Commercial construction
Commercial contractor in Edmonton, priced in 48 hours
Tenant improvements and fit-outs across the Edmonton region, quoted free and in writing within 48 hours of the site visit.
Call (587) 327-0144- In business
- Since 2021
- Workmanship warranty
- 1 year
- Pulled by us
- Permits
- Licensed and insured
- WCB Alberta
Meadow Contracting builds out offices, shops and restaurants in Edmonton for landlords and tenants. As your commercial contractor, we pull the permits, book the inspections and schedule loud work around your hours. Send the drawings or book a walkthrough for a free written quote within 48 hours.
Who we work with
- Alberta Social Housing CorporationCurrent client
Selected projects
Alt Hotel 
Alt Hotel 
Alt Hotel 
City of North Battleford 
Alt Hotel 
Storage facility 
City of North Battleford 
Alt Hotel 
City of North Battleford
View 3 more photosShow fewer photos
Alt Hotel 
City of North Battleford 
Storage facility
What we build for businesses
Office renovationTenant improvements
Scheduled around your lease date.
- Office fit-outs
- Spec suites
- Demising walls
Alt HotelRestaurants and hotels
Dining rooms, lounges and guest floors.
Public sector
We are currently working for the Alberta Social Housing Corporation.
City of North BattlefordPublic tenders
Renovations priced to the tender documents as written.
Retail stores
Sales floors and stockrooms for new tenants.
Storage facilityIndustrial and storage
Offices and washrooms inside warehouses.
City of North BattlefordCivic facilities
Phased so most of the building stays in use.
Apartment buildings
Suite turnovers between tenancies, with residents told before loud work starts.
Care homeCare homes
Lounges and common rooms for residents and staff.
Loud work booked around your hours
We seal off each work area and keep exits clear.
Read more
Most commercial renovations happen beside people who are still working, shopping or living in the building. Before we price one, we walk the site with the owner or property manager and mark what has to keep running: entrances, washrooms, parking, deliveries, elevators and the quiet hours of the tenant next door.
That walk sets the order of work. Demolition, coring and other loud or dusty jobs go to the hours you pick. Plastic dust walls on framed supports close off each work area, the floors along the route in and out get protection, and signs keep the public out of active areas.
When a tie-in means shutting off water, the fire alarm or the sprinklers, we book it ahead with the building manager and keep it as short as the work allows. Tenants hear about disruptive work before it starts.
- Projects completed since 2021
- 154+
- Square feet built
- 187,000+
Fixed price, construction management or design-build?
Most commercial work is a fixed contract. If there are no drawings yet, we bring in an architect or engineer and coordinate the design with the build. Some owners prefer construction management, and that's an option too.
| Model | How it works | Suits you when |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed price | The design is finished first. The contractor prices the drawings as one lump sum, and the owner approves the price of any change before that work goes ahead. | The scope is settled and the budget has to be locked before work starts. |
| Construction management | A construction manager runs the schedule, the site and the trades for a fee, and the owner sees each trade price as it comes in. | The scope may shift as work goes on, or the owner wants open books on every trade. |
| Design-build coordination | The contractor brings in the architect or engineer, coordinates the design with the budget and builds what the permit approves. | You have a space, a budget and a deadline but no drawings, and you want one team coordinating design and construction. |
Which commercial permits does Edmonton require?
This is what the City of Edmonton asks for on common commercial jobs, with 2026 fees and the April to June 2026 processing times. We prepare the applications; the table shows you what's coming.
| Type of work | What the City requires |
|---|---|
| Painting, new flooring or cabinetry | No permit. The City treats these as cosmetic interior changes. |
| Re-roofing or re-siding | No permit when the new material is of a similar type and assembly to the old. |
| Interior alterations | Development permit review first. Building permit review begins only after that review is complete. |
| Change of use, such as retail to restaurant or office to residential | Permits are required, starting with development permit review. |
| Building permit fee | In 2026: $11 per $1,000 of construction value for the first $1 million, $10 per $1,000 above that, $285 minimum. A safety codes fee of 4% of the permit fee is added, with a $4.50 minimum and $560 maximum. See the 2026 fee schedule. |
| Processing times | April to June 2026: development permits for alterations and change of use had a 30-day target and a 38-day average; building permits for alterations had a 60-day target and a 29-day average. See the City's processing times. |
Source: City of Edmonton, Changes to Existing Buildings and Sites
What drives the cost of a commercial renovation?
