Everything you need to know about concrete cutting in Calgary - what it is, which service fits your project, when you need a permit, what drives the cost, and what to expect on the day. Written by the brothers who run the trucks.
Greg and Luke - two brothers running one of Calgary's most active concrete cutting operations. This is the full picture of what we do, how we do it, and where we fit on your project.
Concrete Cutting Geeks is the parent company. We are Calgary's dedicated concrete cutting specialists - flat sawing, core drilling, wall sawing, and doorway alterations across residential, commercial, and ICI projects. We have been operating in Calgary and the surrounding area since 2015, with over 3,500 projects completed across everything from single egress cuts in southeast bungalows to multi-day commercial floor demolition in northeast industrial.
The residential side of our business overlaps directly with our sister brand, Egress Windows Calgary - our full-service residential egress window installation company. CCG handles the concrete. Egress Windows Calgary handles the complete project: permit, excavation, cutting, window supply, installation, window well, and backfill. Two brands, same brothers, same crew.
This guide covers the concrete cutting side - when you need it, which service type applies to your project, permit requirements, what drives cost, and realistic timelines. If you need the full egress install, Egress Windows Calgary is where to start.
Concrete cutting is the controlled removal or penetration of hardened concrete or masonry using diamond-tipped blades and precision equipment. It is how you open, modify, or access concrete structures without demolishing the surrounding material.
Unlike breaking or jackhammering - which is destructive and unpredictable - diamond cutting is precise. Blades are studded with industrial diamonds that grind through concrete, rebar, and masonry in a controlled path. The result is a clean, square edge that your framer, plumber, or window installer can work directly with.
There are four main types of concrete cutting operations. Each applies to different project geometries and access conditions. Choosing the right method matters - the wrong approach means more cost, more dust, and a rougher finish:
Concrete cutting is needed any time you modify an existing concrete structure rather than replacing it. The most common triggers in Calgary residential work: converting a storage room to a legal basement bedroom (egress window required), adding a secondary suite (separate entry, plumbing rough-in), running new plumbing through a basement slab, or adding a window to a finished basement. Commercial triggers: parkade deck core drilling for drainage, warehouse floor trench cutting for utilities, healthcare suite modifications.
Alberta Building Code requires an egress window in every basement bedroom. We cut the rough opening.
Legal basement suite requires a separate entry. We cut a full doorway through the foundation wall.
New bathroom or laundry rough-in below slab? We trench the floor for drain and supply lines.
Core drilling through slabs and walls for electrical runs, HVAC penetrations, and mechanical lines.
Each service type uses different equipment, applies to different project geometries, and has different cost drivers. Here is what each one covers and when you need it.
What it is: Walk-behind or ride-on flat saws making horizontal cuts through basement floors, garage slabs, driveways, asphalt, and flat concrete surfaces. The saw runs along a marked line and cuts to a controlled depth.
Common uses: Utility trench cutting for plumbing and drainage rough-in. Control joint cutting in fresh pours. Slab section removal for sump pit installation. Floor levelling prep cuts. Concrete driveway or sidewalk removal in sections.
Equipment: Walk-behind flat saw for interior residential and tight-access work. Ride-on saw for commercial floor areas, asphalt, and longer exterior cuts. Wet cutting - water-cooled blades, slurry managed and removed from site.
Residential vs. commercial: Residential jobs are typically 10-50 linear feet of basement floor trenching. Commercial jobs range from parking lot repair sections to full warehouse floor demo runs in the hundreds of linear feet. Set-price applies to both.
What it is: A diamond-core barrel drill that bores a clean, round hole through a concrete slab or wall. Sizes range from 1 inch (single conduit) up to 18+ inches (large drain stacks, HVAC ducts). The core is extracted whole - no rubble, clean edge.
Common uses: Plumbing drain penetrations through basement slab or foundation wall. HVAC and mechanical sleeve penetrations. Electrical conduit entry through foundation. Radon mitigation sub-slab depressurization penetrations. Structural post base hole boring.
