Special Projects — additional capacity
Custom interior projects, starting with a clear scope
A custom interior project depends on factors that must be checked before a price or timeline can be proposed: existing conditions, scope, permits and specialized professionals. We start with an assessment conversation, never an instant quote.
Who it’s for
Who this service is for
This service is for homeowners whose project goes beyond a kitchen, bathroom or basement renovation — an addition, a structural change, a major transformation of the building envelope, or a significant reorganization of the living space.
- Your project involves adding living area or changing the building envelope.
- Your project touches a load-bearing structure — removing a wall or changing the framing — beyond a single room.
- You’re considering a major transformation, like a complete reorganization of the floors, that goes beyond a single space.
This service is a starting point for a feasibility study, not an immediate price quote. If your project fits a kitchen, bathroom or basement renovation instead, those services follow a more direct process.
What this service solves
What this service helps you assess
- Whether an addition or major transformation is feasible on your property, given municipal zoning.
- Which structural changes are possible, and what conditions they impose — engineering, permits.
- Which specialized professionals — an architect or engineer — are needed before a budget can even be estimated.
- A realistic sense of the stages to expect, once feasibility is confirmed.
Typical scope
What special-project support usually covers
A special project’s scope can’t be standardized ahead of time — it depends entirely on the outcome of the feasibility study. What follows describes the possible range, not a fixed package.
- An initial feasibility study, including zoning, structure and general scope
- The required professionals and responsibility for coordinating them are determined during feasibility review and documented in the proposed scope.
- Applicable municipal permit steps
- Coordination of trades for construction, once the scope is confirmed
- Documented follow-up on conditions found during the project
What’s included
What’s usually included
- An initial feasibility assessment before any construction commitment
- The required professionals and responsibility for coordinating them are determined during feasibility review and documented in the proposed scope.
- Support through the applicable permit steps
- A written scope once feasibility is confirmed, specifying the required professionals and permit steps
What’s usually not
What’s usually not included
- A firm price quote before the feasibility study — that’s never promised at this stage
- Fees for outside professionals, like an architect or engineer, billed separately under their own mandate
- A guarantee that the project is feasible — that’s exactly what the feasibility study determines
- Municipal permit processing times, which are outside Maison Craft’s control
Decisions that affect your budget
Factors that affect feasibility and budget
Before budget even comes up, several factors determine whether — and how — a special project is feasible.
Zoning and municipal bylaws
Setbacks, maximum height and lot coverage percentage vary from one municipality to another and can limit the scale of an addition.
Existing structural condition
The state of the foundation, framing and load-bearing capacity determines which changes are possible without major reinforcement.
Professionals required
A project touching structure or zoning may require an engineer or architect, depending on the scope of work and municipal requirements — their fees are then added to the project.
Permit timelines
Municipal timelines for a permit touching zoning or structure can far exceed those of a standard interior renovation.
These factors are specific to your project — we can go over them together before moving further.
Discuss FeasibilityHow this service specifically unfolds
How a special project specifically unfolds
This process deliberately starts with an assessment, not a quote.
- 1
Feasibility conversation
An initial conversation to understand the project you have in mind and decide whether a feasibility study is warranted.
- 2
Feasibility study
Checking zoning, the existing structure, and identifying the professionals required — an architect or engineer.
- 3
Scope and required professionals
The required professionals and responsibility for coordinating them are determined during feasibility review and documented in the proposed scope, along with the applicable permit steps.
- 4
Construction with documented follow-up
Work proceeds according to the planned sequence; any unforeseen condition is flagged and presented for approval before it’s addressed.
- 5
Delivery and follow-up
The space is delivered with a joint walkthrough, including confirming that permit requirements were met.
What affects duration
What affects the project’s overall timeline
A special project’s duration often includes delays that have nothing to do with construction itself — the feasibility study and permit approval can account for a significant share of the total timeline.
- How long it takes to obtain municipal permits touching zoning or structure
- Availability of the required architect or engineer
- The complexity of the structural changes identified in the feasibility study
- Whether unforeseen conditions — foundation, framing — turn up during construction
Permits and professionals involved
Permits and professionals that might be involved
A permit or authorization may be required depending on the municipality, borough, building type and scope of work. Requirements must be verified with the applicable authority before work begins. The required professionals and responsibility for coordinating them are determined during feasibility review and documented in the proposed scope.
- Depending on the scope, certain work must be performed by contractors holding the appropriate licences and subclasses. Applicable responsibilities are confirmed before the contract is signed.
- A structural engineer, for any change touching the framing or foundation
- An architect, depending on the project’s scale and municipal requirements
- A municipal permit touching zoning, structure or the building envelope
Assumptions and changes
How assumptions and changes are documented
The feasibility study’s findings — confirmed zoning, observed structural condition, professionals required — are written down before the scope is set. Any condition found during construction, particularly when an existing structure is opened up, is presented to you with the available options before work continues.
A concrete example
Load-bearing capacity lower than what was visible before a wall was opened is flagged immediately to the engineer and to you, with reinforcement options and their impact on price, before work continues.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions, answered directly
Can you give me a rough price right away?
Not for this kind of project. An addition or structural change depends on factors — zoning, structure, permits — that need to be checked before a price means anything. That’s what the feasibility study is for.
How much does a feasibility study cost?
That depends on the scale of the project and which professionals need to be consulted. That’s clarified in our first conversation, before any commitment.
Do I need to hire an architect or engineer myself?
The required professionals and responsibility for coordinating them are determined during feasibility review and documented in the proposed scope; their fees are separate from ours and billed under their own mandate.
What happens if the feasibility study finds the project isn’t feasible as planned?
We tell you directly, along with the reasons and, where possible, alternatives that might work instead.
Can a special project include a kitchen or basement renovation at the same time?
Yes, that’s common — an addition that includes a new kitchen, for instance. The written scope that follows the feasibility study accounts for that.
Service area
This service is offered in the following areas.
Plateau-Mont-Royal and Mile End · Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and Outremont · Ville-Marie (Downtown) · The Southwest · Villeray and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve · Westmount · Boucherville and an approximate 5 km radius
See all service areasHave a project that goes beyond a standard renovation?
The next step is a feasibility conversation, not an instant quote: we first check zoning, structure and the professionals required, then present you with a written scope. No price or timeline is proposed before feasibility is confirmed.