General Contractor
in Burnaby, BC

Burnaby's residential character is defined by a generation of post-war construction sitting on unusually generous lots, wrapped around four town centres that are densifying quickly. That combination produces a very specific renovation market: solid, modest houses with excellent land underneath them and owners deciding whether to renovate, add, or rebuild.

We work on all three paths, and part of our job early on is giving you an honest read on which one makes financial sense for your property.

Post-War Housing and What It Needs

Burnaby Heights, Capitol Hill, Willingdon Heights, and much of the area around Deer Lake are dominated by 1940s through 1960s bungalows and post-war two storeys. These homes were well built for their time and the framing is often in better condition than a comparable 1980s house, but they were built to entirely different expectations. Small kitchens closed off from living space, one bathroom, minimal insulation, original electrical, and basements with low ceilings and no proper moisture management.

The renovations that deliver most on these houses are structural: opening the main floor, adding a second bathroom, developing the basement properly, and replacing systems while walls are open. Capitol Hill and Burnaby Heights also carry view considerations, and a well-planned addition or upper storey can capture an inlet or downtown view that transforms a property's value.

Edmonds and parts of South Burnaby include more 1970s and 1980s stock, where the work is typically kitchens, bathrooms, suite conversions, and window replacement.

Trees, Permits, and Burnaby Specifics

Burnaby has a notably strict tree protection bylaw, and it catches homeowners out regularly. Removing or significantly pruning trees over a certain size generally requires a permit, and protected trees near a proposed addition or new foundation may require a certified arborist report and protective measures during construction.

This matters at the design stage rather than the construction stage. An addition sited a few feet differently can be the difference between a straightforward permit and an arborist-supervised process with root zone protection. We look at trees before finalizing a footprint.

Burnaby also permits secondary suites in most single family zones, and the generous lot sizes and full-height basements in much of the city make suite conversion a natural fit.

Renovate, Add, or Rebuild

Because Burnaby land values are high relative to the improvements sitting on them, the rebuild question comes up on almost every older bungalow. There is a point at which a house needs so much structural, electrical, plumbing, envelope, and layout work that a new build delivers better value.

We will tell you where your house sits on that line. Sometimes the answer is that a well-executed renovation and addition gets you eighty percent of a new build's benefit at half the cost and a fraction of the timeline. Sometimes it is not, and you deserve to hear that before you spend money on design.