What a Whole-Home Renovation Costs — and How Long It Takes

A whole-home renovation is one of the biggest investments you'll make in a house, and the range of possible costs is enormous — because "renovation" covers everything from a refreshed main floor to a full gut where only the good bones remain. The honest answer to "what will it cost?" is always "it depends," but that's not helpful for planning. So below are real planning ranges for the North Shore, and — more importantly — the things that actually move your number.

Ballpark cost ranges (North Shore, 2026)

Treat these as planning figures, not a quote. They reflect quality work by a licensed contractor in North and West Vancouver, where both labour and finishes sit at the higher end of the market:

• Substantial renovation — roughly $250–$450 / sq ft: new kitchen and baths, reconfigured layout, updated systems, refreshed finishes throughout.
• Full gut-and-rebuild — roughly $450–$650+ / sq ft: down to the studs (or further), new structure, envelope, systems, and high-end finishes. Approaches the cost of a new custom build.
• On a 2,500 sq ft home that's roughly $625K at the low end to $1.5M+ for a top-end gut.

Why the wide spread? Because a renovation is priced by scope and condition, not by the square foot alone. Two identical-looking houses on the same street can differ by hundreds of thousands depending on what's behind the walls and how far you take the finishes.

What actually drives the price

• How much structure you change — moving load-bearing walls, new beams and posts, or foundation work adds real cost, but it's what makes open, modern layouts possible.
• Envelope and systems — new windows, roof, insulation, wiring, plumbing, and heating are a big share of a gut renovation and largely invisible when it's done.
• Kitchens and bathrooms — the most expensive rooms per square foot, and where finish choices swing the budget most.
• Finish level — the gap between good and top-tier cabinetry, stone, millwork, and fixtures is enormous, and it's the easiest place to control your total.
• The unknowns — in older North Shore homes, opening the walls reveals settlement, rot, or outdated systems. A builder with structural depth prices for this honestly instead of hitting you with change orders.

A realistic timeline

Homeowners almost always underestimate the front end. The build itself is only part of the journey:

• Design & engineering — 1–3 months to lock the plan, structural details, and selections.
• Permits — often 1–3 months on the North Shore, sometimes more; runs partly in parallel with design.
• Construction — roughly 6–12 months for a major whole-home renovation; longer for a full gut with structural and envelope work.
• Total, first meeting to move-in — commonly 9–18 months.

Want the detail on why builds take the time they do? Our guide to how long a custom home takes walks through the same phases at a deeper level.

Why a fixed quote beats a per-square-foot guess

Per-square-foot numbers are great for a gut check but dangerous for a budget, because they average away the exact things that blow renovations off course. The value of a proper whole-home renovation quote is that it prices your house — the real structure, the real envelope, the real condition — after we've actually looked. Because we do our own structural work, that assessment happens before you sign, not as a surprise halfway through.

Renovate or rebuild?

At the top of the renovation range, a gut can approach the cost of building new — and sometimes a rebuild delivers more home for the money. We do both, so we'll give you an unbiased read: see custom home vs. major renovation.