Legal Suite Feasibility Checklist

1. Your property

Your municipality decides what is allowed on your lot. Ask its planning office; do not rely on a neighbour’s experience.

• Confirm with your municipality that a secondary suite is allowed at your address.
• Ask whether a development permit is needed, or only a building permit.
• Ask about parking requirements for a suite on your lot.
• Check for any existing permits or orders on file for your basement.
• If you live in a condominium or a community with restrictive covenants, check those rules as well.

2. The four features the City of Calgary lists for every suite

Source: City of Calgary secondary suites page, checked November 2026. Other municipalities publish their own lists.

• Bedrooms with proper egress windows. Note how many bedrooms you want and whether each has a window.
• A separate bathroom. Note whether one exists or where plumbing rough-ins are.
• Separate cooking facilities. Note where a kitchen could go and how far it is from plumbing and an exterior wall for venting.
• A private entrance reachable from outside. A shared stairwell is acceptable. Note which door the tenant would use.

3. The basement itself

You are recording what exists. Your contractor and the permit drawings determine what has to change.

• Measure the ceiling height in several places, including under beams and ducts.
• Measure each window opening and note how far the sill is above the floor.
• Look for signs of moisture: staining, efflorescence on concrete, musty smell, a sump pit.
• Note where the furnace, water heater and electrical panel are, and how much space surrounds them.
• Note the size of your electrical service, shown on the main breaker.
• Check whether the basement has its own heating supply and return vents.
• Photograph each wall, the ceiling and the mechanical room.

4. Safety items to raise with your contractor

The building code sets the exact requirements. These are the topics to ask about, not the answers.

• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and whether they must be interconnected between the two units.
• Fire separation between the suite and the main dwelling.
• Protection of the furnace room.
• A safe exit route from every bedroom.
• Ventilation for the kitchen and bathroom.

5. Money and timing

• Decide the most you are prepared to spend before you look at finishes.
• Ask your lender how a legal suite and its rental income would be treated.
• Ask your insurer how a suite changes your home policy.
• Ask your municipality about current fees and any programs. In Calgary, the Secondary Suite Amnesty is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026.
• Allow time for permits before construction can start.
• Decide whether you want a fixed price or a cost-plus contract.
• Plan for the household: where will storage and laundry go during the build?