If you’re looking to build a laneway home in Calgary, it’s essential to be aware of the types of features and specifications desired for the project. For those who have never built a new home before, you may not be aware of the sheer variety of options there are for many aspects of the build – and that’s okay. At Garage Suites, it is part of our job to educate you on various upgrades and the options available to you.

Below, we outline several of the most common upgrades we see in our laneway house builds in Calgary, and explain why many people choose them. **Please note that all pricing provided below is subject to change and may not be exact.**

External air-conditioning unit

An external air-conditioning unit is probably the most common upgrade we see in our laneway house projects in Calgary, keeping the space nice and cool during the summer heat. The size of most garage suites means that only a 1.5-ton A/C model is needed, keeping the cost relatively affordable compared to the requirements for bigger homes. As of the date when this article was written, we charge $5,500* for an A/C upgrade.

Interior garage heater

Another very common upgrade in our laneway home projects across Calgary is a natural gas garage heater. Installed at height, typically in a corner, this heater keeps your garage nice and warm throughout the winter. Garage heaters range in price according to the model (as with any upgrade), but our current standard supply and install goes for $3,300* as of the date when this article was written.

Vinyl interior access stairs

Vinyl stairs are also a common upgrade amongst our clients, who would prefer engineered LVP material to cover the entranceway stairs up to the suite instead of carpet (our standard). This material is much more durable than carpet and will last much longer. Depending on your selection, the cost for each riser can go up significantly, but today we’re seeing current prices start at approximately $155* per stair. Your typical garage suite has anywhere from 15 to 18 stairs, which is also determined by your design.

Triple-pane windows

If you’re looking for energy efficiency, then triple-pane windows are a good upgrade to consider. Commonly selected by many of our clients who build a laneway house, the third pane acts as an extra insulating layer during both seasons, particularly in the winter when heat is easily lost through windows. Triple pane windows typically cost up to 25% or more above and beyond our standard dual-pane window package; this translates into anywhere from $1,000* to $5,000* or more, depending on the window package selected by our clients, as per the date from which this article was written.

Fibre cement exterior cladding

With concerns about the vulnerability of vinyl exteriors and hail storms in Calgary, as well as pests such as woodpeckers – which have been known to peck right through stucco – fibre cement board is a common upgrade seen in our past laneway home builds. A standard James Hardie panel selection rings in at about $9* difference between vinyl at the time this blog was written. Therefore, if you have a large suite, for example, with 2,000 square feet of exterior elevation cladding, then you’re looking at more than $18,000* for the upgrade from vinyl to fibre cement.

Vaulted interior ceilings

Vaulted ceilings inside a garage suite assist in making the living space feel larger and more spacious. Typically, our clients only upgrade the kitchen, living room, and stairway, although sometimes the bedrooms may also be vaulted. The cost for vaulted ceilings, when compared to a standard knock-down ceiling with a 12 by 3 or 12 by 4 attic ratio, goes at a flat rate between $20-$50* per square foot. A typical vaulted ceiling goes from $7,000* to $15,000* or more, depending on the square footage being considered. Significant costs associated with spray foam and the differing joist/truss layouts are the driving factors in the cost increase.

Added living space & building envelope

Making your garage suite bigger is also another common upgrade for our laneway builds in Calgary. The cost for enlarging the building envelope and also the living space is priced differently, ranging from $75/s.f.* to $200/s.f.* or more, depending on the project. We’re happy to explore those options with you when the request is made, given that you have enough wiggle room within the municipality’s bylaws to make the suite larger in the first place.

Garage floor drains

If you’re planning on doing lots of washing in your garage, then it is essential to upgrade your suite with floor drains conducive to proper draining of that water away from the foundation. That’s where central or grid drains come into play. You can take it a step further and also lay down epoxy, which will seal off the concrete pad from the foundation underneath. These upgrades range from $900* for a standard centre single drain to $1,500 for two centre drains. Liner drains are more expensive, while epoxying an entire garage can be several thousand dollars, depending on the selections made and the square footage to be done.

Total Upgrades in Laneway Homes

Overall, we typically see our clients spend anywhere from a few thousand bucks all the way up to $20,000 or more on upgrades in their backyard suite builds. The great thing is that if you are on a tight budget, we can offer you a standard plan package that checks off all the boxes and doesn’t require any upgrades.

Questions about Garage Suites?

contact garage suites Calgary today

Garage Suites has an experienced team ready to serve you — put your trust in the pros to complete your garage suite project! Give us a call anytime at 403-797-4918 or contact us online to discuss your goals, and we will be happy to chat. We look forward to helping you accomplish your backyard suite goals!