You will require planning approval for the following reasons. Please note that development permits do not guarantee an approval:

• If accessory residential building in the Land Use Bylaw is listed as discretionary in your district, there is no guarantee of approval.
• If your design or location does not meet land use bylaw rules​, this means you are requesting a relaxation to the rules of the land use bylaw, there is no guarantee of approval.
• If you are building higher or bigger than the rules:
  • If the garage is higher than 4.6 meters (15’-1”)
  • If the height from the parking surface to where the wall meets the roof truss is higher than 3 metres (9’-10”)
  • If the garage is greater than 75 m² (807 sq. ft.) or
  • If the garage will be larger than the existing house
• For a list of common rules and when a development permit is required, read more in the What are the rules section.

Front

Accessory residential buildings (garages, sheds, pergolas, etc) are not permitted to be located in the actual front setback.

Back (rear)

If the rear property line is shared with an alley or another property, the distance from the property line must be 0.6m (1.9ft) unless:

• The building is under 10 m²
• The exterior is maintenance-free (examples of maintenance-free materials including vinyl siding and stucco), or the owner of the adjacent property grants a private maintenance easement.
• All water drainage off the building remains on the property.
• There is no eave overhang onto the neighbouring property.

NOTE: the garage apron must be 0.6m (1.9ft) in length when measured from the property line shared with the lane to the door of the garage

Side

• If the side property line is shared with a street, the distance from the property line must be 1.2m (3.9ft)
  
  
• If the side property line is shared with another property, the distance from the property line must be 0.6m unless:
  • The building is under 10 m²
  • The exterior is maintenance-free (examples of maintenance-free materials including vinyl siding and stucco), or the owner of the adjacent property grants a private maintenance easement.
  • All water drainage off the building remains on the property.
  • There is no eave overhang onto the adjacent lot.

• For accessory residential buildings greater than 10m2 (107 sqft)
  • 1.0m (3.2ft) clearance from the main residential building or house measuring from the closest wall of each building. Includes second floor cantilevers, bay windows etc. If your building is closer than 1.0m you will need a development permit.
•  For accessory residential buildings under 10m2 (107sqft)
  • There is no minimum separation, however if you attach the structure to your house, it is considered an addition

• Zero lot lines allow you to build up to your side property line. Zero lot lines commonly exist in combination with maintenance access right-of-ways on the opposite side of the property and on neighbouring properties.
  
• If your proposed structure projects into a maintenance access right-of-way, the document showing allowance for this type of construction must be presented at the time of application.

Rights-of-way can include utility rights-of-way (URWs), overland drainage rights-of-way (ODRWs), maintenance access rights-of-way (MARW), access rights-of-way and other types of City of Calgary easements and rights-of-way.

Review your Real Property Report (RPR) and Land Title to determine if there is a right-of-way registered on your property. You may request a copy of your Land Title including any right-of-way agreements registered against your Land Title from the Alberta Land Titles Office or other registry branch. To obtain an RPR, please contact any registered Alberta land surveyor.

• Permanent structures are not permitted to be built in URWs. This includes, but is not limited to, any portion of a building, such as footings, walls or eaves.
• ODRWs must be kept clear of structures, planting, landscaping, debris, and any other obstructions. Read more in the lot grading brochure
• MARWs are specific to your property, and can be found by accessing your property’s information from Alberta Land Titles.

In certain situations, The City may permit a proposed encroachment if it is minor and non-permanent. For more information read more about the Proposed Encroachment Process (calgary.ca) and complete the Encroachment Eligibility Questionnaire.

For more information visit the road and utility rights-of-way.

Contact

Before you start construction, contact click before you dig at 1-800-242-3447, to find out where your utility lines are before you build.

For information about building near or over gas lines, contact ATCO Gas at 403-292-7500.

If you have any questions regarding clearance from utility lines and boxes, contact ENMAX at 403-514-3716.

• The maximum height of your building cannot be higher than 4.6m (15 ft) when measured from the finished floor to the highest point – usually the roof peak.
• The maximum height of the underside of the eaveline cannot be higher than 3.0m (9.8 ft) when measured from the finished floor to the intersection of the wall and the roof structure at the highest point.
• The finished floor height of the building cannot be higher than 0.6m (1.9ft) above grade unless the building is a garage. For example, a pergola built on a deck with a deck height higher than 0.6m would not meet the bylaw and would require a Development Permit.
• The building cannot be more than one storey in height, however it is allowed to have an attic
  • The attic must:
    • not have windows
    • be accessed by a removable ladder
    • be used by the occupants of the house for storage
    • have a maximum height of 1.5m (4.9ft) measured from the attic floor to the underside of any rafter

How many parking stalls do you need to provide?

