.
Secondary suite conversions are the growth category. The R-CG rezoning has made basement suites legal across most NW communities, and the economics are compelling: a legal basement suite adds $800-$1,400/month in rental income, and the investment to create one (separate entrance, kitchen, bathroom, fire separation, egress windows, separate electrical panel) runs $60,000-$120,000 depending on the existing basement's configuration. Payback periods of 5-8 years are typical, and the suite adds resale value as well.
For the newer 1990s-2000s homes, the typical project is a kitchen and main bathroom renovation ($50,000-$100,000 combined) driven by cosmetic preferences rather than functional necessity, plus basement development in homes where the builder left the basement unfinished ($40,000-$70,000). Exterior work — new siding, roof replacement, deck construction — is cyclical, with roofs (25-30 year asphalt shingles) and siding (30-40 year vinyl or fibre cement) reaching replacement age in the 2020s-2030s for 1990s-era homes.
Frequently Asked Questions: Renovations in Northwest Communities
My 1960s Brentwood bungalow has a low basement ceiling. Is underpinning worth it?
Underpinning a Brentwood bungalow to gain usable basement height is a significant decision. The typical 1960s bungalow has 6.5-7 foot basement ceilings — too low for comfortable living space and below the Alberta Building Code minimum for habitable rooms (6 ft 11 in). Underpinning involves excavating beneath the existing footings in sections, pouring new deeper footings and walls, and then pouring a new basement floor at the lower elevation. Cost: $40,000-$80,000 for a full-perimeter underpin of a standard bungalow footprint. Whether it's worth it depends on your plans. If you're developing the basement as living space for your own use, underpinning adds 500-700 square feet of comfortable, code-compliant space to your home — at $60-$115 per square foot, that's competitive with any other way to add living space in an inner-city location. If you're creating a secondary suite, the math is even stronger: a legal suite in a Brentwood basement commands $1,000-$1,300/month, and the underpinning cost is absorbed into the suite development budget. If you're planning to sell within 3-5 years without developing the basement, underpinning alone doesn't recover its cost at resale — it needs to be paired with a finished basement to generate meaningful return.
What's the difference between renovating a 1970s Dalhousie home versus a 1990s Edgemont home?
The differences are fundamental, not just cosmetic. A 1970s Dalhousie home likely needs: electrical panel upgrade (100 amp to 200 amp, $4,000-$8,000), partial or full rewiring (aluminum wiring in some 1970s homes is a specific safety and insurance concern — remediation runs $8,000-$20,000), plumbing assessment (copper with potential lead solder joints at that vintage), furnace replacement (original equipment is long past useful life), window replacement (single-pane to double or triple-pane, $15,000-$35,000), and insulation upgrades (original R-12 walls and R-20 attic don't meet current efficiency expectations). Add kitchen, bathrooms, and finishes, and you're at $150,000-$300,000 for a comprehensive renovation. A 1990s Edgemont home has fundamentally sound systems: 200 amp electrical, PEX or copper plumbing in good condition, a furnace that may have 5-10 years of life remaining, double-pane vinyl windows that still perform adequately, and insulation that meets the code of its era (though below current standards). The renovation is primarily cosmetic: dated kitchen cabinets and countertops, builder-grade bathroom fixtures, worn carpet, and perhaps an unfinished basement. Budget $80,000-$150,000 for a thorough update. The Edgemont renovation is faster (8-12 weeks vs 16-24 for the Dalhousie home), less disruptive, and doesn't require the same level of structural investigation.
How does the R-CG rezoning affect my ability to add a secondary suite in NW Calgary?
The May 2024 blanket R-CG rezoning was a game-changer for secondary suites in NW Calgary. Previously, adding a secondary suite required a discretionary development permit that triggered community notification and potential opposition. Under R-CG, a secondary suite — either within the existing home (typically a basement suite) or as a separate backyard/laneway building — is now a permitted use on most residential lots. This means the development permit is processed without community notification, and neighbours cannot object through the normal planning process. Practical requirements for a legal basement suite still apply: separate entrance (exterior, with weather protection and lighting), minimum ceiling height (6 ft 11 in in living areas, 6 ft 5 in under beams and ducts), bedroom egress windows (minimum 3.77 sq ft clear opening, maximum 44 inches to bottom of opening from floor), kitchen facilities, bathroom, fire separation from the upper unit (5/8" type X drywall on all shared surfaces, self-closing fire-rated door at the interconnecting door if applicable), smoke and CO detectors on each level, and a separate electrical panel. The suite must also comply with the Alberta Building Code's requirements for ventilation, sound separation, and energy efficiency. Development permit processing for a compliant suite: 3-6 weeks. Building permit: 2-4 weeks additional.
About Northwest Communities
Northwest Calgary is the quadrant where Calgary's suburban renovation wave is most visible and most advanced. The oldest NW communities — Brentwood, Charleswood, Banff Trail, Capitol Hill — are now firmly in the renovation-or-replace cycle, with enough lot value to make both options economically rational. The CTrain corridor amplifies this: stations at Brentwood, Dalhousie, Crowfoot, and Tuscany create nodes of higher property value and development potential that ripple outward through surrounding streets. The R-CG rezoning has removed the regulatory friction that once made secondary suites and multi-unit projects discretionary, opening a significant new category of renovation work. Nose Hill Park, the Bow River pathway system, and the University of Calgary campus give NW communities a quality of life that sustains property values and renovation investment even as the original housing stock ages. For contractors, the northwest is high-volume, mid-budget renovation territory: the projects are numerous, the budgets are realistic ($100,000-$300,000 for comprehensive bungalow updates), and the work is bread-and-butter residential — kitchens, bathrooms, basements, windows, mechanical upgrades. The rare exotic challenge (heritage restoration, flood mitigation, luxury custom work) is better found in inner-city communities; the northwest rewards contractors who deliver consistent quality at competitive prices across a large volume of projects.
Our Services in Northwest Communities
Bathroom Renovations
Full bathroom remodels from compact ensuites to spa-inspired retreats
Kitchen Renovations
Modern kitchen remodels tailored to your lifestyle
Basement Renovations
Turn your lower level into usable, comfortable living space
Secondary Suites & Laneway Homes
Legal secondary suites and laneway home construction
Legal Rental Suites
Code-compliant rental suites that generate income
General Contracting
Full-service residential construction and renovation management
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