Equipment: Electric drill rigs mounted to the concrete surface with a vacuum anchor or bolt-down frame. Wet cutting - water flush through the core barrel. Multiple drill sizes run in sequence for larger holes.
Residential vs. commercial: Residential core drilling is typically 1-6 holes per project - plumbing rough-in, radon pipe, or entry sleeves. Commercial work includes dozens of penetrations on a single mechanical floor or dozens of drain-stack bores through a parkade deck.
What it is: A track-mounted circular saw that rides a guide rail bolted to a standing wall. The blade cuts vertical or angled lines to precise depth - all four sides of a rectangular opening in sequence. Used wherever a flat saw cannot access: vertical surfaces, angled cuts, below-grade foundation walls.
Common uses: Basement egress window openings (the most common residential application). New window openings in a finished basement. Doorway alterations in foundation walls (where wall geometry allows). Opening retaining walls for drainage or access. ICF wall cutting for windows and doors in newer Calgary homes.
Equipment: Track saw mounted to the wall surface with a vacuum or bolt anchor system. Hydraulic or electric drive depending on access and power availability. Diamond blades sized to wall thickness - typically 8-10 inch residential foundations require a single-pass or two-pass approach.
Residential vs. commercial: Residential wall sawing is almost always egress or window/door opening work. Commercial work includes tilt-up panel modifications, parkade barrier wall openings, and structural wall penetrations for mechanical access. ICF (insulated concrete form) walls - increasingly common in newer Calgary builds - are handled cleanly without cracking the foam layer.
What it is: A full new doorway cut through a concrete or block foundation wall. Combines wall sawing (the four cuts) with structural lintel planning and concrete section removal to create a doorway opening ready for framing and door installation.
Common uses: Legal secondary suite entry from exterior - the most common driver in Calgary. Garage-to-basement interior access opening. Storage room conversion requiring a wider or taller entry. New utility room access in an existing concrete block wall. Commercial suite separation requiring a new passage.
Equipment: Track saw plus flat saw combination depending on wall geometry. Core drilling for lintel bolt pockets in some configurations. All equipment chosen based on wall type (poured concrete vs. block), wall thickness, and opening dimensions.
Residential vs. commercial: Residential doorway alterations are nearly always secondary suite entry or basement conversion work. Commercial work includes warehouse suite dividers, retail demising walls, and multi-unit corridor creation. Doorway work requires a building permit in Calgary - we confirm permit status before scheduling.
Egress window cutting is the intersection point between CCG and our residential brand, Egress Windows Calgary. It is where we have the deepest experience and the most complete service offering in Calgary.
The egress window cut is technically a wall saw job - four cuts through a basement foundation wall to create a rough opening sized to Alberta Building Code minimums (0.35 m2 minimum opening area, no dimension less than 380 mm). But the cut is only one part of an egress window project.
Most concrete cutters in Calgary do the cut and leave. The homeowner then coordinates a separate window supplier, a separate excavation crew if the site is below grade, a separate window installer, and figures out the permit and inspection sequence themselves. That fragmentation is where projects go sideways - mismatched dimensions, installer waiting on the concrete crew, permit inspection failing because the opening was cut to the wrong spec.
CCG runs both sides. We do the concrete cutting through this brand. Our residential window installation team at Egress Windows Calgary, our full-service basement window arm, handles everything from permit to finished window well. One call. Same brothers. No coordination gap between the cutter and the installer.
Why this matters in the Calgary market: Our main SERP competitor for "basement window cutting calgary" is truenorthcutting.com - a solid concrete cutting operation. What they do not offer is the full egress installation. They cut, you arrange the rest. CCG and Egress Windows Calgary together cover the complete project - concrete cut, window supply (Low-E vinyl, sized to code), installation, window well, permit, and inspection coordination. No Calgary concrete cutter has an integrated residential window installation brand. We do.
