High-Quality Residential and Commercial Renovations and Restorations
High-Quality Residential and Commercial Renovations and Restorations
Think about where your household spends the day. Breakfast gets made on the main floor, and homework gets done there too. Yet in many Lower Mainland houses, that level is divided into small, closed-off rooms that suit how families lived fifty years ago. Most homes in British Columbia were built before 1991, so layouts like these are everywhere. A main floor renovation lets you rework the kitchen, dining area, living room, and entry as one connected space.
Our team designs and builds main floor projects as a whole, not as a string of separate jobs. We begin by studying your home: how the walls are framed and where plumbing and wiring run. With that picture, the project is priced at a fixed cost and sequenced so you are not paying for the same room twice.
Typical main floor projects include:
A closed-off kitchen is a frequent frustration on older main floors. The cook is cut off from the family, and daylight stops at the doorway. Taking out a wall, or part of one, changes how the whole floor feels. Sightlines open and light reaches farther, so the kitchen becomes part of the room instead of a place you retreat to.
Not every wall can come out, and the ones that can are not always simple. A bearing wall carries loads from the floors and roof above, so removing it usually calls for an engineer and a properly sized beam, supported by posts that carry the weight down to the foundation. Sometimes new footings are needed. We confirm all of this early, which keeps the price firm instead of leaving surprises for halfway through demolition.
Renovating one room at a time sounds manageable until you add up the dust and the temporary kitchens. Doing the main floor together means one construction period and one coordinated design. It also makes sense of the work behind the walls: new circuits and relocated plumbing are far easier to install when the whole floor is open.
Many homeowners want to stay put for good, and a main floor that works without stairs makes that realistic. Planning for it now is easier than retrofitting later. Wider paths, a bedroom, and a bathroom on the main level can be built in without looking like an afterthought. Some accessibility-focused work may qualify for provincial or federal tax credits and rebates, though eligibility rules and limits change, so we are glad to go over what is currently available.
A project that spans several rooms involves more trades and more decisions, so we put extra effort into the scope before any price is fixed.
With a fixed price, the whole scope is priced before construction starts, which spares you the 30% to 50% overruns that often follow unrealistically low bids. Changes you request later are recorded in a change order, so nothing is added without your sign-off. Cost-plus is the alternative when the design is still evolving: you pay the actual cost of labour and materials plus a builder’s fee, which gets work started sooner but leaves the final number open.
Consultation: Book a free consultation so we can hear your plans and you can judge whether we are right for the job.
Site visit: We visit the house and take measurements for materials and products while we go through the project with you.
Scope and initial pricing: You get an outline of the scope with initial pricing. Until selections are final, material costs are carried at assumed prices.
Retainer and trade day: When you approve the scope, we ask for a retainer equal to 1% of the initial pricing, and a trade day is scheduled to review the full detailed scope.
Final scope: The final scope is presented and your retainer is credited against the final cost before the contract documents are signed.
Payments are tied to a schedule agreed in advance, with separate plans for the design and permit stage and for construction. If something unexpected shows up inside an older wall, we work to resolve it within your budget.
A main floor project can mean weeks without a working kitchen, so communication matters as much as craftsmanship. You will know what is happening next and when the disruption will ease. Our goal is to hand you a main floor that looks cohesive and stays inside the budget you set.
The project showcase includes finished projects from around the region, so you can see how connected spaces come together.
Norum Construction & Renovations is family-owned, with more than 25 years of experience in Lower Mainland homes, and we run design and construction as one project. You receive a written scope and a fixed-cost quote, backed by a team that keeps you informed.
Cost is driven by how much of the floor is changing and whether walls move. Structural work and relocated plumbing or wiring add to the total. We would rather measure first, so the estimate comes from a site visit and a detailed scope.
Allow time for design and permits before construction starts, and for cabinetry and other made-to-order items to arrive. Your scope of work will lay out an expected timeline.
Most households set up a simple temporary kitchen in another room. We talk through the plan with you before work begins, including how long the kitchen is likely to be out of service.
Often, yes. First we need to know whether it is a bearing wall and what runs through it. If it is, an engineer sizes a beam to replace it. If it is not, removal is more straightforward, though pipes and wiring may still need to be moved.
We do. Structural changes usually require a building permit, and moving plumbing or electrical work often needs its own approvals. Requirements differ between municipalities, and the applications and inspections are part of our design and permit service.
Most stratas require written approval before walls are moved or plumbing and wiring are changed, and many set rules for work hours and elevator use. We can help you work out what yours is likely to ask for.
In homes built before 1990, we identify hazardous materials such as asbestos before demolition begins. If water damage or outdated wiring appears once the walls are open, we work with you on a solution that stays within budget. Any change to the plan that you request goes through a change order.
Norum Construction & Renovations (NCR) is a family-owned and operated business that has been providing customers throughout the Fraser Valley with comprehensive residential and commercial renovations and restorations for over 25 years. We strive to help our clients bring their dream spaces, homes, and designs to life.
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