Renovation guides
The guides we wish someone had given us
Long, complete answers to the questions homeowners actually ask before renovating on the North Shore. 225 questions answered across 10 guides, with real cost ranges and no national averages.
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Five guides that cover the whole project.
Each one answers a topic end to end, then routes you into the detailed articles, cost calculators, and neighbourhood pages behind it.
Master guide · 28 min read
The North Shore Home Renovation Guide
The complete 2026 guide to renovating a home in North Vancouver and West Vancouver: real cost ranges, permit timelines, contracts, financing, and what actually goes wrong.
- Whole-home renovation
- $150 to $350+ / sq ft
- Construction time
- 6 to 10 months
- Permit review
- 6 to 16 weeks
- Contingency to hold
- 10 to 20%
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Whole-home guide · 24 min read
The Whole-Home Renovation Guide
What a full gut renovation costs on the North Shore in 2026, how the phases actually run, which systems get replaced, whether to move out, and when rebuilding is the better answer.
- Full gut to the studs
- $250 to $450 / sq ft
- With exterior re-clad
- $350 to $500 / sq ft
- Construction time
- 6 to 12 months
- Living out
- $24,000 to $48,000
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Kitchen guide · 24 min read
The Kitchen Renovation Guide
The complete 2026 kitchen renovation guide for North Vancouver and West Vancouver: real costs by size, layout rules, cabinetry and counter choices, lead times, permits, and ROI.
- Typical full kitchen
- $65,000 to $110,000
- With a layout change
- $95,000 to $160,000
- Time on site
- 8 to 14 weeks
- Cabinet lead time
- 8 to 14 weeks
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Bathroom guide · 22 min read
The Bathroom Renovation Guide
The complete 2026 bathroom renovation guide for North Vancouver and West Vancouver: costs by room size, waterproofing that lasts, ventilation, layouts, tile, accessibility, and timelines.
- Three-piece bathroom
- $28,000 to $48,000
- Primary ensuite
- $60,000 to $120,000
- Cost per square foot
- $600 to $1,100
- Moving a drain
- Add $3,500 to $9,000
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Basement guide · 23 min read
The Basement & Secondary Suite Guide
The complete 2026 guide to finishing a basement and building a legal secondary suite in North Vancouver: costs per square foot, ceiling height, egress, drainage, fire separation, and rental returns.
- Basic finish, no plumbing
- $85 to $120 / sq ft
- Legal one-bedroom suite
- $70,000 to $150,000
- New egress window
- $6,500 to $14,000 each
- Underpinning for height
- $350 to $600 per linear ft
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Additions guide · 25 min read
The Home Additions & Laneway Guide
Every way to add space to a North Shore home in 2026: second storeys, ground-floor additions, attic conversions, garage conversions, and laneway houses, with real costs and the zoning that decides what fits.
- Second-storey addition
- $250 to $450 / sq ft
- Ground-floor addition
- $300 to $500 / sq ft
- Attic conversion
- $180 to $320 / sq ft
- Laneway or coach house
- $420,000 to $650,000
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Staircase guide · 26 min read
The Staircase & Railing Guide
What a staircase renovation costs on the North Shore in 2026, the BC Building Code rise, run, headroom, handrail and guard numbers in plain language, and how to choose between refinishing, refacing, and rebuilding.
- Straightforward rebuild
- $12,000 to $25,000
- Oak and iron balusters
- $18,000 to $35,000
- Floating stair, glass guard
- $35,000 to $70,000
- Code rise and run
- 125 to 200mm / 255 to 355mm
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Envelope guide · 22 min read
The Exterior & Building Envelope Guide
Roofing, re-cladding, rain screen, windows, decks, and drainage on the North Shore in 2026: what each costs, why pre-1990 homes leak, and the order to do the work in.
- Rain screen premium
- $2 to $4 / sq ft
- Full re-clad
- $25,000 to $60,000+
- Windows
- $800 to $2,800 per opening
- Perimeter drainage
- $18,000 to $40,000
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Permits guide · 21 min read
The Permits & Zoning Guide
What triggers a building permit in North Vancouver and West Vancouver, how long each municipality takes, the four numbers that govern your lot, tree bylaws, and what Bill 44 and Bill 47 changed.
- City of North Vancouver
- 6 to 10 weeks
- District, structural scope
- 10 to 16 weeks
- Protected trees, District
- 30cm diameter
- Geotechnical report
- $3,000 to $5,000
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Commercial guide · 23 min read
The Commercial Renovation Guide
The complete 2026 commercial renovation guide for Metro Vancouver: tenant improvement costs by use, lease and allowance negotiation, permits and health authority review, and how to open on schedule.
- Professional office
- $80 to $150 / sq ft
- Restaurant buildout
- $150 to $350+ / sq ft
- Typical TI allowance
- $15 to $50 / sq ft
- Permit review
- 6 to 10 weeks
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Also useful
Beyond the guides.
Price a project, read the detailed articles, or find the page for your neighbourhood.