How much is Renomark certification actually worth?
More than a logo, less than a guarantee. Renomark is run through the Canadian Home Builders' Association and requires members to provide a written contract, carry a minimum two-year warranty on their work, hold liability insurance, and follow a code of conduct. For a homeowner who has heard the horror stories about cash deals and vanished contractors, that is a meaningful filter.
Platinum Contracting is Renomark certified and a Pacific Home Warranty licensed builder. RealDream is neither, and there is no way to dress that up. What RealDream offers in its place is a written fixed price that holds once scope and drawings are locked, which addresses a different risk: not whether the contractor disappears, but whether the number moves.
If the thing keeping you up at night is contractor risk rather than budget risk, weigh the credentials heavily. They exist precisely for that worry.
Does Platinum's custom home work affect its renovation projects?
Platinum describes itself as a custom home builder and renovator, and states that the craftsmanship from its renovation work goes into full custom homes. That is the same shared-crew arrangement Goldcon runs, and it carries the same trade-off.
New builds hold their schedule. Renovations do not, because the schedule changes the moment somebody finds a rotten sill plate or a drain that was never connected properly. When both live under one project manager, the renovation is the one that yields.
RealDream removed that conflict by dropping new construction in 2026. Whether that is worth anything to you depends on whether you value a firm with new-build capability nearby or a firm with nothing else on the calendar.
Want a number before you shortlist anyone?
Eleven free calculators give you 2026 North Vancouver ranges for kitchens, bathrooms, suites, laneway houses and additions. No phone number required to see a result.
Which one runs a clearer pre-construction process?
Platinum publishes a five-stage process: discovery and site visit, pre-construction and a transparent proposal, design and planning, contract and a dedicated project manager, then the build and final walkthrough. It is a clear structure and the dedicated project manager stage is stated plainly.
RealDream's process is owner-led rather than project-manager-led. Nima Gerani meets owners at the first site visit, sets the scope, and stays on the file to the last deficiency item. Changes get reported the day they come up. Selections happen with a designer at the point in the schedule where they are needed, so trades are not waiting on decisions.
One is a defined handoff to a dedicated manager. The other is one person from first visit to final signoff. Larger projects often benefit from the first. Owners who want a single accountable name usually prefer the second.
Where does each company sit on price?
Platinum's second stage is described as pre-construction and a transparent proposal, which is more than most firms commit to in public, but no figures appear on the site.
RealDream publishes 2026 North Vancouver ranges through eleven free calculators before anyone makes contact, then holds the price once scope and drawings are locked. Kitchen $60,000 to $120,000, bathroom $25,000 to $55,000, full-home renovation $200,000 to $400,000, laneway house $350,000 to $550,000, secondary suite payback of 5 to 8 years.
Both companies build legal secondary suites, so that is a fair head-to-head to run. Ask each for a written scope on the same basement, then compare what each has allowed for egress windows, fire separation and the electrical service upgrade that a suite frequently triggers on a 1970s house.
Is RealDream cheaper than Platinum Contracting?
Platinum Contracting does not publish prices, so there is no honest way to rank the two on cost without quotes in hand. Platinum describes itself as a five-star custom home builder and renovator and lists penthouse renovations among its services, which suggests it competes at the upper end, but that is positioning rather than a price.
One real cost difference is worth knowing: a Pacific Home Warranty licensed builder carries warranty enrolment costs on covered work, and those costs appear in the price. That is not a hidden charge, it is what the protection costs. Whether it is worth it depends on how much you value third-party coverage.
RealDream's published 2026 North Vancouver ranges: kitchen $60,000 to $120,000, bathroom $25,000 to $55,000, full-home renovation $200,000 to $400,000, second-storey addition $400 to $650 per square foot, laneway house $350,000 to $550,000.
Which company should you hire for your project?
4 common project types, and the honest answer for each. Two of them point at Platinum.
Building a new custom home in North or West Vancouver
Hire Platinum Contracting
RealDream stopped taking new custom home work in 2026. Platinum builds custom homes, is a Pacific Home Warranty licensed builder, and is a CHBA BC member. For new construction the warranty licence is not optional in practice, it is how the industry works.
