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Trade Guides: Ontario Renovation and New-Home Costs by Trade, Calculators, Guides and Quote Reviews
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Trade Guides: What Each Job Should Cost, Trade by Trade, for a Renovation or a New House, From a Builder Who Is Not Quoting It
Every trade has a number it should land on, a quote format that hides the difference between two shops, and three things that go wrong when the order of work is ignored. This is the section where those get written down, one trade at a time, with a calculator for each.
It started with kitchens and bathrooms, because that is where the money and the arguments are. Roofing, windows and doors, drywall, taping and painting, flooring and tile, exterior finishes, insulation and air sealing, heating, cooling and ventilation, electrical and lighting, plumbing and water, framing and building systems, and construction insurance are live now. Foundation waterproofing is next. Each one gets the same treatment: installed Ontario prices, a calculator, the comparisons people actually search for, and a paid second opinion on the quotes before you sign.
The sections
Kitchens and bathrooms
Cabinets, countertops, vanities and the whole kitchen renovation: fifty pages, four calculators, and a builder who reads your quotes for $149. Live now.
Roofing
Shingles, metal and flat roofs priced by the square, leaks and ice dams, how to hire a roofer and read the quote: thirty-eight pages, two calculators, and a builder who reads your roofing quotes for $99. Live now.
Windows and doors
Every opening priced, retrofit vs. full-frame, vinyl vs. fibreglass, double vs. triple, entry and patio doors, ICF and new-build packages: forty-two pages, two calculators, a $99 quote review and a $249 window schedule takeoff. Live now.
Drywall, taping and painting
What a square foot of finished wall costs (per square foot of wall, not floor), the finish levels and which one you are buying, repairs and popcorn ceilings, the whole inside of a new house by grade, and who is responsible when the seams show: fifty pages, five calculators, a $99 quote review and a $249 interior finishing takeoff. Live now.
Flooring and tile
What hardwood, vinyl plank, laminate, tile and carpet cost installed by grade, the subfloor and moisture rules that decide whether a floor lasts, the $3,800 tiled shower line by line, floors over radiant heat from a builder who has put them on heated slabs for thirty years, and how to hire and inspect the installer: fifty-seven pages, three calculators, a $99 quote review and a $249 flooring and tile takeoff.
Exterior finishes
What vinyl, fibre cement, wood, metal, stucco, stone and brick cost per square foot of wall, the house wrap and flashing under the skin that keep the sheathing dry, stucco priced with its bands and frieze, brick and stone with their ledges and weeps, soffit, fascia and eavestroughs by the foot, and the door-to-door pitch to walk away from: fifty-four pages, two calculators, a $99 quote review and a $249 exterior takeoff.
Insulation and air sealing
What an attic top-up costs by the R-point, spray foam by the board foot with the masking and the minimum charge, the basement assemblies that work against concrete and the one that grows mould, the R-value of a wall with the studs counted, the rebate tiers and the contractor catch, and the three things in an old house that stop the job: fifty-three pages, three calculators, a $99 quote review and a $249 insulation takeoff.
Heating, cooling and ventilation
What a cold-climate heat pump, a mini-split, a furnace, central air, a combi boiler and an air-to-water heat pump cost installed, why the published prices for the same job are thousands of dollars apart, the heat pump rebates by heating fuel, HRVs and ductwork, radiant floors and the heat source they want, and the licences to ask for: twenty-eight new pages beside the radiant and heat pump guides already here, three calculators and a $99 quote review.
Electrical and lighting
What wiring a new house or rewiring an old one costs, panel and 200 A upgrades, EV chargers on a 100 A service, pot lights, standby generators and home batteries for rural outages, ESA permits and how to check an electrician’s licence: twenty-two new pages beside the wiring and lighting guides already here, four calculators including the code load calculation, and a $99 quote review.
Plumbing and water
What plumbing a new house costs, plumbing an ICF house, adding a basement bathroom, PEX or copper, well pumps and the kinds of well, water testing, softeners, iron filters, UV and RO, sump pumps, backwater valves and the flooding subsidies, sewer laterals, old pipe, permits and how to check a plumber: twenty-three new pages beside the plumbing, well drilling and septic guides already here, three calculators including a water treatment selector, and a $99 quote review.
