How prices are calculated, and the 2026 reference prices

The reference building

All the reference prices below are calculated for one and the same house: a 40 × 30 ft bungalow (1,200 sq ft footprint), one storey, being renovated, in Quebec. It is the same building used as the example on the home page and in the sample files shown to contractors, so the whole site tells the same story. The calculator, for its part, redoes the calculation for your home, from your address and your answers.

2026 reference prices, before taxes

Eighteen projects, each described precisely enough that a contractor knows what is meant. The ranges come from the site’s calculation engine; an automatic check replays all eighteen scenarios every time the grid changes and blocks publication if a displayed figure no longer matches the calculation.

Roofing$11,300 – $14,500

Reroofing a 40 × 30 ft bungalow costs $11,300 to $14,500 in Quebec in 2026: architectural asphalt shingles, two slopes, medium pitch, one layer to tear off, one chimney. The price varies mostly with area, pitch and tear-off.

Doors and windows$9,400 – $12,000

Replacing the windows of a bungalow costs $9,400 to $12,000 in Quebec in 2026: eight standard-size casement windows and one steel entry door, white PVC, double glazing, retrofit installation. The number of openings and the installation type weigh the most.

Exterior siding$15,500 – $19,800

Residing a 40 × 30 ft bungalow costs $15,500 to $19,800 in Quebec in 2026: engineered wood, old vinyl removed, ten openings. The material can triple the price.

Balcony and patio$10,700 – $13,700

Rebuilding a 12 × 10 ft deck costs $10,700 to $13,700 in Quebec in 2026: treated wood, wood railing and short stairs, old deck demolished. Area, material and railing set the price.

Eavestroughs$2,600 – $3,300

Replacing the gutters of a 40 × 30 ft bungalow costs $2,600 to $3,300 in Quebec in 2026: 5-inch aluminum all around, downspouts included, old gutters removed. The number of storeys and downspouts change the price.

Asphalt and interlocking pavers$6,100 – $7,800

Redoing a 40 × 12 ft asphalt driveway costs $6,100 to $7,800 in Quebec in 2026: old asphalt removed, gravel base rebuilt, no curb. Pavers cost significantly more per square foot.

Pool$18,500 – $23,600

Installing a 21 ft round above-ground pool costs $18,500 to $23,600 in Quebec in 2026: steel, attached deck, safety enclosure, new lot. An in-ground pool is an entirely different budget.

Fence$7,400 – $9,500

Installing 100 ft of 6 ft treated-wood fence costs $7,400 to $9,500 in Quebec in 2026: one single gate, old fence removed, normal soil. Material and length set the price.

Landscaping$8,900 – $11,300

Landscaping a new lot costs $8,900 to $11,300 in Quebec in 2026: 2,000 sq ft of sod, 200 sq ft of flower beds, one tree and six shrubs. Retaining walls, grading and pavers quickly change the budget.

Kitchen renovation$22,500 – $28,800

Renovating a medium 15 ft kitchen costs $22,500 to $28,800 in Quebec in 2026: polyester cabinets, quartz countertop, tile backsplash, sink and simple island, without moving the plumbing. Cabinets and countertop make up most of the price.

Bathroom renovation$15,900 – $20,300

Renovating a standard bathroom costs $15,900 to $20,300 in Quebec in 2026: tiled shower, custom vanity, toilet and floor, standard grade, surfaces only. Moving the plumbing or redoing the walls is extra.

Basement finishing$72,600 – $92,800

Finishing an 800 sq ft basement on bare concrete costs $72,600 to $92,800 in Quebec in 2026: one bedroom and one bathroom, batt insulation, drywall ceiling, vinyl flooring, standard height. The bathroom and the floor area weigh the most.

Flooring installation$9,300 – $11,900

Installing 600 sq ft of prefinished hardwood in three rooms costs $9,300 to $11,900 in Quebec in 2026: laminate removed, subfloor in good condition, baseboards kept. The material makes the biggest difference.

Painting$3,000 – $3,900

Painting the interior of a bungalow costs $3,000 to $3,900 in Quebec in 2026: three bedrooms, living room, kitchen and hallway, walls only, in good condition, standard-grade paint. Ceilings, trim and repairs are extra.

Home addition$119,200 – $152,400

A 20 × 16 ft (320 sq ft) addition costs $119,200 to $152,400 in Quebec in 2026: poured concrete foundation, turnkey without a bathroom, engineered wood siding, pitched roof. An added storey or a bathroom changes the budget.

Foundation and drain$26,200 – $33,400

Replacing the French drain all around a 40 × 30 ft bungalow costs $26,200 to $33,400 in Quebec in 2026: basement, sump pump to install, no obstacles around. Cracks and waterproofing are priced separately.

