Whole-home remodelling company

Homeowners with bigger budgets, growing families needing more space, and buyers renovating a newly purchased home.

Fixed-price or cost-plus contracts for larger projects, paid in stages. Margin comes from managing labour, materials and subcontractors efficiently.

• Construction knowledge across several trades
• Project management and scheduling
• Quoting, budgeting and cash flow management
• Leading and managing a crew

• Most provinces do not require a general renovation contractor licence, but some do and many municipalities require a business licence, so check with your province and municipality before trading
• Some provinces have new home or renovation warranty and builder registration rules that may apply to larger projects, so check locally
• Building permits and inspections are often required for structural, electrical and plumbing work, and electrical and plumbing work generally must be done by licensed tradespeople, so check locally
• Commercial general liability insurance, and WCB/WSIB registration once you hire or use unregistered subcontractors, with rules varying by province
• Health and safety obligations on site, including training requirements in your province
• Cash flow pressure from paying materials and wages before stage payments arrive
• Weather and winter slowdowns, especially for exterior work
• Quebec has its own licensing body (the RBQ) and French-language contract requirements, so check if working there

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $15,000 to $75,000, depending on tools, vehicles, insurance and how much of your crew you employ or subcontract. Cash flow matters, since you may pay for materials and wages before stage payments arrive.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $15,000 to $75,000, depending on the number and size of projects and the crew you run. These are revenue figures, not profit, so materials, wages and insurance come out of them.

Check locally. Most provinces do not require a general renovation contractor licence, but some do, and many municipalities require a business licence. Also check permits, licensed trades for electrical and plumbing, warranty rules, insurance, WCB/WSIB, and Quebec's RBQ.