A homeowner whose main worry is contractor risk rather than budget
Hire Platinum Contracting
Renomark certification, a third-party warranty programme, BBB listing and CHBA BC membership exist for exactly this concern. RealDream holds none of those and answers a different worry, which is whether the price moves after work starts.
A whole-home renovation where you want one accountable person from start to finish
Hire RealDream Contracting
The owner meets you at the first site visit, sets the scope, and stays on the file until the last deficiency item is signed off. Platinum hands the build to a dedicated project manager after the contract stage, which suits large projects but is a handoff.
A home addition, laneway house or coach house
Hire RealDream Contracting
Platinum's published service list does not include home additions or laneway and coach houses. RealDream builds all of them and publishes cost calculators for additions and laneway houses using 2026 North Vancouver figures.
Looking for a Platinum Contracting alternative on the North Shore?
Homeowners usually look past Platinum for one of two reasons: the project is a renovation and they would rather not hire a company whose calendar also carries new home builds, or the scope includes an addition or laneway house that Platinum does not advertise.
RealDream Contracting covers both gaps. Renovation only since 2026, with additions, laneway and coach houses, legal secondary suites and site work on the published service list, plus eleven free calculators so you can check budget fit tonight.
If the credential stack is what drew you to Platinum, be honest with yourself about that and keep them on the list. Goldcon Construction is the other North Shore firm on this site with a deep awards record, including a 2019 CHBA National Award.
Common questions about RealDream and Platinum
Is RealDream Contracting better than Platinum Contracting?
For renovation-only work with published pricing and a single accountable owner, RealDream Contracting fits better. For new custom home construction, or for a homeowner who wants third-party credentials, Platinum Contracting is stronger. Platinum was founded in North Vancouver in 2016, is Renomark certified and a Pacific Home Warranty licensed builder, and was a HAVAN Awards 2024 finalist and Georgie Awards 2025 finalist. RealDream holds none of those credentials and stopped building new homes in 2026.
When was Platinum Contracting founded?
Platinum Contracting was founded in North Vancouver in 2016. It serves North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vancouver and Burnaby, and offers custom home builds, whole-home renovations, kitchens, bathrooms, condo and penthouse renovations, secondary suites and tenant improvements.
What is Renomark and does RealDream have it?
Renomark is a renovator certification programme run through the Canadian Home Builders' Association that requires a written contract, a minimum two-year warranty on work, liability insurance and adherence to a code of conduct. Platinum Contracting is Renomark certified. RealDream Contracting is not.
Do both companies build secondary suites?
Yes. Secondary suites appear on both published service lists, which makes it the cleanest head-to-head between the two. RealDream Contracting also publishes a free secondary suite cost calculator with 2026 North Vancouver figures, including local one-bedroom rents of $1,600 to $2,100 a month and a typical payback of 5 to 8 years.
Does Platinum Contracting build home additions or laneway houses?
Platinum Contracting does not list home additions or laneway and coach houses among its published services as of August 2026. Its stated services are custom home builds, whole-home renovations, kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, condo and penthouse renovations, secondary suites and tenant improvements. RealDream Contracting builds additions, laneway homes and coach houses.
Which company has more industry credentials?
Platinum Contracting, by a wide margin. It lists HAVAN membership, Renomark certification, BBB listing, Houzz professional status, CHBA BC membership, Pacific Home Warranty licensed builder status, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade membership and North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce membership. RealDream Contracting publishes no industry memberships or certifications.
Where these facts came from
RealDream Contracting wrote these pages. We have an obvious interest in how they read, so we have kept every competitor claim to what that company publishes on its own website and linked the source at the bottom of each page. Where another firm is the better hire for a particular project, we say so by name. If you spot something out of date about your company here, email info@realdream.ca and we will correct it.
Company details last checked 2026-08-04. Platinum Contracting is an independent company and is not affiliated with RealDream Contracting. All company names and trade marks belong to their owners.