RESOURCES AND FAQS FOR HOMES AND SECONDARY SUITES IN CALGARY
This page collects the guides, checklists, and answers we keep repeating on calls and site visits. It’s here to help you make better decisions about custom homes and legal secondary suites in Calgary — whether you work with us or not.
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Plain-language answers about permits, code, and process
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Checklists you can actually use during planning
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Questions to ask any builder or project manager
RESOURCE LIBRARY
The resources on this page are grouped into three areas:
Planning Guides
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For understanding what a realistic project looks like before you sign anything.
Secondary Suite Legalization
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For owners dealing with “almost legal” suites or planning a new legal suite.
Process, Money, and Risk
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For understanding how projects work over time, how money flows, and what to expect when things change.
PLANNING GUIDES FOR CUSTOM HOMES AND MAJOR PROJECTS
Use these guides early. They’re designed to be printed, written on, and brought to meetings with any builder, architect, or project manager.
“Is a Custom Home the Right Move Right Now?”
A short guide to help you decide whether a full custom home makes sense now, or whether to wait, renovate, or take a different path.
Signals that a custom home makes sense
Signals that a simpler project might be better
Questions to discuss with your family or partners
RESOURCES FOR LEGAL SECONDARY SUITES IN CALGARY
If you’re dealing with a secondary or basement suite in Calgary, these resources will help you understand where you stand and what a realistic path to legal status looks like.
What Inspectors Care About Most in Suites
A summary of the areas inspectors tend to focus on for secondary suites: life safety, egress, fire separation, alarms, ceiling height, services, access, and parking.
Life-safety elements that are rarely negotiable
Common reasons suites fail inspections
Why some “simple fixes” become expensive
QUICK ANSWERS: GETTING STARTED
A few of the questions almost everyone asks in the first conversation.
FAQ – PREMIUM CUSTOM HOMES
Focused on planning, budget, and reality checks for custom homes in Calgary.
FAQ – SECONDARY SUITE LEGALIZATION & PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Focused on the reality of legalizing or building suites in Calgary.
PLAIN-LANGUAGE GLOSSARY
A few terms you’ll see in emails, permits, and conversations — explained without jargon.
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Development Permit (DP) – Approval focused on land use, zoning, and how the building fits on the lot and in the neighbourhood.
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Building Permit (BP) – Approval focused on how the building or suite is constructed: structure, fire separation, life safety, and systems.
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Secondary Suite – A self-contained dwelling unit on the same property as a primary dwelling, with its own kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area, meeting specific bylaw and code requirements.
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Egress Window – A window that is large and accessible enough to be used as an emergency exit, with specific size and height requirements.
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Fire Separation – Construction and materials that slow the spread of fire and smoke between units or parts of a building.
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RPR (Real Property Report) – A legal document showing the location of structures on your property relative to property boundaries.
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Change Order / Variation – A documented change to the agreed scope, price, or schedule of a project.
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Deficiency List – A list of items that are incomplete, missing, or need correction before a project is considered finished.
USEFUL OFFICIAL RESOURCES
We recommend always checking current official information. These links are a starting point for Calgary owners:
City of Calgary – Secondary Suites Information
Overview of current rules, registry, and basic requirements for secondary suites.
City of Calgary – Residential Permits
Information on development and building permits for residential projects.
Provincial/Utility Programs (e.g., energy efficiency, improvement programs)
Where relevant, we can help align the technical side of your project with eligibility requirements.
IF YOU ONLY READ ONE SECTION BEFORE CALLING US
Three questions to think through before you talk to any builder or project manager:
What does “success” look like for this project in one sentence?
Example: “A legal, quiet basement suite that rents reliably for the next 10 years.”
What can’t you accept?
Example: “I can live with a longer timeline, but I can’t accept not knowing where I stand with the City and legal status.”
What is your real budget range and timing?
Not the ideal number, but the range where you can still sleep at night.
Bringing clear answers to these three questions will make any conversation — with us or anyone else — far more productive.
NEED AN ANSWER THAT ISN’T ON THIS PAGE?
If your question is specific to your property, suite, or custom home idea, the next step is a short message and, usually, a site visit.
Share your address, a description of what you want to do, and any drawings or City letters you already have. We’ll respond with how we would approach it and what you can expect next.