Costs
How much does a carriage house or ADU cost in Squamish?
Published · Updated
What should you budget?
These existing published planning examples vary with the design, site and scope. All figures are in Canadian dollars.
Single-storey ADUs
- Studio
- $240,000–$320,000
- 1 bedroom
- $280,000–$430,000
- 2 bedrooms
- $400,000–$600,000+
Carriage houses & two-storey ADUs
- 1 bedroom + garage
- $425,000–$550,000
- 2 bedrooms + garage
- $550,000–$800,000+
- Small 2-bedroom, no garage
- $540,000–$800,000+
The ranges include design, permits, foundations, utilities, finishes and appliances. Confirm GST, contingency and unusual site work before using a range as your total budget. These are early planning ranges, not fixed-price quotes.
A useful ADU budget covers the finished home and the work needed to make it usable on your property. The advertised price of a modular home is only one part of that picture.
For a Squamish carriage house or backyard home, the total depends on the design, foundations, services, access and local approval requirements. Two similar homes can have different project costs when one site needs a short connection and straightforward foundation, while another needs elevated construction, extensive trenching or difficult delivery access.
Separate the home from the site work
Ask what the home package includes. Some packages arrive with interior finishes, a kitchen, a bathroom and appliances. Others provide a structural shell or envelope that needs substantial finishing on site. Even finished modular homes can have exclusions for foundations, utility connections, entrance stairs or delivery.
A carriage house above a garage also includes a different scope from a small single-storey home. The garage, upper floor, stairs and structural design all need to be included when comparing options.
The main parts of a project budget
A complete comparison should account for:
- Design, survey, consultants, permit work and municipal fees.
- Clearing, excavation, drainage and any building removal.
- Foundations, supports, bracing and the floor system.
- Water, sewer, stormwater and electrical connections.
- The home, its finishes and the work excluded from its package.
- Transport, crane work, installation, stairs and landings.
- Construction coordination, site facilities, finishing and yard restoration.
- An appropriate reserve and the applicable tax treatment.
A low figure is hard to assess without that scope. A quote that includes a foundation cannot be compared directly with one that excludes it.
Which site questions matter most in Squamish?
Flood and other mapped hazards can affect the building elevation, foundation and professional reports. Ground conditions influence excavation and support design. Nearby trees, watercourses and neighbouring buildings can affect siting and the approval work.
Services need their own review. Existing electrical capacity, sewer elevation and stormwater arrangements should be checked before assuming the new home can simply connect to the main house. A sewer lift station, civil design or service upgrade can change the budget substantially.
Delivery access matters for modular construction. We need to understand the route, module dimensions, crane position and room for the installation crew. Factory construction can overlap with site preparation, but that advantage depends on the approvals, foundation and delivery plan lining up.
Use ranges to plan, then narrow the scope
Our Costs & Planning page and Budget Creator provide a starting point in Canadian dollars. The calculator lets you adjust the home and site assumptions, see the breakdown and download a planning budget. Those allowances need to be replaced or confirmed as project information and quotations become available.
Before committing to a particular design, compare the complete scope and decide which unknowns need investigation. Pre-construction planning develops that information so the construction price can be based on an agreed design and scope.
Rental income and resale value are separate questions. Assess them using current local evidence and your financing costs, rather than assuming an ADU will pay for itself.