The Best Tax Benefits, Rebates and Grants You Can Get for Renovating in Canada, by Province

The Home Accessibility Tax Credit is a federal, non-refundable tax credit for renovations that make a home more accessible for people who are disabled or over 65 years old. It only applies to renovations that will become permanent features of the home and will allow the person to move more freely within the home while reducing the risk of injury. A bigger, wheelchair friendly bathroom may qualify, for instance. You can get a tax reduction of up to $1,500.

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The Home Renovation Tax Credit for Seniors and Persons With Disabilities is available to BC residents who are over 65 or disabled and to the people sharing their home with these folks. It’s worth up to $1,000 and applies to renovations that will make the home safer and more accessible, like wheelchair ramps, wheel-in showers and even some of the ways to brighten a kitchen when it’s starved of natural light.

If you are a senior or living with one and you live in New Brunswick, you may claim 10 per cent of up to $1,000 for making your home more accessible and safer for seniors with the Seniors’ Home Renovation Tax Credit. For instance, renovations like adding handrails or installing less slippery floors may qualify.

With the GST/HST New Housing Rebate, substantial renovations to your home can earn you rebates. Mobile homes and floating homes qualify too, so you can find inspiration in revived RVs and worry less about taxes. Once the renovations are completed, your home should still have a market value of less than $450,000, though.

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If you’re planning on renovating a home so that you can rent it out, you may qualify for the GST/HST New Residential Rental Property Rebate. Once the renos are done, the property should be less than $450,000 in value, or less than $112,500 for land or a site in a trailer park.

Those small upgrades that will make your home more energy efficient will save you money on your electric bill, but they also mean savings on your mortgage insurance premiums. With CMHC Green Home, you just need to use CMHC-insured financing to renovate for energy efficiency. If you renovate up to Energy Star standards, you can get a 15% rebate. If you go up to R-2000 standards, your rebate can be as much as 25%.

Energy Efficiency Alberta

is a provincial government program that offers rebates on renovations that will make your home more energy efficient. If you see any of the signs it’s time to replace the windows in your home, for instance, you can get up to $1,500 in rebates if you choose ones geared towards energy efficiency.

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If you use Genworth Canada to finance renovations that will make your home more energy efficient, you can get up to a 25% refund on your premium. You need to get energy evaluation reports before and after the renovations to prove that you will indeed save on energy once you’ve replaced those windows or added that smart thermostat, though.

If you live in Manitoba, the Green Energy Equipment Tax Credit means you can get a tax credit of up to 15% if you install a geothermal heat pump system and up to 10% if you add a solar thermal energy system to your home. So, finding inspiration from Sarah Richardson’s off-the-grid family home can actually save you money too.

If you live in Nova Scotia and you want to make your home more accessible for people with disabilities, Housing Nova Scotia’s Disabled Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Homeowners can help you. You can apply for a forgivable loan of up to $16,000 to help you widen passages and entrances, put light switches in more accessible places, install a wheelchair-friendly shower and so on.

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If you live in rural Nova Scotia, have a low household income and can’t afford the emergency repairs that will make your home safe to live in, Housing Nova Scotia’s Emergency Repair Program provides grants of up to $7,000. Eligible repairs include fixing your roof, foundation, windows and doors, as well as, heating, plumbing and electrical systems.

Getting through winter in the Northwest Territories can be very expensive, but the Arctic Energy Alliance Energy Efficiency Incentive Program can help you use less energy for heating your home. For instance, you can get a rebate of up to $6,500 for insulating your home and keeping your heating costs down.

With Quebec’s Rénoclimat program, you can receive rebates for a variety of renovations that will make your home more energy efficient, including installing insulation, geothermal heating systems or skylights. The rebate amount depends on the type of renovation you do.

If you live in Ontario and can’t afford upgrades to make your home more energy efficient, the Save On Energy Home Assistance Program can help you with the cost of things like Energy Star certified lightbulbs and appliances, high-efficiency showerheads and aerators in your faucets, insulation and weatherstripping. To qualify, you need to meet the maximum income criteria or have received assistance through public programs like Ontario Works.

The Home Efficiency Rebate from Enbridge Gas is available to people who live in Ontario and are customers of this utilities company. You can get rebates of up to $5,000 if your renovations will help you use less energy in your home. Upgrades that qualify include installing a high-efficiency furnace or boiler, insulation and Energy Star windows, doors, skylights and water heaters.

Related: 13 Transformational Reno Ideas for Empty Nesters