I may be in the wrong place, but can anyone give me an idea of what it might cost to turn a 3600 sqf space into a café with 2 bathrooms? If I'm not in the right place, does anyone have any idea where I might find some information about this?

Thanks!

Not the wrong place, we are speaking construction.

As for the price. I have no idea.

Nice your going to have restrooms, are we talking regular toilet or do you want to spend a few extra of those Canadian dollars are go for the golden bowls? You know the onces that self flush, self sanitize, address the user by name - with wifi connection to the internet....

Although I am presenting it in the form of a joke, this is actually the more serious side of how much a construction will cost.

We face two major costs in any construction - Labor and Materials.

Labor is usually governed by local markets - Job availability in your area for construction workers, etc. You can shop around at any time and find the same labor for a lower price. That is part of getting "bids" to do the job.

Materials: This can be the big one. If you wanted imported marble over ceramic tiles in those restrooms your costs will clearly show the difference in price - marble being much more than ceramic. Stained wood over laminated plastics, all of those play a roll.

The secondary costs will be absorbed in meeting code Sure you want two restrooms is the sewage system able to handle that or do you need to upgrade (as per local code)? How about hot water for the tap? Will existing hot water heater meet the needs as per code for the sinks of two restrooms? All of those appliance will need power - many of them (like refrigerators) will need their own circuit - if that isn't already there, then that is hiring an electrician by what $50.00 (CD) per hour?

Are you going to supply internet access to your customers? WiFi? All of that will have a bearing on the cost. Plus of course licensing, fees and what ever your local building department requires for building.

If I had to take a guess I would say 10 thousand at the very least (assuming that you have a lot of the stuff already there) to 50 thousand or more depending on where you are going to take this.

Dave is right on in his answer. It is very hard to figure construction cost not knowing where you are going with this project.

First, I would check with the city to see if this type of business is allowed where you are planning. In the states, cities have zoning boards that have to approve plans and business before they will give their OK. You could spend a lot of money just to find out "Not Allowed."

Next, find a Recommended architect and give him ideas if what you want to do. He will start with the base plans of what is there and design you café. He may even be able to give a close cost of building.

After you have the plans and they are approved by your city, find a Recommended contractor or contractors as it may take more then one trade to do all the work. He can then give you his Best Cost to do the job. Remember to have all your ducks in a roll. Any changes after the contract is signed will be very costly.

Notice I highlighted Recommended. Get recommendations or referrals before spending money.

Good Luck and Welcome to the Pool.

Easiest way to get a quick idea of cost - go to a cafe in your vicinity that was built recently and comes close to how much you want to spend. Ask them how much the buildout of their cafe cost per Square foot. You will probably be around $100 per sf and probably more.