According to the City of Calgary, you need a Building Permit if you are doing renovation work beyond replacing bathroom fixtures or kitchen cabinets, painting walls, changing flooring, or making minor cosmetic upgrades. All the renovations we do require a Building Permit. Building permits are very straightforward and if you know what you’re doing, it should only take a day to get one.
The City of Calgary requires you to obtain a Building Permit for developing your basement. You may also need plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or gas permits, depending on the type of work being done. If you are having a contractor do this work, the company will obtain the permits.
Most residential renovation projects only require a Building Permit from the City of Calgary. Additions that don’t meet the City’s Land Use Bylaw rules, however, require a Development Permit, also issued by the City. Your contractor should be able to tell you if you require a Development Permit for your addition, new garage, or deck. It is very difficult for a homeowner to handle the Development Permit application process so it’s best to hire an experienced contractor.
In order to obtain a Development Permit approval, significant planning is required. It’s very important to work with a designer who not only understands the Land Use Bylaws and how to implement them, but is able to carefully design within your budget. The Development Permit process can be overwhelming and time consuming if not handled correctly. The right designer will streamline this process for you, as well as make it seamless for City approvals. Ensure the designer you choose to work with understands and has a history of approved Development Permits.
The Development Permit approval process takes approximately three months and the overall cost for all required designs and permitting applications is typically around $15,000, depending on the size of the project.
Our designers are well versed in preparing Development Permit applications and handling the process from start to finish. They take care of all the paperwork and the communication with the City so you can relax and focus on making selections for your new space.