Construction & Renovation Services in Tuscany & Rocky Ridge

If your home was built between 1994 and 2002 and the roof has never been replaced, it's likely past due. The original 25-year three-tab asphalt shingles installed during that era have an expected lifespan of 20-25 years under Calgary conditions — and Tuscany's wind and hail exposure tends to shorten that. Signs that replacement is needed: curling or cupping shingle tabs, granule loss (check your gutters for accumulated granules), visible cracking, missing shingles after wind events, and daylight visible through the roof deck from inside the attic. Don't wait for a leak. By the time water is entering the home, damage has typically progressed to the roof deck (plywood sheathing), potentially the insulation, and possibly the ceiling drywall. Replacement cost for a standard Tuscany two-storey: $12,000-$18,000 for architectural shingles with a 30-50 year rating and 130 km/h+ wind resistance. If the existing roof deck has soft spots or water damage, add $1,000-$4,000 for sheathing replacement. Many Tuscany homeowners are choosing to add a ridge vent (replacing the original static vents) during re-roofing to improve attic ventilation — this adds $500-$1,500 and helps extend the life of the new shingles by reducing heat buildup.

Yes, but the process is more involved than a standard deck build. Coulee-backing lots are subject to the City of Calgary's environmental setback from the top-of-bank of the escarpment. The setback distance varies by location and slope grade — it's typically 6-15 metres from the surveyed top-of-bank. Your deck must be entirely within the buildable area on the house side of the setback line. If your proposed deck falls within the setback zone, you'll need a relaxation from the City's planning department, which requires demonstrating that the structure won't affect slope stability or the environmental reserve. This usually means a geotechnical assessment ($3,000-$8,000) and potentially an environmental impact statement. The relaxation process adds 2-3 months to the project timeline. For decks that stay within the buildable area (the majority of projects), the standard deck permit applies: submit drawings showing dimensions, materials, footing design, and railing details. Footings must extend below frost depth (4 feet in Calgary). For coulee-backing lots, I'd strongly recommend helical pile foundations rather than traditional poured footings — they disturb less soil, produce no excavation spoil that could wash into the coulee, and handle the sometimes variable soil conditions near escarpment edges better than concrete footings. Cost for helical piles: $300-$600 per pile, typically 8-16 piles for a standard residential deck.

This is one of the most common renovation projects in Tuscany because many homes were sold with unfinished basements — the builder provided the concrete shell, rough-ins for a bathroom (drain, water supply stub-outs), and basic electrical panel capacity, but left the rest for the homeowner to complete later. A standard Tuscany basement finish includes: framing interior walls (2x4 with R-14 batt insulation against exterior walls), installing vapour barrier, drywall throughout, one bedroom with egress window (verify the rough opening meets the 3.77 sq ft minimum — if not, enlarging the window opening costs $2,000-$4,000), one three-piece bathroom (connected to the existing rough-in plumbing), flooring (LVP is the dominant choice for basement applications), pot lighting, paint, and a recreation/living area. If the builder provided the bathroom rough-in, you save $3,000-$6,000 in plumbing work. Cost: $50-$80 per square foot of finished area, so a 700 sq ft basement finish runs $35,000-$56,000. Add a wet bar ($5,000-$12,000), home theatre pre-wire ($1,000-$3,000), in-floor heating in the bathroom ($1,500-$3,000), or a gas fireplace ($4,000-$8,000 installed with venting) for a premium result. Timeline: 8-12 weeks from permit to completion. The most common mistake is skipping the permit — unpermitted basement finishes create issues at resale when buyers' inspectors flag the work, and insurance may not cover losses in an unpermitted space.

Chinooks are Calgary's most distinctive weather phenomenon — warm Pacific air masses that descend the eastern slope of the Rockies, producing temperature swings of 20-30°C in a matter of hours. Tuscany's elevated, exposed plateau position means chinook winds hit here harder than in sheltered valley communities. The construction and maintenance implications are real. Roofing: Chinook gusts regularly exceed 100 km/h and occasionally reach 140+ km/h. Standard three-tab shingles are inadequate for exposed Tuscany roofs. Use architectural shingles rated for 130+ km/h with enhanced nailing patterns (six nails per shingle instead of four) on wind-exposed roof faces. Inspect your roof after every major chinook event for lifted or displaced shingles. Exterior cladding: Vinyl siding on wind-facing elevations (west and south) takes a beating. Panels can flex, unlock from their interlocking joints, and eventually crack in extreme cold followed by chinook warming. Fibre cement siding (James Hardie or equivalent) is a worthwhile upgrade for exposed facades — it costs more ($12-$18/sq ft installed vs $6-$10 for vinyl) but handles wind and temperature cycling far better. Foundations and concrete: The rapid freeze-thaw cycling from chinooks is particularly hard on exterior concrete. Driveways, sidewalks, and garage pads that were poured without proper air entrainment (5-7%) or that were finished with a steel trowel (which seals the surface and traps moisture) will deteriorate faster in chinook-affected locations. If your exterior concrete is spalling or scaling, replacement with properly specified and finished concrete is the permanent fix — coatings and sealers are temporary at best. Fencing: Six-foot privacy fences on the west side of Tuscany properties face the full force of chinook winds. Standard fence construction (4x4 posts at 8-foot spacing, 4-foot post burial) is marginal. For exposed locations, use 6x6 posts at 6-foot spacing, buried 4 feet with concrete collars, and consider semi-private designs (board-on-board or shadowbox) that allow some wind to pass through rather than acting as a solid sail.