Legal basement suites in Calgary
Secondary suites, built new or legalized. The City rules, in plain words.
City suite registry fees: $0 until Dec 31, 2026.
Hi. Let's check your basement.
What still costs money?
The building permit: $403.52 for a new suite, $205.92 to legalize one.
Source: calgary.ca, checked Oct 25, 2026.
What makes a suite legal
Tap a point on the drawing.
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Egress window in each bedroom
A window that opens fully: at least 0.35 m², no side under 380 mm.
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Own entrance
A safe way in and out. Windows near the exit stairs may need fire protection.
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Own kitchen and bathroom
A kitchen to cook in, and a bathroom with a toilet and a tub or shower, just for the suite.
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Own heat and fresh air
New suites: a second furnace, or an HRV plus other heat.
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Smoke-tight ceiling and doors
12.7 mm drywall, insulation and resilient channels between the two homes. Doors between them, and to shared or furnace rooms: 45 mm solid-core and self-closing.
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Linked smoke and CO alarms
Hard-wired and interconnected: one sets off every alarm in the suite and at least one in the main home.
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1.95 m ceiling height
The usual minimum, and at least 1.85 m under ducts and beams.
Source: City guidebook, June 2026.
All the requirementsIs your basement suite-ready?
Allowed in all low-density districts since Aug 4, 2026.
A guide, not a City approval.
Question 1 of 6
What kind of home is it?
Rent and payback, estimated
For landlords.
5.8 years
of rent to pay it back. About 8.2 after costs and empty months.
Estimate, not a promise. Source: RentFaster, Oct 25, 2026.
Rent $1,300 a month: the median asking rent of 781 two-bedroom Calgary basement listings. Basement and main-floor rents fell 8% in a year (City of Calgary). Loan interest is not included. The 30% for costs and empty months is an assumption.
Steps to a legal suite
- Visit and lot checkbrother to confirm
- Drawings
- Permits
- Build and City inspections
- Registry sticker
Who builds it
- Led by our own renovator.
- Plumbing by a licensed plumber. Trades work by licensed trades.
- A sister company of Calgary Roofing Pro and Calgary Snow Pro.
Our promises
- We pull every permitbrother to confirm
- Your heating plan is in the quotebrother to confirm
- One written price, every item listedbrother to confirm
- You never pay ahead of the workbrother to confirm
Design ideas
Ideas for your suite, not our finished jobs.
Questions
What makes a basement suite legal in Calgary?
Each bedroom needs an egress window (at least 0.35 m², no side under 380 mm). The suite needs its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom, heat and fresh air, 12.7 mm drywall between the homes, linked smoke and CO alarms, and about 1.95 m of ceiling height. Then it passes City inspections and goes on the Suite Registry.
How much does a legal basement suite cost?
It depends on your basement. Published Calgary prices for a new legal suite mostly run $60,000 to $120,000 (17 Calgary price pages, read Oct 2026). Legalizing an existing suite often costs far less. Those are other companies' prices, not ours. We quote in writing after a visit.brother to confirm
Does a suite need its own furnace?
A new suite needs its own heating and ventilation: a second furnace, or an HRV plus another heat source such as baseboards. Some suites built before March 12, 2018 may share one system.
Does a suite need parking?
Suites need at least one parking stall. Some districts need less, for example near transit. The rules depend on your lot.
How long does it take?
Where a development permit is needed, the City says planning approval takes about 10 to 12 weeks, and that this is not a guarantee. Build time depends on your basement. The start and finish dates go in your contract.
Can I put a kitchen in my basement?
Yes, but a basement with its own kitchen and bathroom counts as a secondary suite. It needs a suite permit and has to meet the suite rules.
Get a quote
Name and phone, that's all.
More living space? Basement development