Multi-Family Structural Renovation in North Vancouver

The structural side of a multi-family renovation

Most multi-family renovations have a structural core buried inside them: a parkade slab or foundation that needs repair, framing or beams that have to be opened up and rebuilt, a wall or column that someone wants moved, or an older wood-frame building that needs to be brought up to current seismic expectations. That is the work we do.

We are a structural, concrete and general renovation builder — not a trim-and-paint shop. On a multi-family job we handle the heavy, load-bearing portion of the scope: foundation repair, concrete repair and replacement, structural repair of framing and beams, and the structural changes that let the rest of a renovation happen safely.

Built to work with your building's structural engineer

On a multi-family or strata building, the structural engineer runs the technical show, and that is exactly how we like it. Most of our work comes to us through structural and geotechnical engineers, and we build to their drawings and details — not around them.

If your council or property manager does not yet have an engineer engaged, we will tell you so plainly and help you get one on board before any load-bearing work is scoped. For anything involving foundations, columns, beams, slabs or seismic resistance on a multi-unit building, an engineered design is not optional, and we will not pretend otherwise. Our job is to execute that design cleanly, flag field conditions the drawings didn't anticipate, and keep the engineer informed as the building opens up.

What we take on

• Foundation and concrete repair — settled or cracked foundations, spalling and deteriorated concrete, parkade and podium slab repair, new concrete elements to engineered detail.
• Structural framing repair — rebuilding rotted or failed framing, beams, posts, joists and sheathing back to the engineer's specification. Where moisture has reached the structure, we repair the structure; we do not take on cladding or weatherproofing scope.
• Load-bearing changes — removing or relocating load-bearing walls and columns, new beams and transfer details so units can be reconfigured.
• Seismic upgrades — strengthening older wood-frame multi-family buildings to an engineered seismic scheme. See our overview of seismic upgrades for older buildings.
• Underpinning and foundation work — including underpinning where the foundation has to be deepened or strengthened.

Staging work around occupied units

The hardest part of a multi-family structural job usually isn't the engineering — it's doing it while people live there. We plan the work in phases so that access, shoring, noise and shutdowns are predictable, and so that no unit is left in an unsafe or unlivable state longer than it has to be.

That means sequenced shoring and temporary support, clear communication with residents and the property manager, and a realistic schedule that accounts for inspections and engineer sign-offs at each hold point. We would rather give you an honest timeline than a short one we can't keep.

The right-sized job for us

This page is aimed at real structural scope — the kind of work a strata council takes a special levy or a reserve-fund draw to pay for, and the kind a property manager wants documented and done once, correctly. If you are planning a cosmetic refresh of common areas or individual suites, we are probably not the right fit.

If there is concrete, foundation, framing, load path or seismic work in the scope — on a duplex, a townhouse row, or a low-rise apartment building — that is squarely what we do. Not sure which side of that line your project sits on? Start with our free structural check, or just call and describe it.

Serving strata councils, property managers and owners across the North Shore

We work with strata councils, property managers, and building owners throughout North Vancouver, West Vancouver and the rest of the North Shore. We are comfortable presenting scope and process to a council, working inside a competitive-tender process, and coordinating with your engineer and consultants from the first site walk through to final sign-off.

To talk through a multi-family structural project, call (778) 882-8001. Bring your engineer's drawings if you have them — if you don't yet, we'll help you figure out the first step.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a structural engineer before we call you?

Not necessarily to start the conversation — but for any load-bearing, foundation, concrete or seismic work on a multi-family building, an engineered design is required before the work is built. If you don't have an engineer engaged yet, we'll tell you so and help you bring one in. We build to the engineer's drawings; we don't substitute our judgment for a stamped design.

Can you do the work while the building stays occupied?

Usually, yes. Most of our multi-family work is staged around occupied units using phased shoring, temporary support and a sequenced schedule so access and shutdowns stay predictable. Some scopes require individual units to be vacated temporarily — we'll flag that up front and build the schedule around it, in coordination with the property manager and engineer.

We found rot in the framing during a renovation. Can you handle that?

We handle the structural repair — rebuilding rotted or failed framing, beams, posts, joists and sheathing back to the engineer's detail so the structure is sound again. We are not a building-envelope renovator, so cladding, siding, roofing and weatherproofing scope would go to a licensed envelope contractor. We'll make the structure right and coordinate cleanly with those trades.

Do you work with strata councils and property managers directly?

Yes. We're used to presenting scope and process to a strata council, working within a tender process, and coordinating with the building's engineer and consultants. We document the work so it's clear to owners paying through a levy or reserve-fund draw exactly what was done and why.

What size of multi-family project do you take on?

We focus on real structural scope — concrete, foundations, framing, load-path changes and seismic upgrades on duplexes, townhouse complexes and low-rise apartment buildings. We're not the right fit for a purely cosmetic common-area or suite refresh. If the job has a structural core, that's exactly what we do.