There is a better way to estimate your residential construction project budget
Every time a homeowner calls asking for our "price per square foot," we say the same thing: we don't do that.
It's not because we're difficult. It's because square footage pricing is fundamentally broken.
We've built our reputation on transparency and education. Giving you a meaningless number that won't hold up when reality hits? That goes against everything we stand for.
The Industry's Favorite Shortcut
Most contractors love square footage estimates because they're easy. Quick math, fast quote, move on to the next call.
But here's what they won't tell you: it's an oversimplified strategy used by contractors who are spread too thin. They don't have the time or expertise to give you meaningful information until you formally commit to working with them.
We firmly believe that leading with value is crucial to our sales process. The square footage conversation is usually the first time people understand that BVM Contracting operates differently than other general contractors.
When you're giving someone a cost that isn't a total, there's bound to be miscommunication about what the project will actually cost. This is a tactic used by builders who don't possess the capacity, knowledge, or experience to provide total values.
They don't want to stick their neck out with a total cost that could be used against them if they're wrong.
Why Square Footage Fails
Toronto's construction market proves this point perfectly. Current costs for home additions and new home build projects range dramatically from $300 to $650 per square foot. That's more than double between the low and high end!
And that doesn’t even include garden suites and laneway suites, which could be even higher in cost per square foot.
This massive variance exists because square footage ignores the variables that actually drive costs. Design complexity, material selections, site conditions, and existing structure work all get lumped together in one meaningless number.
Home additions make this problem even worse. The cost per square foot changes drastically depending on how much of the existing house needs work versus how much new space you're creating.
Our Database-Driven Approach to Residential construction costs
We've meticulously crafted a database of past renovation, home addition, and new home building projects. This gives us a large amount of data to draw from when pricing potential projects.
We've created intricate scopes for complex residential construction projects over the years. We can reference those scopes and numbers to inform decision-making for future projects.
This solves the classic chicken-and-egg problem: homeowners don't want to commit to a project without solid numbers, but getting solid numbers traditionally required committing to a builder.
We cut right through that. We give people the information they desperately need to make informed decisions.
The Client Education Moment
When homeowners don't question our approach, that's when they start to realize the residential construction industry is broken.
Not everyone gets it. But the people who understand what we're trying to do buy into it immediately. They become clients, then clients for life.
It's a small but meaningful difference in how we approach first meetings and subsequent conversations. We're not going to give you a simple cost per square foot. We're going to give you a representative total cost so you can feel as informed as possible before deciding to move forward.
The ones who don't get it end up finding the cheapest team to complete their job. They end up paying the price later.
When people push back and ask why we don’t do costs per square foot, our answer is a matter-of-fact: we're not giving you a cost per square foot because that's a stupid way of doing things, and we have more integrity than that. If you want to work with us we will need more information to help give you a representative budget for your project. If you don’t like it then call another team that will tell you what you want to hear, because we are not that company.
What This Means for Your Residential construction Project
When you work with us, you get comprehensive pre-construction services at no charge. We build trust by providing value upfront, not by hiding behind vague estimates.
Our detailed project database helps inform you about renovation and building options for your specific property. You get realistic costs based on actual project data, not industry averages.
We've eliminated the guessing game. No more wondering if that square footage estimate will hold up when construction begins.
This approach separates us as thought leaders in the residential construction industry. We're building a reputation based on transparency and education, not quick quotes and false promises.
The result? We're creating a funnel of clients who value our approach to providing the best value per dollar in the market.
Because at the end of the day, your project deserves more than oversimplified math. It deserves the comprehensive analysis that leads to successful outcomes.
That's how we've built our reputation as Toronto's source of truth for residential construction. One honest conversation at a time.
BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, new home construction, multi-unit renovations, garden suite construction, and laneway suite construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.
Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations and home building projects in Toronto, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.
To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.