If you are a homeowner converting a basement bedroom or adding a legal secondary suite, the egress window project starts with the concrete cut but it does not end there. The questions that come after the cut - what window size fits, who frames the rough opening, who installs the lintel, how deep does the window well go, how do I pass the City inspection - those are questions our Egress Windows Calgary team answers every day.
If you are a general contractor, renovation company, or another window installer who needs just the cut, we do that independently too. We will hand you a clean, square, code-sized rough opening and clear the site. See the egress window cutting page for specs and the booking process.
Our residential window installation team at Egress Windows Calgary handles the full package - permit, excavation, concrete cut, window supply, installation, window well, and backfill. One call, one crew, no coordination gap. They also handle window-only replacements for existing egress openings.
Visit Egress Windows Calgary - our full-service basement window installation team →Not every concrete cut requires a permit. Whether you need one depends on the scope - specifically whether the cut is structural and whether it changes an occupied space.
The City of Calgary requires a building permit for work that modifies the structural envelope of a building or changes how a space is used. Concrete cuts that create or enlarge openings in foundation walls - egress windows, new doorways, secondary suite entries - almost always require a permit. The cut itself is work done under the permit; inspections typically follow the installation (window or door), not the cutting.
Non-structural cuts - floor trenching for plumbing rough-in under an existing slab, core drilling for pipe penetrations - typically do not require a permit for the cutting itself. The plumbing or mechanical work that follows may require its own trade permit. We flag permit requirements at quote time so you know before we book.
For egress and secondary suite work, the Alberta Building Code requirements are specific. The City of Calgary's permit process for residential egress window work involves a development permit in some cases (depending on whether the suite is new or existing) and a building permit for the construction work itself.
For the full deep-dive on permit process, code specs, and inspection sequence for egress window projects, our Egress Windows Calgary team has the detailed breakdown at their permits and code page. That is where the permit process for the complete egress project lives.
| Scope of Work | Permit Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Egress window opening (foundation wall cut) | Yes | Building permit required before cutting. Inspection follows installation. |
| New doorway in foundation wall | Yes | Structural alteration - building permit required. |
| Secondary suite separate entry | Yes | Development permit + building permit typically required. Suite classification matters. |
| Basement floor trench for plumbing | No (for the cut) | Plumbing work following the cut requires a plumbing permit. |
| Core drilling for pipe penetrations | No (for the cut) | Trade permits for mechanical work may apply depending on scope. |
| Commercial slab cuts and demolition | Varies | Depends on project scope, occupancy classification, and whether structural elements are involved. Confirm with the City. |
We give set-price quotes - the number we quote is the number you pay. But that price is built from a set of variables. Here is what we look at.
Concrete cutting is not a per-hour service. It is a scoped job. We look at the work, account for every variable, and give you a fixed number. No estimates that grow on site. If we find something unexpected - a hidden beam, unusual reinforcement, wall construction that differs from what was described - we call you before we proceed. You decide, then we continue.
The main cost drivers across all four service types:
Most residential concrete cutting jobs are done in a half-day to a full day. Here is what to expect from booking to cleared site.
Residential jobs book within 3-7 business days of a confirmed, set-price quote and verified permit (where required). We confirm site utilities, water access, and power access at quote time so nothing delays the day-of setup.
Commercial jobs and multi-day projects are scoped individually. Lead time depends on equipment availability, site access restrictions, and general contractor scheduling. We work from the GC's project schedule and confirm cut sequencing before mobilizing.
2-4 hours on site including setup, sawing all four sides, section removal, and cleanup. Window installer can typically follow the same afternoon. Quote-to-booking typically 3-5 business days.
Half-day to full day depending on wall thickness and whether the section is removed in pieces or whole. Lintel installation by your framer follows our clearance. Quote-to-booking 5-7 business days.
