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HuntleyConstruction

Service Area · Downtown Chilliwack

Renovations in Downtown Chilliwack.

The historic downtown core. Craftsman bungalows, post-war cottages, the Mountain View Heritage Conservation Area, and streets where renovations restore more than they replace.

The neighbourhood

Working in Downtown Chilliwack.

Downtown Chilliwack holds the city’s oldest continuous housing stock. The core around Five Corners, the BIA district, and the streets radiating into Mountain View and the older residential neighborhoods have homes that go back a century. Craftsman bungalows from the 1910s and 1920s. Edwardian Foursquares. Post-war cottages from the 1940s and 1950s. Mid-century ranchers scattered between them. A handful are heritage-listed; most are not, but they carry architectural character worth preserving.

The Mountain View Heritage Conservation Area was adopted by Chilliwack City Council in July 2025. Properties inside the HCA now require a Heritage Alteration Permit for demolition, new construction, or subdivision. Heritage Protected and Heritage Interest properties also need a HAP for additions and alterations. The Community Heritage Register adopted in December 2024 lists 17 specific properties. We check the heritage status of any downtown home before scoping renovation work rather than discovering it during permit review.

Renovation work in the downtown core is restoration as much as renovation. Original Douglas fir floors revealed under forty years of carpet. Plaster-and-lath walls reinsulated from the attic side without tearing the home apart. Knob-and-tube wiring replaced cleanly with the fewest possible drywall repairs. Galvanized plumbing replaced with PEX before it costs someone their hardwood. Hand-milled trim protected, labeled, reinstalled.

The downtown also has a commercial side. The BIA district has been revitalizing steadily, with an 82-unit mixed-use project at 46001 Gore Avenue as one recent example of densification. Character retail storefronts along Yale Road and Wellington Avenue are getting tenant improvements, restaurant fit-ups, and office renovations regularly.

What we plan for

Local considerations.

01

Mountain View Heritage Conservation Area

Properties inside the HCA need a Heritage Alteration Permit for a wide range of work. Demolition, new construction, and subdivision always require a HAP. Heritage Protected and Heritage Interest properties need a HAP for additions and alterations as well. We confirm HCA status and heritage designation before design work starts.

02

Knob-and-tube and undersized panels

Many pre-1960 Downtown homes still have original knob-and-tube wiring or undersized panels (original 60-amp service was common). Any significant renovation is a chance to rewire and upgrade the service. Our Red Seal electricians handle the full rewire with proper permitting and inspection.

03

Galvanized plumbing near end of life

Drain and supply piping from the 1940s and 1950s is at or past end-of-life. Galvanized corrodes from the inside, pressure drops, and eventually the pipe fails. If we are already opening walls for a renovation, replumbing is usually the cheapest insurance available. We pressure-test the new system before drywall closes.

04

Foundation and crawlspace condition

Old foundations and short crawlspaces often show settlement cracks, moisture, or inadequate structural support. A century-old home can be renovated for another century with the right foundation and envelope work, but the assessment needs to happen before demolition, not during.

05

Original finishes worth preserving

Original Douglas fir flooring, hand-milled trim, built-in cabinetry, original windows where functional, and period hardware are often worth preserving rather than replacing. We identify what is worth saving at the site visit and plan the renovation around preservation rather than treating it as an afterthought.

What we build here

Downtown Chilliwack projects,
carried by one team.

Kitchen renovations

Kitchens in character homes that balance modern function with period detailing. Electrical service upgrades where pre-war wiring demands it.

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Bathroom renovations

Full rebuilds in heritage homes, often including plumbing replacement from galvanized to PEX or copper.

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Whole-home renovations

Character home restorations and modernizations. Down-to-studs projects with full mechanical replacement while preserving original character.

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Basement renovations

Basement work on older homes where ceiling heights and moisture management need careful planning.

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Additions and suites

Rear additions, coach houses, and legal suites on downtown lots subject to HCA restrictions.

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Why Downtown Chilliwack homeowners call us

Backed by the
neighbourhood.

5.0

Average Google rating

4

Key trades in-house

0

Surprise invoices

1

Number to call

Common questions

Building in Downtown Chilliwack.

Neighbourhood-specific questions from homeowners planning a project in Downtown Chilliwack.

  • Yes. HCA work requires a Heritage Alteration Permit, which we coordinate as part of the project. We submit the HAP application, attend any review meetings, and integrate the heritage approval path into the construction schedule. Whether your property is Heritage Protected, Heritage Interest, or unlisted within the HCA changes the scope of what needs HAP approval, and we confirm the status before scoping.
  • Yes. Our Red Seal electricians rewire pre-war homes regularly. Permitted, inspected, and with as little drywall damage as the layout allows. The rewire usually pairs with a service panel upgrade (original 60-amp or 100-amp service typically upgrades to 200-amp for a renovated home). We plan the rewire alongside the other renovation scope so walls only open once.
  • Plaster walls can be repaired, patched, and reinsulated carefully. We cut access where needed, install insulation from the accessible side where possible, and patch with compatible materials rather than stripping the plaster and hanging new drywall throughout. Original trim, doors, and hardware are removed carefully, labeled, stored on site, and reinstalled. Missing sections are milled to match where the design calls for it.
  • Depends on scope. Kitchen and bathroom renovations on downtown homes almost always allow you to stay; we phase the work, seal off the active zone with dust containment, and schedule noise into predictable windows. Whole-home or significant electrical rewire projects sometimes require you to move out because power gets shut down in stages. We tell you honestly at the site visit.
  • Yes. We take on tenant improvements, restaurants, offices, and retail fit-ups, typically with after-hours scheduling so the space stays open for BIA business hours. Honest context: our commercial work to date has been concentrated with one long-standing client (Centex Petroleum). Downtown Chilliwack commercial is something we are open to taking on, with the same in-house Red Seal trades and project management we use on the renovation side.
  • Character home renovation pricing sits higher than comparable-sized work on newer homes because of the extra scope: likely rewire, likely replumb, likely foundation or envelope work, careful handling of original finishes. A full kitchen renovation in a downtown character home typically runs $70K to $150K. A whole-home renovation on a 1920s Foursquare or Craftsman typically runs $300K to $650K depending on condition and finish grade. Final quote is line-itemed after the site visit.

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Downtown Chilliwack is part of our regular service area.
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Let's build

Renovating downtown?

Heritage home, character home, commercial tenant improvement, or an infill project. Site visit, honest assessment, and a renovation plan that respects what the home or street already has.

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