59 sq ft kitchen, open to the dining spaceAs built: Kitchen and diningStandard
The suite kitchen
A standard kitchen with quartz countertops and a 12 by 24 inch tile backsplash, laid out at the interior design selection.
Legal basement suites · Calgary
Legal basement suites
A basement finished into a registered secondary suite: its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom, built to code and signed off by the City of Calgary. This page is what the City checks, what ABLS builds in, and how registration actually runs.
The code
What the City checks
A suite is legal when it passes these, not when it looks finished. Each is designed in from the first drawing.
- 01
Separate entrance
The suite gets its own private entrance and an exit that leads directly outside. A shared stairwell is allowed as long as each home has its own door.
- 02
Egress windows
Bedroom windows that open to at least 0.35 m² with no side under 380 mm, so a person can get out in an emergency.
- 03
Fire separation
A smoke-tight separation between the suite and the main home: 1/2 inch drywall on the ceiling and both sides of the separating walls, and solid-core, self-closing doors.
- 04
Interconnected smoke + CO alarms
Smoke and CO alarms in the suite and the main home, wired so that one going off sets off the others.
- 05
Ceiling height & HVAC
At least 1.95 m from floor to ceiling through the living space (1.85 m under beams and ducts), and heating and ventilation that serve the suite on their own.
- 06
Dedicated electrical panel
The suite runs on its own panel. The code allows one shared panel if no circuit is shared between the two homes; a second panel keeps each home's breakers in its own space.
The finish
What ABLS builds in
The finish spec is the one our basement developments get, plus what a suite needs on its own. A tenant should not be able to tell the difference from upstairs.
59 sq ft kitchen, open to the dining space
127 sq ft bedroom plus the closetAs built: Bedroom and walk-in closetStandard
A ceiling that keeps the peace
Resilient channel and insulation in the ceiling between the suite and the main home, on every suite.
Why it's built this way
Two households share one floor structure. The insulation takes the airborne sound, the resilient channel breaks the path footsteps travel on, and the fire separation goes in at the same time.
143 sq ftAs built: Living roomStandard
Floors, doors and trim
LVP through the suite, up to 7 mm, with metal nosings on the stairs. Up to three hollow passage doors and two solid-core doors with chrome hardware, MDF jamb extensions on the windows, 3 inch casing, 4 inch baseboards, Sherwin-Williams or Cloverdale paint, and knockdown ceilings.
44 sq ft, 4-pieceAs built: BathroomStandard
The bathroom
A 60 by 30 inch alcove tub with 12 by 24 inch tile around it, a Delta shower head and faucet in chrome, a custom vanity with a quartz top and rectangular sink, and a toilet, all on new plumbing.
Its own furnace
A second furnace for the suite, with round vents and diffusers, the cold-air return dropped to floor level, and the bathroom fan ducted outside through a sealed, flashed wall.
A suite on the upstairs furnace is on the upstairs thermostat. Its own furnace means its own heat, its own setting, and heating the City accepts as serving the suite.
Lennox ML196UH furnace
Swap the standard suite furnace for a Lennox ML196UH. Settled at the design selection, before the ductwork is run.
Permits and drawings, in the contract
The City permit fees and the planning and architectural drawings are inside the contract price, not extras that arrive later.
A finished suite
Walk through one we built
The suite in the photos above, scanned in 3D the week it was handed over. Stand in each room, check the ceiling height, and measure a wall for your own furniture.
Registration
The path to registered
We prepare the drawings, apply for the permits, build to them, and carry the suite through its inspections to City registration. You end with paper that says legal, not a promise that it should be.
- 01
Drawings and permits
We draw the suite and file the permits. The fees and the drawings are inside the contract price.
- 02
Build to the drawings
Entrance, egress, fire separation, alarms, panel and furnace go in as drawn, with the finish spec above.
- 03
Inspections
The City inspects the work in stages. We book each one and meet the inspector.
