Main floors, older homes
Home renovations in Edmonton, one fixed price
Open up a main floor or renovate an older house top to bottom. The written price follows within 48 hours of our walkthrough.
Call (587) 327-0144- Site visit to written quote
- 48 hours
- Workmanship warranty
- 1 year
- Checked first
- Structure
- Licensed and insured
- WCB Alberta
Meadow Contracting renovates main floors and whole houses in Edmonton, and we check the structure before any wall comes out. Certified trades handle the electrical and plumbing, we pull the permits, and a 1-year warranty backs our workmanship. Book a walkthrough for a free written quote within 48 hours.
Selected projects
Midwest Claims Services 
Bathroom renovation 
Legal suite 
Basement suite 
Bathroom renovation 
Siding and deck 
Basement suite 
Midwest Claims Services 
Legal suite kitchen
Which part of the house?
Basement suiteMain floors and whole homes
A load-bearing wall comes out only after a structural review.
- Structural review
- Permits handled
- One fixed price
Legal suite kitchenKitchen renovations
New cabinets and counters, plus the plumbing behind them.
Legal suite bathroomBathroom renovations
Tub-to-shower conversions, waterproofed behind the tile.
Basement development
Bare concrete turned into bedrooms, with permits pulled.
Legal basement suites
Zoning checked first, then every City inspection booked by us.
Additions and garages
Extensions and detached garages on footings below frost.
- Projects completed since 2021
- 154+
- Square feet built
- 187,000+
- Communities we serve
- 7
What older Edmonton houses hide
We plan every renovation around what an older house may hide, and Edmonton has a lot of older homes. In the 2021 Census, 50,230 of the city's 396,400 occupied homes were built in 1960 or earlier, and another 110,385 between 1961 and 1980 (Statistics Canada). A house that age was built to older codes, and some of what is inside its walls would not be used today.
For buildings built before the early 1990s, Alberta health guidance says to have an environmental consultant test for asbestos before any renovation that will disturb materials that might contain it (MyHealth Alberta). Health Canada adds that vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos, and that homeowners should not disturb it or try to remove it themselves (Health Canada). On an older house, we plan for that testing before demolition starts.
Structural work needs its own planning. Taking out or cutting into a load-bearing wall, beam or floor is a structural change, and the City of Edmonton says those changes may need engineer-stamped drawings (City of Edmonton). When a design calls for an engineer, we bring one in and build the review time into the plan.
Old wiring and plumbing are hard to judge until the walls are open. Anything we alter or add has to meet current rules and pass inspection, so we look hard at both during the site visit and price what we can see.
Which renovations need a permit?
We apply for every permit the job needs. The City of Edmonton separates cosmetic work from work that changes the structure, the plumbing, the wiring or the outside of the house. This summary draws on the City's renovation, plumbing and electrical permit pages.
| Work | Permit needed? |
|---|---|
| Painting, new flooring or installing kitchen cabinets | No. The City treats these as cosmetic or maintenance work. |
| Maintenance: replacing a worn plumbing fixture like for like, in the same spot | No plumbing permit. A renovation or upgrade does not count as maintenance. |
| Building or finishing a bedroom, bathroom or rec room | Yes |
| Installing or moving sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, drains or water lines | Yes, a plumbing permit |
| New wiring or circuits | Yes, an electrical permit |
| Altering load-bearing walls, beams or floors | Yes, a building permit, and engineer-stamped drawings may be needed |
| Adding a window or exterior door, or making one bigger | Yes |
| Replacing a window with one the same size | No |
| Changing the exterior finish to a different material | Yes |
| Re-siding with a similar material, such as vinyl for vinyl | No |
| Repairs after fire or flood damage | Yes |
Who pulls the permits?
We apply for the permits and book every inspection, with certified trades taking out the electrical and plumbing permits. Homeowners can also apply for home improvement permits themselves (City of Edmonton). Trade permits have an extra condition: a homeowner can take out their own electrical, plumbing, gas or heating permit only if they live in the house and it does not share a wall with a neighbour. Otherwise a certified trade contractor has to apply. On our projects, we look after the permits and book the inspections.
Each permit brings inspections at set stages, and as the permit holder, we book them. Work is not complete until it passes every required inspection. As for timing, the City's target for simple home improvement permits, a group that includes home renovations and basements, is 25 days; from April to June 2026, 89% met the target and the average was 11 days (City of Edmonton).
Outside Edmonton the permit office changes. St. Albert, Strathcona County (for Sherwood Park), Spruce Grove, Leduc, Beaumont and Fort Saskatchewan each have their own permit process, and we apply through whichever one covers your address. For the application itself, step by step, see our guide to Edmonton home improvement permits.
How our fixed-price quote works
It starts when you call (587) 327-0144 or send the form, with a few photos if you have them. We ask about the age of the house, what bothers you about it now and the budget you have in mind, so the visit is useful.
At the site visit we measure, look at the structure and the electrical panel, check the plumbing we would tie into, and note anything that needs testing or an engineer before work can start.
Within 48 hours you get a fixed price. The quote sets out the scope, the trades involved, the permits we will apply for and what is not included. If you want changes, we revise it. The price you accept is the price for that scope.
Then we apply for the permits, order anything with a long lead time, and book each inspection as the work reaches that stage. We walk the finished work with you before we call it done, and our workmanship carries a one-year warranty.
What drives renovation cost?
Every quote we send is one fixed price for a written scope, set after we have seen the house. A few things move that number most.
Scope and structure come first. Cosmetic work such as paint, flooring and new cabinets needs no permit, while new fixtures, moved walls, plumbing, wiring or gas lines bring in certified trades, permits and inspections. The age of the house decides how much is waiting behind the drywall, and your finishes (cabinets, counters, tile, flooring) set the rest.