• All required stalls must be located on the property and cannot be in tandem (located one in front of the other).
• At least one parking stall is required in most land use districts
• If your property is located in the following districts, you will require 2 stalls.
  • R-1N or R-C1N and the property width is less than 9m (29.5ft)
  • R-2, R-C2 or R-2Mand the property width is less than 9m (29.5ft) or the property area is less than 270m2 (2906 sq. ft.)
  • If your property is an irregular shape and you are unsure of your property width, please refer to the example below to see how to measure your property width and determine how many parking stalls are required.

• Not all parking stalls need to be provided within a garage. Parking requirements can be met with a parking pad or driveway, provided that all required stalls are located on the property and cannot be in tandem (located one in front of the other).

Note: Many properties in Calgary were developed prior to the current bylaw and its parking requirements. There is also the potential that relaxations for parking were granted on an individual property. In these cases, the current parking requirements may not have to be met.

How big do the parking stalls need to be?

• For the purpose of parking stall requirements, walls of a garage, fences and property lines are considered barriers.
• If the parking stall touches two barriers the stall must be at least 5.9 m x 3 m.
• If the parking stall touches only one barrier the stall must be 5.9 m x 2.85 m.
• If the parking stall touches no barriers the stall must be 5.9 m x 2.5 m.

There are specific Land Use Bylaw rules that will determine what the maximum size of garage you can build on your property. There are a couple different rules that need to be considered when determining how big your garage can be. Anything larger than what the bylaw allows will require a development permit.

1. The total area of accessory residential buildings on a property cannot be more than:
   • the building coverage (footprint) of the main residential building (house), or
   • 75 m² (807 sq. ft.) per dwelling unit
2. The combined parcel coverage of all buildings cannot exceed a certain percentage of your total property size. This percentage is determined by your specific land use district. See the graph below to determine your allowable lot coverage.

Note: If the aggregate area of all accessory buildings is under 10 m² (107 sq. ft.) those structures will not contribute to parcel coverage.

How to calculate lot coverage

To calculate lot coverage, you will need to divide the footprint area of all applicable buildings by the property size.

(Total building area ÷ property area) × 100 = lot coverage %.

Tip: You can use a Real Property Report (RPR) as your site plan. The lot dimensions will be located on the document.

Example:

 Calculation: (Total building area ÷ property area) × 100 = lot coverage per cent

1. Find the allowable coverage for the property based on your land use district.
   R-C1 = 45%
2. Calculate the property area.
   10.36 m × 32.0 m = 331.52 m²
3. Add all applicable building areas:
   

   house:	77.2 m2
   covered deck*:	9.3 m2
   shed:	10.2 m2
   proposed garage:	+ 40.8 m2
   Total building area	= 137.5 m2

4. Divide the total building area by the property area and times that by 100 to get a percentage.
   

   total building area = 137.5 m2	× 100 = 41.47%
   property area = 331.52 m2

R-C1 allows for a maximum lot coverage of 45%. Therefore, the proposal comes within the allowable lot coverage.

*Covered deck is only included in the calculation because it has a roof structure. Decks that are not covered should not be included.

• If you are proposing a rooftop deck or balcony, a development permit will always be required.
• There is no guarantee your development permit would be approved if your building includes a rooftop deck or balcony.
• If your application is approved, you will still need a Building Permit to review the Building Safety of the structure.

• A semi-detached garage is where two garages share a common wall along a property line
• The maximum size of each side of the garage is 75m² per single family home, per side of a semi-detached home and per rowhouse unit. 

• If a detached garage is accessing an unpaved rear lane, a lane grade can be established through a Development Site Servicing site visit. This will ensure that the garage floor will be at the correct elevation in relation to the lane. The City of Calgary will assume no responsibility for water runoff into the garage, or access problems arising from construction of a garage, due to a grade that is inconsistent with the design grade approved by Development Site Servicing.
• This service is not mandatory.
• Residential grades requirement list
• Note: there is a fee for this service.

