Welcome to Olympic City!

You’re in the right place!  We are a husband and wife team who LOVE this business and love doing good work for good people.  We’re believe in the face-to-face version of this business built and not the one that hides behind websites and fake five star reviews.

As a husband-and-wife team we’ve been in and around the home business for over thirty years.  And because of that, we can’t possibly convey all of that experience in a few mouse clicks.  Reach out.  Connect.  Come see us at one of the home shows.  We are quietly one of the fastest growing renovation companies in Calgary and look forward to hearing about your project large or small. Just FYI, EVERY contractors bread and butter are smaller projects so don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Design-Build vs Design-Bid-Build: Which Is Better for Calgary Renovations?

Renovation Planning

Two Different Ways to Renovate — One Is Almost Always Better

Most Calgary homeowners don’t know there are fundamentally different ways to structure a renovation project. Understanding them helps you make better decisions from the start.

Design-Bid-Build (Traditional)

You hire a designer, get construction drawings, then take those drawings to multiple contractors for bids, pick one, and they build it.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing (multiple bids)
  • Design is fully defined before construction starts
  • Designer is a separate advocate for your interests

Cons

  • Designer and contractor may not communicate well
  • Problems discovered during construction can be costly (designer must be re-engaged)
  • Longer overall timeline (design phase fully complete before any bidding)
  • Scope gaps between design intent and construction reality are common
  • Two contracts, two relationships, two sources of finger-pointing when things go wrong

Design-Build (Olympic City’s Model)

One firm handles design, planning, and construction under a single contract. The designer and builder are the same team from day one.

Pros

  • Single point of accountability — one company responsible for everything
  • Cost certainty earlier in the process (builder is in the room during design)
  • Faster timeline (design and construction can overlap)
  • Problems solved collaboratively (no blame game between designer and contractor)
  • Better buildability — design details are developed with real construction knowledge

Cons

  • Less competitive bidding (one price, not three)
  • Requires trust in the design-build firm’s integrity
  • You don’t get an independent designer as your advocate

Which Is Right for Your Calgary Renovation?

Scenario Recommended Method
Small/medium renovation ($30K–$150K) Design-Build (simpler, faster)
Large custom home addition ($200K+) Either — both work at this scale
Complex heritage or character renovation Design-Bid-Build (independent architect valuable)
Simple renovation with clear scope Design-Build
Complex multi-trade renovation Design-Build (single accountability)

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⚠ Estimate Disclaimer: These are only ROUGH estimates that can vary wildly. Do not take these numbers as gospel. Having a defined scope of work and exact selections will give you clarity.

Olympic City Is a Design-Build Firm

We design and build under one contract. Your designer and your project manager are on the same team. When something changes in the field (and it always does), we adapt without the delays and disputes that come from separated contracts.

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Contact Olympic City Renovations for a free consultation.

Olympic City Renovations serves Calgary, Priddis, Okotoks, and surrounding communities.