Our Process
Most contractors run on handshakes and rough estimates. We rebuilt that into a two-phase process you can plan your life around — designed before you sign, and scheduled to the day before we start.
The process at a glance
Designed first
Photorealistic renderings before you sign
Guaranteed price
Your quote is your final cost, unless you change the scope
$0 deposit
Nothing due until the first inspection
13-week build
Move-in ready on a guaranteed date — or $500/week
Scheduled to the day
Every trade booked before we break ground
5-year warranty
All materials and labour, after sign-off
How it works
A ReImagine basement runs in two clear phases. In pre-construction, we design your basement on your home's real measurements, render it in photorealistic detail, and finalize every selection — so you approve a complete plan and a guaranteed price before you sign. In construction, every trade is booked to specific days and the build moves through five stages to a guaranteed move-in-ready date.
The difference is sequencing. Most basement renovations in Calgary plan reactively — a 2D floor plan lands in your inbox, a start date gets penciled in, and the timeline drifts from there. We do the design, the selections, the permits, and the full schedule beforewe break ground. That's how we deliver a fixed price, a date in writing, and $0 deposit to start.
We've refined this process across 1,000+ Calgary basements since 2011, at a 4.9-star average over 140+ reviews and eight consecutive HomeStars Best Of awards. Here's exactly how it goes.
A finished ReImagine basement — designed, rendered, and scheduled before the first day on site.
Two phases
Phase 1About 2–4 weeks
Before a single nail goes in, we inspect your basement, draw a plan, render it in photorealistic detail, lock your selections, and finalize a build schedule and start date. You approve a complete design — and a guaranteed price — before you commit a dollar.
See the Pre-Construction Flow ↓
Phase 2~13 weeks
Every trade is mapped to specific days. Framing, drywall, finishing, touch-up, completion — five stages with three ReImagine inspections plus city inspections along the way, then your final sign-off and warranty activation.
See the Construction Flow ↓Before we break ground
From the first hello to the day we start. You’ll see your basement designed and rendered — and know your final price — before anything is signed.
The build · ~13 weeks
Every trade mapped to specific days before we start. Three ReImagine inspections, and $0 deposit.
1–2 Weeks
3 Weeks
3 Weeks
2–3 Weeks
1–2 Weeks
5 Years
Inside pre-construction
The quote you receive isn't a number on a napkin. It's a designed plan: photorealistic renderings of your own basement, multiple design options, a preliminary floor plan drawn on-site, and a curated material package — built by Oscar Fonseca, who holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design and 25+ years in custom cabinetry and space planning.
That up-front work is what makes the rest of the process predictable. Because the design is locked and every selection is made before we break ground, the price is guaranteed — your quote is your final cost unless you change the scope — and the schedule can be booked to the day.
See how our design process works →
The detailed schedule
Scheduling is where most basement projects quietly fall apart. A start date gets penciled in, each trade is called only when the last one finishes, and a few days of slippage here and there turns a three-month job into a six-month one. We refuse to build that way.
Before your build begins, we map the entire project in Buildertrend — every stage and every trade assigned to specific days. Framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, finishing, and inspections each have a slot, a crew, and a date. You can see the whole 13 weeks at a glance, and so can we — which is exactly why we can guarantee your completion date and pay you $500 a week if we ever miss it.
Payment schedule
No deposit, ever. Payments are tied to inspection milestones, so your money tracks the progress you can see on site.
$0
To start
No deposit, ever. We earn the work on our reputation, not your money up front.
45%
Finishing inspection
Due at ReImagine Inspection 2, once cabinetry, millwork and paint are in.
45%
Move-in-ready inspection
Due once flooring, tile, doors and fixtures are complete and the space is move-in ready.
10%
Completion & sign-off
Final payment after the last walkthrough, deficiencies corrected, and you sign off.
Prefer to spread it out? With our partner Financeit you pay nothing until the basement's done, then simple monthly payments. See financing options →
Quality control
Quality isn't checked once at the end. Your build is inspected at every stage — by us and by the City of Calgary — so problems are caught before they're closed behind drywall. The finish you signed off on is the finish you get.
After framing, electrical rough-in, plumbing and HVAC, we inspect the bones of the build before anything is closed in. City framing and rough-in inspections run alongside.
Once final electrical, cabinetry, millwork and paint are complete, we verify the finish quality and selections match exactly what you approved.
After flooring, tile, doors, hardware and fixtures, we confirm the space is genuinely move-in ready, then the city completes its final occupancy inspections.
A final walkthrough together. We correct any deficiencies, do a final clean, and you sign off — which activates your 5-year warranty.
Before you sign off
Your basement isn't done when it looks done. Before sign-off, we walk the finished space with you and run the same detailed checklist on every project — from every light switch to the grout lines. Anything that isn't right gets corrected before you pay the final 10% and your warranty activates.
The completion guarantee
Move-in ready in 13 weeks — or $500 a week until it's done.
We commit to your move-in-ready date in writing before construction starts. Miss it, and $500 comes off your final bill every week until we deliver. Because the entire schedule is built before we break ground, we can stand behind it.
After the build
Sign-off activates your comprehensive 5-year warranty, covering all materials and labour. If something needs attention, the same team that built your basement handles it — no rotating roster, no finger-pointing between trades. It's the same accountability that runs through the whole process, carried five years past completion.
Personal. On purpose.
You won't be handed off to a rotating cast of subcontractors. Oscar designs your basement and renders it. Peggy coordinates the build and books every trade to specific days from the office. Kloe manages your selections and schedule as your day-to-day contact. Josh supervises on site, and Chad signs off on quality at every stage.
We resisted the pressure to scale into a faceless operation, and chose to stay smaller and more personal. It's the thing clients name most in their reviews. Meet the team →
What to expect
The process is designed to ask little of you and give you a lot of certainty. Up front, you'll spend a few sessions choosing materials and approving the design — the fun part, and the part that locks your price. After that, you pick a start date that fits your life; once it's locked, the schedule is finalized before we break ground. Most projects begin within about 2–4 weeks of signing.
During the build, you'll always know which trades arrive on which days, and you have a single point of contact for every question. No chasing updates, no wondering who's showing up — the plan is set, and we work it.
How we differ
Questions, answered plainly
Our process has two phases. In pre-construction (about 2–4 weeks), we do a free on-site quote, develop the design, render it in photorealistic detail, finalize your selections and floor plan, then book every trade to specific days and set a start date. In construction (~13 weeks), the build runs through five stages — framing, drywall, finishing, touch-up and completion — with three ReImagine inspections plus city inspections, ending in a final sign-off and a 5-year warranty.
See it before you sign
