Balcony Price Guide

Across Canada, we long for warm weather. Balmy months mean a chance to enjoy the great outdoors, and if you’re lucky, that also means enjoying a glass of wine on the comfort of your balcony. If your home has a balcony, you already know that keeping it in shape takes a little bit of effort and elbow grease.

As it sits outside during colder months, your balcony faces serious wear and tear. The materials need constant upkeep to survive year-round and be intact for spring next year.

If you don’t know where to start or are curious about costs, don’t worry at all! We’ve got you covered. Of course, balcony maintenance and upkeep will greatly depend on the type of material it’s made of, as well as the province you live in. So, we’re going to break down the various factors and you’ll be sitting outside enjoying your newly restored balcony in no time!

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Nowadays, balcony material options are plentiful. When choosing a material for the floor or railings of your balcony, it is important to bear in mind that less expensive materials require more maintenance, whereas paying more upfront will offer the longevity that you’d want in a balcony.

Also, if you’re hiring a contractor to construct a whole new balcony upfront, different shapes, styles and sizes will play a role in how much you pay. For features, such as angles, added privacy panels, benches, planters, costs will be higher. It is important to do your research upfront to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into! Regardless, our price guide should offer you something to think about.

Before we lay bare the prices, we need to go over the various materials you could be choosing from for your balcony renovation project. There are quite a few options when it comes to balcony materials. On the market, you will find two main formats: boards and panels, and these come in various styles.

Balcony Board Sheathing

Board sheathing is the most traditional choice for balcony flooring, and comes in either interlocking or spaced out options. Both styles are relatively self-explanatory. Spaced out boards help to preserve the material, as water runs between them, allowing them to dry faster. Further, if one board becomes rotted, it is less likely to affect the neighbouring board, and this style of flooring is very easy to repair. However, as these boards don’t touch, it is likely for debris to get trapped underneath or worse, the sub-structure can become damaged because of exposure to the elements.

When it comes to interlocking boards, the pros include the fact that small objects and debris are less likely to fall and get trapped underneath. Also, this method is likely to produce a more even surface. The cons of interlocking balcony boards are that these need sufficient ventilation underneath to preserve the sub-structure. Further, the installation of these is slightly more difficult, as boards need to be nailed or screwed into place by way of the sub-structure.

If you’re choosing to move forward with board balcony flooring, you still need to decide whether you want the material of the boards to be real or synthetic. Wood boarding comes in a wide array of formats, varying thicknesses and environmentally friendly options. Some popular choices are white pine, pressure treated lumber (pine, fir, spruce) and cedar. Synthetic materials can also be environmentally friendly, like recycled plastic. Other synthetic options include composite and thermoplastics.

Balcony Panel Sheathing

Panel Sheathing is a smoother surface, as it consists of no joints or just a few. This surface is watertight and should come equipped with a protective coating to maintain the longevity of the surface beneath, as well as the sheathing itself.

There are four main types of panelling on the market, and these have various prices. These include: wood plywood with a protective coating, plywood with a fibreglass coating, fibre cement and PVC membrane.

Wood plywood is the least expensive of the bunch and is very simple to install. Unfortunately, this material requires regular maintenance and special treatment to improve its longevity.  

Plywood with a fibreglass coating is highly customizable and is also widely available. However, this material is difficult to repair and can degrade rapidly if water makes its way under the fibreglass coating.  

Fibre cement is a great material, as it is resistant to all different types of weather conditions and it is also non-flammable. Unfortunately, this material is extremely heavy and thus will not be compatible with every balcony. Extra care must be taken when handling it.

Lastly, PVC membrane is waterproof, non-slip and can be installed over either wood, fibreglass or concrete. The membrane must adhere to the sub-structure, and this can be unappealing to some homeowners. Also, this material gets dirty easily due to the nature of the surface.

Price chart for your balcony material

Remember, we have simply laid out the material costs, and those listed do not include the costs associated with labour and additional items you may need installed as well as building permits and specifics! They are also subject to change over time and depending on several factors. As we said, remember to do your research when considering a balcony renovation project!

To find out about the average prices of different home renovation projects, check out our Home renovation price guide.