Legal Basement Suites in Calgary: Requirements and the Dec. 31, 2026 Amnesty Deadline

When is a basement a “secondary suite”?

If your basement (or in-law suite) has both a bathroom and cooking facilities, the City treats it as a secondary suite, and it needs a building permit. Each suite must also have its own entrance — a shared stairwell is acceptable as long as each unit has a private entrance.

Permits you may need

• Building permit — required for a suite with a bathroom and cooking facilities.
• Development permit — may be required if suites are discretionary in your land use district or the design does not meet the Land Use Bylaw.
• Electrical and plumbing permits — each is a separate permit.

Key life-safety requirements

For existing suites, the City lists minimum life-safety requirements, including:

• Egress windows: each bedroom needs at least one window that opens fully, with an opening of at least 0.35 m² and no side smaller than 380 mm.
• Fire separation: drywall at least 12.7 mm thick on the ceiling and on both sides of the wall studs between the suite and the main home, with joints taped and filled.
• Smoke alarms: in each bedroom and common space, interconnected so an alarm sounds in both the suite and the main home.
• Carbon monoxide alarms: located centrally, within 5 m of bedrooms, and interconnected.

Suites built before March 12, 2018 may qualify for reduced requirements, but they must still meet these minimum life-safety standards. New suites are built to the full building code.

Inspections

Two inspections are required: a framing (rough-in) inspection before insulation and drywall cover the work, and a final inspection when the suite is ready to live in. For existing suites, the City offers a reduced-requirements application (owner declaration, suite information sheet and photos) or a full-plans application.

The amnesty deadline: December 31, 2026

Under the Secondary Suite Amnesty Program, homeowners who apply before December 31, 2026 can avoid development permit charges and registration fees. Registered suites appear on the City’s online Secondary Suite Registry and receive a numbered sticker for the entrance; registration is free until the amnesty ends and stays with the address if the home is sold.

Note that the City’s separate Suite Incentive Programs closed to applications on September 28, 2026.

How Josan Construction & Landscaping can help

We develop basements and legal suites in Calgary from bare concrete to finished space — framing, drywall and fire separation, egress windows, bathrooms, kitchens and painting — and we work through the permit and inspection steps with you. Free estimates; we speak English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.

Sources

• City of Calgary – Secondary suites
• City of Calgary – Legalize an existing secondary suite

Sources checked October 15, 2026. City guidance changes and has no legal status — always confirm requirements with the City of Calgary for your property.