Car and RV Dealership Construction in Calgary

Dealership construction in Calgary is driven by the manufacturer. Every brand has a facility or image program that sets the look of the showroom, the materials, the signage, the customer lounge and often the service drive, and it refreshes that program every 7 to 10 years. A dealer who falls behind can lose incentives, and non-compliance can affect what the dealership is worth when it is sold. So most dealership projects are really image-program projects, with a deadline set by the brand.

Manufacturer image programs

The brand's program documents are detailed: specified cladding panels and colours, entry portals, showroom floor tile, lighting levels, furniture, signage and how the vehicles are displayed. The brand's design team usually reviews the drawings and the materials, and some items, like the signage and certain cladding, are bought through the brand's approved suppliers.

We read the program first, then walk the existing store to find where the program and the building disagree. A new entry portal often needs structure the existing wall cannot carry. A specified floor tile can need a flatter slab than the old showroom has. Those are the items that decide the schedule and the budget.

Glass showrooms

Dealership showrooms are mostly glass, so the vehicles can be seen from the road. Large curtain walls and storefront glazing in Calgary have to handle cold, wind, hail and the solar gain of a south or west wall in summer. The glazing system, the shading and the HVAC need to be designed together, or the showroom will be freezing near the glass in January and hot in July.

Vehicle doors into the showroom, wide and often glazed, need to seal well and resist Calgary wind. The showroom floor has to carry vehicles, which a well-designed slab-on-grade does easily but a structural slab over a basement or parkade needs to be checked for.

Service bays and the service drive

Service is where most dealerships earn steady income, and it is the part of the building that is most like a mechanic shop: lifts set on proper footings, floor drains to oil and grit separators, compressed air, exhaust extraction, fluid distribution and insulated overhead doors. A covered service drive, where customers drop off their vehicles out of the weather, is now standard in most brand programs.

Parts departments need secure storage, receiving and often a mezzanine. RV dealerships need much taller and longer service bays, larger doors and more yard space for storage and display.

EV charging and service

Manufacturers now require dealerships to sell and service electric vehicles, and the programs set rules for chargers in the service area, on the lot and sometimes for customers. Fast chargers need large amounts of power, and adding several of them can mean a new electrical service from the utility, with the lead time that comes with it. EV service also needs designated bays and safe procedures for high-voltage batteries.

Start the electrical service review early. It is often the item that sets the opening date of the renovated store.

Renovating an operating dealership

Most image-program work is done while the dealership stays open. We phase the work so the showroom, the service drive and the parts counter keep running, moving sales into a temporary space if needed, and keeping customer routes clear and safe. Service bay work is often done a few bays at a time.

What dealership construction costs

The range moves with the brand's program, the size of the service department, the amount of glazing, EV infrastructure and site work. Image-program renovations vary with how far the existing building is from the new standard.

New store or renovation?

A new dealership on a fresh site gives the brand its full program: the right showroom proportions, a covered service drive, the number of service bays the brand wants and room for the vehicles on display. It also needs a development permit, site servicing and a longer schedule.

A renovation keeps the existing building and its service department, and brings the front of the building and the customer areas up to the program. It is usually faster and cheaper, but the existing structure limits what can change. Some brands accept an approved variation when the building cannot meet every item, and it is worth asking before designing an expensive structural fix.

Lots, lighting and display

Outside, the brand program usually covers the display areas, the lighting levels on the lot, landscaping and signage. Calgary's development permit sets parking, landscaping and lighting rules too, and the two need to agree. Display lots need paving that drains well, good lighting that does not spill onto neighbours, and power for charging the electric vehicles on display.

Pylon signs and building signage usually come through the brand's approved supplier, with the City's sign permit. Plan the power and foundations for them with the site work.

How long a dealership project takes

A new dealership takes the longest, because of the site, the building and the brand's review of the design and materials. Renovations depend on the phasing: the more of the store that has to stay open, the more phases and the longer the work. The brand's specified materials, such as cladding panels and showroom tile, can have long lead times, and so can a new electrical service for EV charging.

We start with the brand's deadline and work backwards, ordering the specified materials early and phasing the work so the store keeps selling while each area is rebuilt.