Framing and building systems
What framing a house costs, 2×6 and advanced framing, the new wall bracing rules, engineered floors and roof trusses, taking out a load-bearing wall, LVL or steel beams, sagging floors, and SIP, log, timber frame, panelized and modular houses priced at the same level of completion: twenty new pages beside the SIP, log, post and beam and prefab guides already here, four calculators including a six-way building system comparison, and a $99 quote review.
Construction insurance
The three policies every build and major renovation needs, who carries each, what builder’s risk actually costs in Ontario, what the lender wants before the first draw, insuring a renovation while you live in it, cottages and rural lots with no fire hall, and the checklist to have in hand before you break ground: a rebuilt hub, twelve new guides and a calculator that writes the quote request sheet for your own broker.
On the bench
Foundation waterproofing is next, priced the same way. Each one lands here when it is finished and checked, not before.
If you want a say in what comes next, the contact page goes to a person.
The trade calculators
Each one prices the job the way a shop would, with Ontario installed rates checked in October 2026 and HST on the bottom line. None of them asks for an email address to show the number.
Kitchen cabinet cost calculator
Wall runs by the foot, grade, drawers, island, install and trim. Run it.
Countertop cost calculator
Square feet, material and tier, cut-outs, edges, waterfall ends and removal. Run it.
Bathroom vanity cost calculator
Width, grade, top, sinks, floating or floor, and three plumbing scenarios. Run it.
Kitchen renovation cost calculator
The whole job: cabinets through appliances, electrical, plumbing, walls, permit, contingency. Run it.
Roof replacement cost calculator
Footprint and pitch to squares, then shingles, metal or membrane, tear-off, decking, flashing, vents and HST. Run it.
Metal roof cost calculator
Standing seam, metal shingles or panels, snow guards, and the 40-year cost against shingles done twice. Run it.
Window replacement cost calculator
Every opening on its own line, vinyl or fibreglass, double or triple, retrofit, full-frame or new build, doors on the same sheet. Run it.
Exterior door cost calculator
Entry and patio doors as installed systems: sidelights, glass, locks, the wall, the floor and the finishing. Run it.
Complete interior finishing calculator
Drywall, taping, primer, paint, trim and doors for a whole house or basement, room by room, at three grades, nothing counted twice. Run it.
Drywall installation cost calculator
Walls and ceilings measured properly, sheets counted, board type, finish level, tall ceilings, delivery. Run it.
Drywall taping cost calculator
Board already hung: Level 3, 4 or 5 on walls and ceilings, corners, the state of the hanging. Run it.
Interior painting cost calculator
Walls, ceilings, baseboard, casing and doors as separate lines, new drywall or repaint, paint grade, stairwells. Run it.
Drywall repair cost calculator
Patches, cracks, pops, water-damaged ceilings, popcorn removal and skim coating, with minimum charges and the pre-1990 test. Run it.
Flooring cost calculator
Any mix of hardwood, vinyl, laminate, tile and carpet room by room, at three grades, with tearout, subfloor work, moisture control, baseboard, transitions and stairs. Run it.
Tile and shower cost calculator
Floor tile, the shower pan, wall waterproofing, wall tile by size and pattern, niches, bench, curbless, heated floor, backsplash and demolition on separate lines. Run it.
Radiant floor compatibility checker
Pick the heating system, the floor and the install method; get a verdict, the real floor temperatures against the warranty line, and the conditions to write into the quote. Run it.
Exterior cladding cost calculator
Every wall with its gable and openings, any mix of siding, stucco, stone and brick on wood frame or ICF, with tearoff, wrap, flashing, insulation, trim, scaffolding and the stucco details. Run it.
Soffit, fascia and eavestrough calculator
Eave length and depth, vented soffit, fascia cover or new board, rot repair, 5 or 6 in. trough, downspouts and guards, with the attic venting and downspout checks. Run it.
Attic insulation cost calculator
Existing depth to existing R, the top-up to R-50 or R-60 priced by the R-point, air sealing, pot lights, hatch, baffles, removal, HST and the rebate tier check. Run it.
Spray foam cost calculator
Surface by surface at the thickness you need, closed or open cell by the board foot, rim joists by the foot, masking, backing, thermal barrier and the minimum charge. Run it.
