Cheap and good are not opposites, but cheap and durable usually are. After ten years and 137 GTA projects, here’s where we’ve seen homeowners actually save money — and where the “savings” cost them double a year later.
Where you can genuinely save
- Order finish materials yourself from Caesarstone, Olympia, Centura. You’ll pay the same as a contractor’s account in many cases, and you avoid the 15-25% markup. Just check return policy before delivery.
- Keep the same kitchen layout. Moving the sink or stove triggers plumbing and venting changes that cost $3-8K. Refacing cabinets and replacing countertops in place can deliver 70% of the visual change at 30% of the cost.
- Combine projects. If you’re already opening walls for a basement legal suite, run new wiring for upstairs LED retrofits at the same time. Half the labour cost.
Where homeowners try to save and lose
- Skipping permits. When you sell the house, the buyer’s lawyer finds unpermitted work. Either you fix it at 2× cost during a sale (negotiating against the clock), or the deal falls through.
- Hiring different trades separately. The plumber blames the electrician, the electrician blames the framer, your hallway sits drywalled-but-not-finished for 6 weeks. A general contractor coordinates the schedule — that’s most of what you’re paying for.
- “Cash discount” deals. No invoice means no warranty, no insurance coverage when something fails, and CRA penalties if HST audit ever catches it.
The honest middle path
Get three written quotes from licensed contractors. Pick the one that itemises labour and materials separately. Pay HST. Take the permit. Sleep at night.