2025, 4 months on site
1950s bungalow, opened up
Load-bearing wall removed, kitchen moved to the back of the house, and the original brick chimney kept as a feature.
Legal basement suites in Calgary
A legal basement suite turns unused space into a self-contained home for a tenant or family member. In Calgary it has to meet specific requirements for ceiling height, exits, fire separation and ventilation before it can be registered.
We start by checking your basement against those requirements, then tell you plainly what it will take: what's already there, what needs to change and a realistic budget.
Book a site visit
What’s included
- Suite assessment
- Ceiling height, window sizes, stair and entrance location, and mechanical systems reviewed against current secondary suite requirements.
- Design and permits
- Layout drawings, building and trade permits prepared and submitted by us, and every inspection booked.
- Life safety
- Egress windows, fire-rated separation, interconnected smoke and CO alarms, and sound attenuation between units.
- Mechanical and electrical
- Separate heating and ventilation where required, new circuits, and a kitchen and bathroom plumbed in.
- Registration
- Final inspections and the paperwork to get the suite on the City's secondary suite registry.
How long it takes
Plan on 3 to 6 weeks for design and permits, then roughly 3 to 4 months of construction.
Related projects
2024, 7 weeks on site
Kitchen and main floor
A new kitchen built around a bay window, flooring throughout, and a mudroom where an awkward side entry used to be.
Questions about basement suites
We also do home renovations and backyard suites and custom homes.
Can my basement become a legal suite?
Many can. The main factors are ceiling height, room for egress windows and a separate entrance. We'll check at the first site visit before you spend anything on drawings.
Can you legalize an existing suite?
Yes. We review what's there, list what needs to change to meet code, and handle the permits and upgrades to bring it up to standard.
Do I need a separate entrance?
The suite needs its own exit route, which can be a separate exterior door or a shared entrance with proper fire separation. We'll walk through the options for your house.
Tell us what you’re thinking of building.
We'll come out, look at the house or lot, and give you an honest read on scope, timing and cost. No charge for the first visit.