- 04
Registration
The suite goes on the City's registry. You end with paper that says legal, not a promise that it should be.
An unregistered suite is a rent discount and an insurance problem waiting for a claim. Registration is the whole point of the build, so we run it as part of the job rather than leaving the paperwork with the owner.
Asked at most consults
What does a legal suite cost?
Legal basement suites start at $49,000. The number moves with the size of the basement, what exists down there today, and the finish level. The City permit fees and the drawings are inside the contract price. You get a written quote itemized line by line after a site visit, so you see what moves the number before committing.
Can my basement become a legal suite?
The usual blockers are ceiling height, window sizes and where an entrance can go. The City requires at least 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) from floor to ceiling, or 1.85 m under beams and ducts, and a bedroom window that opens to at least 0.35 m² with no side under 380 mm. Some blockers are fixable and some are not worth fixing. A site visit answers it in an hour, before you spend anything on drawings.
What permits does a legal basement suite need in Calgary?
A building permit, a separate electrical permit, and a plumbing permit for the new plumbing, plus a gas permit where gas work is involved. A development permit is needed only where suites are a discretionary use in your land use district or the design needs a relaxation. The City inspects twice, at framing and at final. ABLS applies for the permits and books the inspections as part of the job.
What does the City check before a suite is legal?
A smoke-tight separation from the main home (1/2 inch drywall on the ceiling and both sides of the separating walls, with solid-core, self-closing doors), smoke and CO alarms interconnected between both homes, a bedroom egress window, 1.95 m ceilings, sound separation of at least STC 43, heating and ventilation of its own, and an exit that leads directly outside. Each one is drawn into the plans before the first wall goes up.
Source:City of Calgary: Add a new secondary suiteCity of Calgary: Secondary Suites Guidebook (PDF)
Does a legal suite need its own furnace?
A new suite does. The City requires a new secondary suite to have heating and ventilation separate from the main home; only suites that existed before 2018 may share one system. Every ABLS suite gets a second furnace with its own ductwork.
Source:City of Calgary: Secondary Suites Guidebook (PDF)City of Calgary: Legalize an existing secondary suite
How does registration work, and what does it cost?
After the final inspection passes, the City lists the suite on its Secondary Suite Registry and mails a numbered sticker for the entrance, usually two to three weeks later. The sticker does not expire and stays with the address if the house is sold. The City has waived registry fees until December 31, 2026.
Source:City of Calgary: Legalize an existing secondary suiteCity of Calgary: Registered Secondary Suites map
Is the Secondary Suite Incentive Program still open?
Only as a waitlist. Since June 24, 2026, new applications go on a waitlist with no guarantee of funding. The program pays up to $10,000 toward building and registering a suite inside the home, and the City does not fund work that started before the application, so apply before construction begins.
Can I have a basement suite and a backyard suite on the same lot?
No. Since the City of Calgary repealed citywide rezoning on August 4, 2026, a property can have a secondary suite or a backyard suite, but not both.
How do I check whether a suite is legal?
Look the address up on the City's Secondary Suite Registry map. A suite on the map has been permitted and inspected; a suite that is not on it has never been checked by the City, and the City can take action against an unregistered suite that falls short of its safety minimums. Legalizing an existing suite follows the same path as building one: permits, inspections, then registration.
Source:City of Calgary: Registered Secondary Suites mapCity of Calgary: Legalize an existing secondary suite
Next step
Stand in it with us
A site visit tells you whether your basement can be a suite and what it involves. About an hour, no obligation.
- 01A call backA short call about what you want to build, what your lot allows, and what it usually costs to be wrong about.
- 02An hour on siteWe measure, look at access and grade, and tell you what is buildable. No obligation, no charge.
- 03A written quoteItemized line by line, with the spec attached, so you can see what moves the number.
Prefer to talk? (403) 667-9800, Monday to Friday, 9am to 10pm. WeChat wxabls.