A full house renovation cost in Canada usually falls between $150 and $400 per square foot, though the final number depends heavily on the home’s age, the region, and how much structural work is involved. For a typical 1,800 square foot house, that works out to roughly $270,000 to $720,000 CAD.
Cosmetic updates sit near the bottom of that range. A full gut renovation with new plumbing, wiring, and layout changes pushes the number toward the top. In our experience helping homeowners plan these budgets, the biggest swing factor isn’t the size of the house, it’s how much of the original structure gets touched. Two houses on the same street, roughly the same square footage, can land tens of thousands of dollars apart once one turns out to have knob-and-tube wiring behind the walls and the other doesn’t.
How Much Does a Full House Renovation Cost in Canada?
Contractors typically price a full house renovation cost by the square foot, and that number moves in three fairly distinct bands. A cosmetic refresh, meaning paint, flooring, and fixtures with no wall changes, sits at the low end. A mid-range renovation that includes a new kitchen and bathrooms but keeps the existing layout sits in the middle. A full gut renovation, where the house goes back to the studs, sits at the top.
We’ve seen homeowners in Alberta budget confidently at $150 per square foot for a light refresh, only to discover once demolition started that the wiring needed a full panel upgrade, a $4,000 surprise that had nothing to do with their original plan.
Cosmetic Refresh
Expect $60 to $150 per square foot. This covers paint, new flooring, updated light fixtures, and refaced or replaced cabinets, without moving plumbing or walls.
Mid-Range Renovation
Expect $150 to $275 per square foot. This is the most common scope for families staying in their home long term: a new kitchen, updated bathrooms, some electrical work, and the same footprint.
Full Gut Renovation
Expect $275 to $500 or more per square foot. New systems throughout, structural changes, and sometimes an addition. Older homes built before 1960 tend to land at the higher end because of outdated wiring and plumbing.
What Factors Affect the Cost of a Full House Renovation?
A handful of variables decide where your full house renovation cost lands within those ranges.
- Age of the home — pre-1960s houses often hide knob-and-tube wiring or lead plumbing that must be replaced before anything else happens.
- Structural changes — removing a load-bearing wall means an engineer’s stamp, and that alone can add several thousand dollars.
- Region — Toronto and Vancouver labour rates run noticeably higher than smaller cities like Regina or Moncton.
- Material choices — a mid-range quartz counter and a premium marble slab can differ by tens of thousands of dollars on the same footprint.
- Permits and inspections — municipal fees vary, but structural or electrical permits typically add a few thousand dollars to the total.
None of these factors work in isolation. A century home in an established Toronto neighbourhood can cost more per square foot to renovate than a larger, newer home in a smaller city, simply because more of it needs to be rebuilt from scratch. Even the season plays a small role, since contractors are often booked solid through spring and summer, and scheduling demolition for late fall can sometimes shave a bit off labour costs.
How Much Does It Cost by Room?
Room-by-room pricing helps when the project isn’t a full gut, and it also explains why two houses of the same size can land on very different totals. Kitchens and bathrooms usually carry the highest cost per square foot in the entire house, simply because plumbing, electrical, and finishing work are packed into a small footprint.
Kitchen
A kitchen renovation typically runs $25,000 to $80,000, depending on cabinetry, countertops, and whether appliances and plumbing move.
Bathroom
A full bathroom renovation runs $15,000 to $35,000. Waterproofing, tile work, and fixture placement drive most of that cost, even in a small room.
Basement
Finishing a basement runs $70 to $150 per square foot. Add a bathroom or a separate entrance, and that number climbs quickly.
Full House Renovation Cost vs. Buying a Newly Built Home
This is the comparison most homeowners actually want answered before they commit to a full house renovation cost of any size. New construction in most Canadian cities runs $250 to $450 per square foot for the build alone, before land. Renovating an existing home in a neighbourhood you already like often comes out cheaper than buying new and moving, especially once you factor in land prices, closing costs, and moving expenses.
That said, a full gut renovation on a badly deteriorated older home can occasionally cost more than building fresh on a vacant lot, particularly if the foundation needs full replacement. It genuinely depends on the starting condition of the house, not just its size or its location. A home inspection before you sign off on a renovation plan is worth the few hundred dollars it costs, because it tells you which side of that line your project is likely to fall on.
How Can You Budget for a Full House Renovation?
Every full house renovation cost budget should start with the construction number, then add contingency on top of it. Most experienced project managers recommend a contingency of 10 to 20 percent for anything built before 1980, since older homes almost always reveal something once the walls open up.
Get at least three quotes, and read what each one excludes, not just what it includes. Appliances, landscaping, and design fees are commonly left off a base quote, and that gap is where budgets quietly blow past their original number. A HELOC is the most common financing tool Canadian homeowners use for a mid-size renovation, since it lets you draw funds as costs come in rather than borrowing the full amount up front.
Some homeowners also stagger the work over two or three years to spread out the financial load without taking on new debt. If you’re weighing a HELOC against a straightforward renovation loan, ask your lender how draws are released, because some tie payments to inspection milestones rather than a lump sum, which changes how you’ll need to manage cash flow with your contractor.
FAQ
Full house renovation cost per square foot
Most Canadian homeowners pay $150 to $400 per square foot for a full house renovation, depending on region, finish level, and how much structural work is involved.
Home renovation cost estimator Canada
A good renovation cost estimator multiplies your square footage by a per-square-foot range, then adds permits, contingency, and labour rates for your province.
Full house renovation cost reddit
On Reddit, real homeowners often report paying more than expected, with hidden costs like rewiring and plumbing surprises being the most common regret shared.
Full house renovation cost calculator
A simple calculator takes your home size, renovation tier, and city, then estimates a budget range you can refine with real contractor quotes.
How much does it cost to remodel a 2,000 sq ft house
A 2,000 square foot house typically costs $300,000 to $800,000 to remodel fully, depending on scope, materials, and whether layout changes are involved.
Full house renovation cost per sq ft
Expect $150 to $400 per sq ft, with cosmetic work near the low end and a full gut renovation pushing well past $400 per sq ft.
Full house renovation cost ontario
In Ontario, a full house renovation generally runs $150 to $400 per square foot, with Toronto often sitting at the higher end due to labour costs.
Cost to remodel $1,500 sq ft house
A 1,500 square foot house usually costs $225,000 to $600,000 to fully remodel, a number many families find both exciting and a little overwhelming to plan around.
