01Trade cost
Concrete and foundations cost in Canada
Footings, foundation walls, slabs, structural frame and flatwork. It is the largest single trade in most new builds, and the one most exposed to site conditions nobody can see before excavation.
02The rate
Commercial hourly
$80 – $140
Billed rate, national band
General hourly
$70 – $120
House-scale work
Commercial $/sf
$38 – $60
18% of hard cost
General $/sf
$50 – $77
From the residential band
The cost per square foot above is not a separate dataset. It is 18% of the curated new-build hard-cost band and 1% of the curated fit-out band that the market pages already publish, so this page can never contradict them.
03General versus commercial
The two segments, side by side
| Segment | Hourly | New build $/sf | Fit-out $/sf |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / residential | $70 – $120 | $50 – $77 | $3 – $4 |
| Commercial | $80 – $140 | $38 – $60 | $1 – $2 |
Why commercial concrete and foundations bills higher
Commercial concrete is engineered, reinforced, tested by an independent lab and often placed on a fixed formwork cycle. A residential slab or garage pad carries none of that testing or reinforcement density.
What the quoted rate covers
Normally: Formwork, reinforcement and placement; Finishing, curing and standard control joints; Standard mix design at specified strength. Normally not: Excavation, shoring, dewatering and soil disposal; Independent materials testing and inspection; Rock removal and unforeseen subsurface conditions; Waterproofing and drainage systems.
Buildlor facts
- Concrete and foundations is 18% of hard cost on a new build.
- Concrete and foundations is 1% of hard cost on a fit-out.
- Hard cost is typically 60 to 75 percent of an all-in budget, so a trade's share of the total is smaller again.
04What moves the number
Cost drivers
- Slab thickness and reinforcement: a racking-rated industrial slab prices well above a standard warehouse slab.
- Soil bearing: poor soils turn a strip footing into piles, which is a step change rather than an increment.
- Formwork repetition: repetitive floors cycle cheaply, while a one-off transfer slab does not.
- Winter placement needs heat, hoarding and admixtures, all of which are labour and fuel.
05By market
Concrete and foundations cost by city
Every market below carries a curated cost factor, so the trade rate moves with it. Markets we publish a dedicated page for are linked.
| Market | Commercial $/sf | General $/sf |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto, ON | $41 – $64 | $53 – $82 |
| Montreal, QC | $37 – $58 | $48 – $74 |
| Calgary, AB | $38 – $59 | $49 – $75 |
| Ottawa, ON | $39 – $61 | $50 – $78 |
| Edmonton, AB | $37 – $58 | $48 – $74 |
| Winnipeg, MB | $35 – $55 | $46 – $70 |
| Mississauga, ON | $41 – $64 | $53 – $81 |
| Vancouver, BC | $44 – $68 | $56 – $87 |
| Brampton, ON | $40 – $63 | $52 – $80 |
| Hamilton, ON | $39 – $61 | $50 – $78 |
| Surrey, BC | $42 – $65 | $54 – $83 |
| Quebec City, QC | $35 – $55 | $46 – $70 |
| Halifax, NS | $36 – $57 | $47 – $72 |
| Laval, QC | $36 – $57 | $47 – $72 |
| London, ON | $37 – $58 | $48 – $74 |
| Victoria, BC | $41 – $64 | $53 – $82 |
| Markham, ON | $40 – $63 | $52 – $80 |
| Vaughan, ON | $41 – $64 | $53 – $81 |
| Saskatoon, SK | $36 – $56 | $46 – $71 |
| Gatineau, QC | $36 – $57 | $47 – $72 |
| Kitchener, ON | $38 – $60 | $49 – $76 |
| Longueuil, QC | $36 – $56 | $46 – $71 |
| Regina, SK | $35 – $55 | $46 – $70 |
| Burnaby, BC | $43 – $67 | $56 – $86 |
| Windsor, ON | $36 – $57 | $47 – $72 |
06Questions
How much does concrete and foundations cost per hour?
Concrete and foundations is billed in a band, not at one rate. Commercial work bills above general work for the same hour because of documentation, inspection and coordination. The bands on this page are national baselines; the market table shows how they move by city.
Why is commercial concrete and foundations more expensive than residential?
Commercial concrete is engineered, reinforced, tested by an independent lab and often placed on a fixed formwork cycle. A residential slab or garage pad carries none of that testing or reinforcement density.
What share of a construction budget is concrete and foundations?
18% of hard cost on a new build and 1% of a fit-out, on the division splits Buildlor publishes. Those shares are how the cost per square foot on this page is derived.
Is this a quote?
No. Buildlor is a data publisher, not a contractor. These are indicative benchmarks for the stage before you tender, and every page states what it excludes.
Buildlor Construction Cost Index · Last updated 2026-01-15 · Maintained by Buildlor Cost Desk
Not advice — Buildlor is a data publisher. We do not bid, price, estimate, or build work, and nothing here is a quote, a tender price, or construction advice. Figures are indicative order-of-magnitude benchmarks for early budgeting and must be confirmed by a qualified cost consultant, quantity surveyor, or general contractor before you rely on them. About Buildlor