Heating and air conditioning$4,800 – $6,100

Installing a single-head cold-climate wall-mounted heat pump costs $4,800 to $6,100 in Quebec in 2026: 1,500 sq ft home, adequate electrical panel, no unit to remove. A central heat pump or a furnace changes the budget.

Electrical and plumbing$5,800 – $7,400

Replacing the electrical panel with a 200 A panel and adding an EV charger costs $5,800 to $7,400 in Quebec in 2026, for a 1,500 sq ft home. Wiring, the main stack and the water heater are priced separately.

Source: qcalculatrice.com, price grid Québec — grille 2026 v2.2, ranges verified on September 18, 2026, amounts before taxes (GST and QST extra in Quebec).

Where the prices come from

Materials. Every material in the grid (shingles, membrane, siding, windows, paint, treated lumber, concrete, tile…) is priced at retailers and suppliers selling in Quebec — big-box home improvement stores, specialized distributors, manufacturers — with the date of the survey. Quantities are calculated from real dimensions: roof area along the slope, wall area minus openings, linear feet of gutter, square feet of flooring, with the trade’s usual cutting waste.

Labour. In Quebec, every hour is counted at the construction collective agreement (CCQ) rate for the trade involved — roofer, carpenter-joiner, painter, electrician, plumber, bricklayer… — plus employer costs (vacation, plans, CNESST, contributions). Hours come from site productivity rates per unit: square feet installed per hour, openings installed per day, linear feet per hour. Elsewhere in Canada, the rate is that of the province where the work is done (Job Bank 2025 median for the occupation), with that province’s employer costs.

Site costs. The dumpster and debris disposal, mobilization (travel, setup), scaffolding or a lift when the work calls for it, fall-protection equipment, routine occupancy permits. These are real costs, counted once per job or per unit as the case may be.

Margin. A contractor does not work at cost: the calculation adds overhead and a margin within the trade’s normal range, so the estimate looks like a real quote and not a hardware-store price list. The displayed range (low – high) brackets what serious quotes should come to for the same work.

What the calculation does with your address

From the address of the work, the site measures whatever can be measured without a visit: the footprint and roof area on aerial imagery, the number of storeys, the perimeter for gutters and siding, the driveway and lot for asphalt, fencing and landscaping, and it suggests a window count from the façade. You correct anything that is off; the questions only ask what cannot be seen from above (material, condition, grade).

What is not included

• Taxes: GST and QST in Quebec, HST or GST plus provincial tax elsewhere. All amounts on the site are before taxes.
• Surprises only found once things are opened up: rotten sheathing or joists, asbestos, vermiculite, mould, rock or groundwater during excavation.
• Municipal permits, architect’s or engineer’s drawings and soil studies when they are required.
• Decoration, appliances, furniture, and whatever the estimate explicitly lists as excluded in its breakdown.
• Financing, grants and tax credits, which vary by program and date.

Accuracy and limits

The result is a range, not a firm price. It is tight enough to set a budget, decide whether the project is realistic and recognize an abnormally high or low quote. It does not replace a contractor’s visit: the actual condition of the building, site access, time of year and order book all move the final price. The site always distinguishes the estimate (its calculation) from the quote (the price a contractor signs): the contractor remains free to quote above or below the range, and their feedback calibrates the engine, which improves day by day.

Versions and updates

Prices live in a versioned grid. A published grid is never modified: when a price changes, a new version is published and its name appears on every file, so a contractor knows which grid a budget was calculated with. The current grid is “Québec — grille 2026 v2.2”; its reference ranges were verified on September 18, 2026. Material prices are revised as surveys come in, labour rates with each new collective agreement.

Who does the calculating

The site is designed and maintained in Granby, Quebec, by 9423-8151 Québec inc., a team with a background in building inspection. Productivity rates, line items and exclusions come from job-site practice and real quotes; prices are surveyed, not estimated from memory. Who is behind the site

Sources of the measurement by address

When you enter an address, the building is measured from Google Maps Platform (geocoding, Solar imagery, satellite and street-level photos), OpenStreetMap building outlines (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL licence), the Quebec cadastre (Données Québec, CC BY 4.0 licence) and the City of Montréal property assessment roll (open data, CC BY 4.0). These sources describe the building; what you do with them stays in your project file.

Citing these prices

You may reuse the reference prices on this page by citing the source, the grid and the date, for example:

“Reroofing a 40 × 30 ft bungalow costs $11,300 to $14,500 before taxes in Quebec in 2026, according to qcalculatrice.com (price grid Québec — grille 2026 v2.2, verified on September 18, 2026).”

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