Altus Group Highlights Structural Shifts in Canadian Construction Costs
Event summary
- Altus Group released its 2026 Canadian Cost Guide on April 23, 2026.
- The guide analyzes hard construction costs across 6,500+ projects totaling C$573B in value.
- Anil Ramjee, Senior Director of Development Advisory, cited labour availability and regulatory complexity as key cost drivers.
- Cost trends vary significantly by regional markets due to local economic conditions.
The big picture
Altus Group’s 2026 Cost Guide underscores a shift from traditional inflationary drivers to structural factors like labour availability and regulatory complexity. This reflects broader industry challenges in managing risk amid unpredictable construction costs, particularly as demand shifts and building methods evolve.
What we're watching
- Regulatory Complexity
- How evolving regulations will continue to impact cost predictability in Canadian CRE markets.
- Labour Availability
- Whether labour shortages persist and how they affect project timelines and budgets.
- Regional Disparities
- The pace at which cost variations between Canadian markets widen or narrow.
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