What it costs to build office space, city by city.
Statistics Canada prices the same model office building every quarter. Nationally the index stands at 110.3 in Q2 2026 against 2023 = 100, +56.2% over ten years.
The national trend
Fifteen census metropolitan area composite, Q1 1981 to Q2 2026. The dashed line is the 2023 base.
By city
Ranked by annual change. Select a city for its full history and trade detail.
| Geography | Latest | Index | Annual | Five-year | Ten-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | Q2 2026 | 118.1 | +6.9% | — | — |
| Quebec City | Q2 2026 | 117.0 | +5.7% | — | — |
| Moncton | Q2 2026 | 114.0 | +4.6% | +46.2% | — |
| Montréal | Q2 2026 | 112.8 | +4.6% | +32.1% | +64.7% |
| Regina | Q2 2026 | 116.2 | +4.6% | — | — |
| Saskatoon | Q2 2026 | 114.9 | +4.1% | +30.9% | — |
| Edmonton | Q2 2026 | 113.0 | +3.7% | +32.3% | +45.8% |
| Halifax | Q2 2026 | 108.4 | +3.6% | +23.9% | +44.1% |
| Ottawa–Gatineau (Ontario part) | Q2 2026 | 109.1 | +3.5% | +32.9% | +69.9% |
| Calgary | Q2 2026 | 111.4 | +3.4% | +27.2% | +37.9% |
| St. John's | Q2 2026 | 107.8 | +3.3% | +19.9% | — |
| Winnipeg | Q2 2026 | 108.5 | +2.4% | +22.2% | — |
| Toronto | Q2 2026 | 109.6 | +2.1% | +38.6% | +70.5% |
| Victoria | Q2 2026 | 110.7 | +0.4% | — | — |
| Vancouver | Q2 2026 | 109.7 | +0.3% | +29.8% | +57.6% |
Which fit-out trades are rising
National composite, by MasterFormat division. These are the trades that dominate a tenant improvement rather than base-building structure.
| Trade division | Index | Annual change | Five-year change | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conveying equipment | 122.8 | +7.2% | +46.0% | Q1 2017 |
| Plumbing | 124.0 | +7.1% | +44.7% | Q1 2017 |
| Heating, ventilation and air conditioning | 114.1 | +3.4% | +26.2% | Q1 2017 |
| Openings | 112.7 | +3.3% | +40.5% | Q1 2017 |
| Finishes | 112.2 | +2.3% | +45.1% | Q1 2017 |
| Communications | 108.7 | +2.0% | +29.7% | Q1 2017 |
| Electrical | 108.3 | +1.2% | +17.1% | Q1 2017 |
| Fire Suppression | 102.1 | -4.0% | +15.9% | Q1 2017 |
By province
Provincial composites.
| Geography | Latest | Index | Annual | Five-year | Ten-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Q2 2026 | 107.8 | +3.3% | +19.9% | — |
| Nova Scotia | Q2 2026 | 108.4 | +3.6% | +23.9% | — |
| New Brunswick | Q2 2026 | 114.0 | +4.6% | +46.2% | — |
| Quebec | Q2 2026 | 114.0 | +5.1% | +33.6% | — |
| Ontario | Q2 2026 | 109.7 | +2.3% | +38.3% | — |
| Manitoba | Q2 2026 | 108.5 | +2.4% | +22.2% | — |
| Saskatchewan | Q2 2026 | 115.5 | +4.2% | +31.3% | — |
| Alberta | Q2 2026 | 112.5 | +3.6% | +30.1% | — |
| British Columbia | Q2 2026 | 109.8 | +0.3% | +29.8% | — |
Questions
What the index can and cannot tell you.
What does the office construction price index measure?
The change in what contractors charge to build the same model office building, relative to 2023 = 100. Statistics Canada prices a fixed specification each quarter, so the index isolates price movement from changes in what is being built.
Can I use it to estimate what my fit-out will cost?
Not as a dollar figure. It tells you how much prices have moved, not what a project costs. Its practical use is to test whether an allowance or budget set a few years ago still buys the same work: if the index for your market rose 20% since then, the same scope now costs roughly a fifth more, before any change in the scope itself.
Why break it down by trade?
Because a tenant fit-out is mostly finishes, mechanical, electrical and openings rather than structure, and those trades do not move together. Trade divisions are published from Q1 2017 for each market.
How does it relate to the office rent index?
They measure different things. The rent index tracks net effective rent in occupied sampled office buildings. The construction index tracks what it costs to build. Read together they show whether building is becoming more or less expensive relative to what the finished space rents for.
Source: Statistics Canada, table 18-10-0289-01, Building construction price indexes, by type of building and division. Released 2026-07-24. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Boundary: This is a price index for a fixed model building, not a dollar figure, not a cost per square foot and not a construction quote. An index of 111 means prices 11% above the base period for that model building, not that a particular project will cost that much more. Divisions are published from Q1 2017 only.