We price after seeing the space, because the existing walls, ceilings and services decide most of the cost. Reusing washrooms and the ceiling grid saves money; moving plumbing and ductwork, or upgrading an electrical service that cannot carry the new load, adds to it. Night or weekend work that keeps a business open costs more than the same work in an empty unit, a change of use can bring in accessibility upgrades, and many landlords set standards for finishes and approved trades. The published figures below are benchmarks to read alongside a quote, not a price for your unit.
| Figure | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Class B office fit-out | $85 to $130 per sq ft in Edmonton, as at January 31, 2026. Hard costs only, before GST and soft costs. | Altus Group, 2026 Canadian Cost Guide |
| Class A office fit-out | $120 to $225 per sq ft in Edmonton, on the same basis. | Altus Group, same guide |
| Soft costs | Every commercial budget also has to carry soft costs such as permits, design fees, contingencies and financing. | Altus Group, same guide |
| Construction prices | Edmonton's price index for new non-residential building was up 4.0% in the second quarter of 2026 from a year earlier. It tracks new construction, so read it as a trend. | Statistics Canada |
| Office vacancy | Overall Edmonton office vacancy was 18.9% in the second quarter of 2026. | CBRE, Q2 2026 figures |
| Tenant demand | High construction costs have stretched deal timelines and pushed tenants toward built-out, move-in-ready space. For a landlord with an empty unit, the fit-out becomes part of the leasing plan. | CBRE, Edmonton office figures |
Does your renovation trigger accessibility rules?
We check the accessibility requirements at the site visit and price any upgrade before you commit. Alberta's building code, the 2023 Alberta Edition of the National Building Code, sets them out in Section 3.8, and the province's Accessibility Design Guide says they apply to new construction, additions, changes to existing buildings and changes in use. They are not applied retroactively to existing buildings, and the permit authority decides how far an existing space has to be upgraded.
Older building? Test for asbestos first
In a building from before the early 1990s, we put asbestos testing at the front of the schedule, because the results decide how demolition goes. Alberta health guidance calls for an environmental consultant to test before any renovation that will disturb materials that might contain asbestos. If a whole structure is coming down, the City of Edmonton will not issue a demolition permit until it is confirmed clear of asbestos.
Questions owners and tenants ask
Why hire Meadow as your commercial contractor in Edmonton?
You get a written fixed price after the site visit, and we apply for the permits and book the inspections. We're licensed and insured in Alberta with WCB Alberta coverage, and you can request a WCB clearance letter on us at any time. Our commercial record, including hotel guest floors and public facility renovations, is on this page.
What kinds of commercial jobs do you build?
Offices, stores, restaurants, hotels, warehouses, apartment blocks and public facilities. Meadow fits them out and renovates them under one contract, with one fixed price for the whole job. We also handle multi-family capital work, public-sector renovations and parking lots.
Can you build out our leased space?
Yes. Meadow fits a leased space to the business moving in: walls, ceilings, lighting, washrooms, finishes and, when needed, new heating, plumbing or electrical work. We build for landlords getting a unit ready and for incoming tenants, scheduled to the lease date. The lease decides who pays for what, often through an allowance from the landlord.
Can you renovate while my business stays open?
Yes. Meadow phases the work so the parts you need stay usable, contains the dust and books noisy tasks outside your busiest hours. When a job needs a short closure, such as replacing the ceiling over a sales floor, we tell you at the site visit and plan it with you.
Does a retail-to-restaurant switch need a permit?
Yes. The City of Edmonton treats a switch from retail to restaurant as a change of use, and Meadow applies for the permits it needs: development permit review first, then building permit review. A restaurant also brings plumbing, gas and electrical work, and in Alberta those are compulsory certification trades, done by certified journeypersons or supervised apprentices.
How do you invoice a commercial job?
Meadow invoices under Alberta's prompt payment rules on every Alberta job: owners pay within 28 calendar days of a proper invoice, or give notice of a dispute within 14. The Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act also has the owner hold back 10% of the value of work done and materials supplied for 60 days after the certificate of substantial performance, or after completion if there is none (90 days on contracts mainly for concrete).
Do you take commercial work outside Edmonton?
Yes. Meadow takes commercial work across the Edmonton region, including St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Beaumont and Fort Saskatchewan. Every town issues its own permits. In Fort Saskatchewan, the City's Safety Codes Services branch approves all safety codes permits. In Beaumont, the City issues development and building permits for renovations and changes of use, and The Inspections Group Inc. handles electrical, plumbing and gas permits under contract.
Planning a commercial project?
Send the address and deadline. We'll walk the space, then quote within 48 hours.
Related guides
Plain-language guides to Edmonton permits, contractor licensing, costs and tax credits, each linked to its official sources.