Accessory residential buildings under 10 m² (107 sq. ft.) in area typically do not require a building permit, however, they must comply with the rules listed under where can you build? and what design rules do you need to meet?

When building within 0.6m (1.9 ft.) of the side property line, accessory residential buildings which are 10 m² (107 sq. ft.) or larger have the following requirements for fire-ratings and permitted locations of eave projections:

Fire rating

5/8" Type X drywall is required to be installed from floor to ceiling on all interior walls that are located within 0.6m (1.9 ft) of the side property line.

Eave projections

Eave projections are not permitted within 0.45 m (1.5 ft.) of a side property line shared with an adjacent property (excluding rain trough). All water drainage off the building must remain on the property. A non-vented soffit (underside of eave projection) is required for eaves within 1.2 m (3.9 ft.) of a property line shared with an adjacent property.

If the eaves will project towards the lane instead, the roof trusses will likely be resting on the beam over the overhead garage door. If this is the case, you will need to provide a copy of the beam calculations or manufacturer’s truss layouts when you apply for a building permit.

The National Building Code (Alberta Edition) has specific distance requirements for eaves and soffits, as demonstrated in this diagram:

Temporary tent garages on residential properties do not require a building permit, however; they must comply with the rules listed under where can you build? and what design rules do you need to meet?

Note: tent garages are not considered maintenance free structures, so the setback rules apply.​​

Although a building permit is not required for a parking pad, if you plan on pouring a parking pad for the purpose of building a garage in the future you should consider the location after reviewing the rules listed under where can you build? and what design rules do you need to meet?

If your garage slab will have an area bigger than 55 m² (592 sq. ft.), and does not have a concrete foundation that is 1.2m below grade, you will need a concrete slab designed by a professional engineer. Please refer to Building Regulations Bulletin 2014-011.

A homeowner that is a first-class or second-class gas fitter (i.e. journeyman) may apply for homeowner gas permits that typical homeowners are not allowed to apply for. In order to qualify, you must:

• Have a Journeyman certificate
• Own the home
• Must live in the home

If you have questions or need clarification on the Building Code information, contact our Technical Assistance Center.

Plans

Sample drawings have been provided to assist you with completing your requirements – you should provide everything listed on the checklist as shown on the Sample Drawings.

1. Site plan

• Tip: You can modify a Real Property Report (RPR) to use as your site Plan.
• You must note where the proposed garage is going to be located on the property, along with the size of the garage, the height of the garage and the distances from property lines as well as the house.
  

Supporting documents

2. Elevations

• You will need to provide elevation drawings of all four sides of your garage.
• An elevation drawing is a 2D view of the exterior walls of your garage.
• Indicate where any windows, doors and garage doors are located on the elevation as well as the ground level.

3. Cross-section

• The cross-section is a 2-D interior view of what the garage looks like inside.
• Your drawing should include the interior wall height, building height, type of siding and eave dimensions.
• You can use our garage worksheet to satisfy this requirement.
  

4. Maintenance access right-of-way

• If there is a Maintenance Access Right-of-Way(MARW) registered to the property, you will need to provide the MARW document with your application.
• You can obtain these online or in person through the Alberta Land Titles office.

5. Abandoned well declaration form

• A map of the subject property showing the presence or absence of Abandoned Well Locations on GeoDiscover Alberta’s Map Viewer must be included with the form.
• Reference the user guide to finding abandoned wells for more information on how to locate your property.

6. Public tree disclosure statement

• Indicate yes or no if there is a public tree on the City lands within six meters of and/or overhanging your property.
• If there are public trees, show these trees on your site plan and complete the rest of the form..
• If you are not sure if there are public trees, you can use the city’s Tree Map (may not be up to date for your property) or contact 3-1-1 for a development tree inquiry.

For an electrical inspection, The City’s safety codes officer (SCO) must have access to all areas where electrical work has been completed.

Before booking your inspection, please make sure:

• There is no exposed live wiring.
• All electrical devices that are required as part of the minimum life safety requirements are installed and operational.
• Hardwired Smoke/CO detectors are installed and interconnected.

For more information, review the homeowner electrical wiring guide.

What you need to complete before you call for each plumbing inspection:

Rough-in inspection

• Install and complete all plumbing drainage and venting.
• Install and connect water lines to the rest of the water distribution system.
• Properly support all drains, vents, and water lines.
• Install the bathtub/shower valve.

Provide a shut off valve for all toilets.