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Free Ontario construction calculators

Real estimating math, free to use. For a full material takeoff from your actual drawings, try the tool.

1. Basement excavation — how much soil comes out?

Bank volume (in the ground) vs loose volume (on trucks). Disposal is billed on loose volume — the swell factor is where dig budgets blow up.

Rule of thumb: add 2 ft of working space beyond the footings on open faces (3 ft when deeper than 4 ft); zero where the cut is shored at a property line. Confirm the swell factor with your geotechnical report — and if your dig goes deeper than a neighbour's footing, budget for underpinning (an engineer designs it).

2. New build / major reno — ballpark cost

GTA 2026 construction-only ranges. Land, design fees, permits and HST are extra. Every site is different — this is a planning range, not a quote.

Ranges reflect GTA custom-home market conditions, July 2026. The single biggest hidden cost on tight Toronto lots is shoring/underpinning — commonly $50,000–$100,000+ on its own.
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Common questions

How much soil comes out of a basement dig?
Footprint × depth = bank volume. Multiply by the swell factor (clay 1.30–1.40, loam ~1.25, sand 1.10–1.15) for the loose volume you actually pay to truck away. A typical Toronto infill basement is ~340 yd³ bank → ~450–480 yd³ loose → 32–35 tandem loads.

Why is my excavation quote "per cubic yard" higher than the hole size?
Subs quote on loose (swelled) disposal volume plus machine and labour day rates — not on the neat hole. That's normal.

What does a custom build cost in Toronto?
Most 2026 GTA custom builds run $350–550 per square foot construction-only. Tight infill lots trend high because of shoring, underpinning, and slow street logistics.