Some costs we can tell you now, because the City publishes them. In 2026 the City charges no development permit fee for interior renovations that do not add a dwelling or a new use, and $195 when the project includes exterior work (City of Edmonton). Building, plumbing and electrical permits each carry a safety codes fee of 4% of the permit cost, with a $4.50 minimum and a $560 maximum (City of Edmonton 2026 fee schedule).
We price with today's costs, which are still climbing. Statistics Canada's residential building construction price index for Edmonton was 3.1% higher in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier (Statistics Canada). The index tracks what contractors charge to build new homes, not renovations, so read it as a trend rather than a price.
Questions we answer before you sign
Put these questions to any renovation contractor you are comparing in Edmonton; our answers follow each one. Our guide to contractor licensing in Alberta sets out the provincial rules behind them.
- Will you see the house before you price it? Yes. Structure, wiring and what is under the floor all change the number, so the price comes after the site visit.
- Is the price fixed? Yes. You get one written price for the agreed scope, and a change to the scope is a change to the price.
- Who applies for the permits and books the inspections? We do, for every part of the job that needs them.
- Who does the electrical and plumbing work? Certified tradespeople, or registered apprentices under a certified journeyperson, as Alberta requires for these compulsory trades (Tradesecrets, Government of Alberta).
- And gas work? We bring in a certified gasfitter, who takes out the gas permit and makes the connection.
- Are you licensed and insured? Yes. We are licensed and insured in Alberta, with WCB Alberta coverage.
- What does your warranty cover? Our workmanship, for one year.
Financing and tax credits
If you would rather spread the cost, we offer financing through iFinance Canada, on approved credit: up to $50,000, over terms of up to 48 months, at rates from 0% to 9.99%. Meadow is not the lender. See how renovation financing works.
If the renovation creates a self-contained secondary unit so that a senior, or an adult eligible for the disability tax credit, can live with a qualifying relative, the federal Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit may apply (Canada Revenue Agency). Our guide to the multigenerational renovation tax credit explains the current rate, who qualifies and what to keep for the claim.
Accessibility work for someone who is 65 or older by the end of the year, or eligible for the disability tax credit, may qualify for the Home Accessibility Tax Credit instead. Our bathroom renovation page sets out how it works, along with Alberta's grant and loan programs for accessibility changes.
Home renovation questions
How much does it cost to renovate a house in Edmonton?
It depends on the scope, the structure and the age of the house, so Meadow prices each one after a site visit and sends one fixed price. The published figures are the permit fees: in 2026 the City charges no development permit fee for interior renovations that do not add a dwelling or a new use, $195 when exterior work is included, and a 4% safety codes fee on each building and trade permit.
What is the most expensive part of a renovation?
Structure and trades more than finishes: taking out a load-bearing wall, moving plumbing or gas lines, rewiring, and dealing with what an older house hides, such as materials that need asbestos testing before they come out. After those, cabinets, counters and tile are the biggest line items in a Meadow quote. Keeping plumbing and walls where they are is often the largest single saving.
What are the hidden costs in a renovation?
Hidden costs come from what walls, floors and ceilings conceal, and Meadow looks for them at the site visit. In houses built before the early 1990s, materials may need asbestos testing before they are disturbed. A structural surprise can call for an engineer, and old wiring or plumbing may need replacing once it is exposed. We state what the price covers, so you know where the risk sits.
Who pulls the permits for a home renovation?
Meadow does, for the work in our contract, and books the inspections as each stage is ready. The City of Edmonton lets homeowners apply for their own home improvement permits, but homeowner trade permits are only for owners who live in the house and do not share a wall with a neighbour. In every other case, a certified trade contractor applies.
Are there grants for home renovations in Edmonton?
Yes, for specific work Meadow builds, as of September 2026: federal tax credits for building a secondary unit for family or for accessibility work, Alberta's RAMP grants for eligible accessibility changes, and EPCOR's subsidy of up to $800 toward a backwater valve while funding lasts (EPCOR). The City of Edmonton says it has no residential rebates available right now (City of Edmonton), and the federal Canada Greener Homes Grant has closed (Natural Resources Canada).
Can I get a $7,500 home renovation tax credit in Canada?
Not $7,500 for 2026 work, but if we build a self-contained unit where a senior, or an adult eligible for the disability tax credit, lives with a qualifying relative, the Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit may apply. For a renovation finished in 2026, it is 14% of up to $50,000 of qualifying expenses (Finance Canada); $7,500 was the maximum for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. Our tax credit guide explains who qualifies.
Do you offer a warranty on renovation work?
Yes. Meadow's workmanship carries a one-year warranty, which covers how the work was built and installed. Warranties on the products themselves, such as fixtures, flooring, cabinets and appliances, come from their manufacturers and are separate from ours.
Which areas do you serve for home renovations?
Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Beaumont and Fort Saskatchewan. Meadow's office is at 22529 99A Ave NW in west Edmonton, open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each of those communities has its own permit process, and we apply through the one that covers your address.
What do you want to change?
Send a few photos and the address. We'll walk the house, 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.
Hiring a contractor
Do You Need a General Contractor Licence in Alberta?
Do you need a licence to be a general contractor in Alberta? What the province and the City of Edmonton require, how to check a contractor, and the red flags.
Tax credits and programs
Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit (Canada, 2026)
The multigenerational home renovation tax credit explained: who qualifies, what the new unit needs, the 2023 to 2026 rates and the paperwork to keep.
Cost guide
Kitchen Renovation Cost in Edmonton: What Drives the Price
What drives kitchen renovation cost in Edmonton: layout changes, cabinets, plumbing and wiring, permits and older homes, plus how our fixed-price quote works.