Wall assembly comparison calculator
The same house seven ways, 2×6 batts to ICF: installed insulation cost, effective R with the studs counted, heat through the walls in your fuel, and the 20-year total. Run it.
Heat pump vs gas cost calculator
Your fuel, your bills and your hydro rate against a cold-climate heat pump: the yearly heating cost both ways, the break-even COP, dual fuel or all-electric, and fifteen years with the equipment in. Run it.
HVAC system cost comparison
The same house five ways, furnace and AC to air-to-water with radiant floors, each priced whole with ducts or tubing, HRV and water heater, then the energy over fifteen years. Run it.
Tankless and combi sizing calculator
Incoming water temperature and the fixtures that run at once, turned into the flow and BTU/h you need in January, and what a 199,000 BTU unit really delivers. Run it.
Whole-house electrical cost calculator
A new house or a rewire by the square foot, with the service, extra pot lights, the EV circuit, generator, subpanels and Cat6 each priced once. Run it.
Electrical service capacity calculator
The code load calculation for your house: heat, heat pump, range, water heater, EV and hot tub against 100, 125 or 200 A, and what a load manager changes. Run it.
EV charger cost calculator
A Level 2 charger installed by distance and panel, with or without a load manager, and what charging costs a year on overnight rates against gasoline. Run it.
Generator and battery sizing calculator
The well pump, sump, furnace and fridge in an outage: running watts, the starting surge, the generator size, battery hours and the installed cost. Run it.
Rural water system cost calculator
A drilled well by depth with the driller minimum, the pump and tank, the line to the house and the treatment, with a low, middle and high total. Run it.
Water treatment selector
Your bacteria result and lab numbers against the Health Canada guidelines, and the treatment train in the right order with what it costs to buy and run. Run it.
Water heater rent vs buy calculator
Your monthly rental against buying a tank, heat pump or tankless over the years you will stay, and the month buying pulls ahead. Run it.
Building system cost comparison
The same house as wood frame, SIP, ICF, log, timber frame and modular, all priced as a finished house. Run it.
House framing cost calculator
Labour only or with materials, per floor area or footprint, with the truss package and the crane. Run it.
Kit to finished house calculator
A SIP, log, timber frame or modular package price in, the finished-house range out. Run it.
Wall removal and beam cost calculator
Engineer, permit, shoring, beam, posts, footings and patching, line by line. Run it.
Construction insurance cost calculator
Hard cost, months, who runs the build and the lot’s fire protection in; a builder’s risk premium range out, plus the sheet to send a broker. Run it.
The older roofing material calculator (bundles, rolls and nails) and the new-build calculators (cost to build, cost per square foot, ICF, concrete, permits, HST rebate) are under Costs and Tools in the menu, and all of them are listed on the calculators page.
How the section works, and how it pays for itself
The guides and calculators are free and stay free. Two things cost money. A quote review, where a builder reads your quotes or your drawing before you sign and tells you what is missing, is $99 for a roof, windows and doors drywall and painting flooring and tile or the exterior or insulation, $249 for a window schedule takeoff an interior finishing takeoff a flooring and tile takeoff an exterior finish takeoff or an insulation takeoff from your plans, and $149 to $449 for a kitchen or bathroom, depending on how much paper you send. And if you ask for a quotation through a calculator, the written scope comes straight to our inbox: in Simcoe County, Muskoka and Georgian Bay we sort it out ourselves, and anywhere else we read it and tell you honestly whether we can help. That is the whole business model, and it is written on the page so nobody has to guess.
Every price on these pages carries the month it was checked. If one is wrong, say so, and it gets fixed with credit.
Before any renovation, three rules
- Know the number before the showroom does. Run the calculator first. A quote is only high or low against something.
- Get three quotes on one written scope. Three different scopes give you three different kitchens, and the cheapest one is cheapest for a reason you will find in month two. The quote comparison guide shows how.
- Keep the deposit small and the contract long. 10 to 15% to the contractor, a milestone schedule, a written change-order rule, and Ontario’s 10% holdback. The contract checklist is fourteen clauses and three pages, and it applies to a roof as much as a kitchen; the roofing version is here.
Start with the room you are standing in
Kitchens, bathrooms, the roof, the windows and doors, and the drywall and paint are ready now. The rest of the house is on its way, one trade at a time, priced the same way.