Depends on linear footage and slab conditions. A 20-foot single trench run is typically 2-3 hours. Multi-room rough-in trench packages with 5+ runs are typically a full day. Plumber follows immediately after.
Scoped and scheduled with the GC. Multi-day projects (parkade cores, warehouse demolition, multi-unit egress cuts) are sequenced to the project schedule. Mobilization lead time confirmed at contract.
Concrete Cutting Geeks is Greg and Luke - two brothers who own and operate both CCG and Egress Windows Calgary together. We are not a franchise. We are not a dispatch company. Every project goes through one of us.
We started CCG in Calgary in 2015 because we saw how fragmented the trades market was for concrete work - customers were getting wildly different quotes with no explanation of what drove the price, and no accountability when things went sideways on site. We built the set-price quote model from day one: you get a fixed number, we do the work, that is the number on the invoice.
CCG is the parent brand - the concrete cutting specialists. We run the saws, drill the cores, and cut the walls. Egress Windows Calgary is the residential face - the full-service egress window company that handles the complete homeowner project from first call to finished basement window. Both brands run the same crew. An owner is on site for every job.
When you call CCG, you are talking to the person who will be on your job site. That is not a customer service line answer - it is how the business is set up. Learn more about us on the About page.
The questions we hear most often, answered straight.
Yes. We run both. Residential work is the majority of what we do - basement egress cuts, slab openings for plumbing, doorway alterations for suite conversions. Commercial work includes multi-unit, parkade, warehouse, and ICI projects. Same crew, same equipment, same set-price quote process either way.
Our flat saws handle up to 24 inches in a single pass. Wall saws and track saws reach 18-24 inches depending on the blade configuration. Most residential poured foundations in Calgary are 8-10 inches. Parkade decks and commercial slabs run thicker - we assess blade depth requirements on every quote.
Wet diamond cutting requires a water supply for blade cooling. A standard exterior hose bib on the property works. We bring our own hose. Electric power is needed for electric-drive saws - a standard 220V or available 15-amp circuit works for most residential jobs. We confirm site utilities at quote time.
Yes. Diamond blades cut through rebar. Heavily rebar-reinforced concrete (structural slabs, parkade decks, tilt-up panels) wears blades faster, which affects cost - we factor rebar density into every quote. If a slab is lightly reinforced or unreinforced (common in older residential basements), blade wear is minimal.
The concrete cutting is our side of the business. For the complete egress project - permit, excavation, concrete cut, window supply, installation, well, and backfill - our residential window installation team at Egress Windows Calgary, our full-service basement window arm, handles the full package. Visit egress-windows-calgary.com or call us and we coordinate the whole thing.
Most residential jobs book within 3-7 business days. Single egress cuts are typically half a day on site. Multi-cut or commercial projects are scoped individually - lead times depend on equipment availability and site access. We give you a clear schedule at quote confirmation, not after booking.
We cover all of Calgary and the immediate surrounding area including Airdrie and Chestermere. There are no travel charges within the Calgary service area. Call (587) 998-4310 or submit a quote request and we confirm availability for your location.
Yes. We carry full commercial general liability insurance covering our concrete cutting operations. Certificates of insurance are available on request for GC submittals and permit applications. We are a registered Alberta business operating since 2015.
A set-price quote means the number we quote is the number you pay. No "estimates that grow." We assess the job - wall type, slab thickness, rebar density, access conditions, linear footage - and give you a fixed price. If we hit something unexpected like a hidden beam or unusual wall construction, we talk to you before we proceed. No surprises on your invoice.
It depends on the scope. Structural cuts - new doorways, egress window openings, secondary suite modifications - require a City of Calgary building permit before work begins. Non-structural utility cuts (plumbing trenches in basement floors, core drilling for pipe penetrations) typically do not require a permit for the cutting itself, though the plumbing or mechanical work following may. We flag permit requirements at quote time.
Tell us what you are cutting. We give you a fixed price - no surprises, no estimates that grow.