When do I need a building permit in Calgary?

You typically need a City of Calgary building permit for load-bearing wall removals, home additions, walkout basements, decks above 0.6 m, retaining walls over 1.0 m, and foundation repair or underpinning.

What's included in a stamped structural permit drawing?

A typical permit-ready structural package includes existing and proposed framing, a beam and column schedule, calculations referencing the Alberta Building Code and NBCC, an APEGA stamp and signature, and inspection notes.

What happens if I skip the permit?

Skipping a required permit can result in City stop-work orders, problems during resale, insurance gaps, and expensive tear-out and rework if the issue is caught later.

Chapter 04 · Homeowner's Guide

Do I need a permit for my renovation?

A practical look at when the City of Calgary requires a building permit, what stamped engineering drawings cover, and how to keep your project on the legal side of the line.

Calgary Building Permits

Permits aren't paperwork, they're protection.

The City of Calgary's permit process exists to make sure structural changes are actually safe and code-compliant. Skipping it can mean stop-work orders, failed re-sale inspections, and uninsurable damage if something goes wrong. The good news: most permit-triggering projects don't need a long process, they just need the right drawings.

The Basics

When you need one & what's required.

i. When you need one

Structural work that requires a permit

Load-bearing wall removal, openings and new beams
Home additions, anything increasing floor area
Walkout basements, new foundation openings
Decks above 0.6 m, and any attached to the house
Retaining walls over 1.0 m, depending on location
Foundation repair or underpinning

ii. What's included

A stamped permit drawing

Existing & proposed framing, loads and spans
Beam & column schedule, sizes, materials, connections
Code calculations, Alberta Building Code & NBCC
APEGA stamp & signature, required for acceptance
Inspection notes, what the site engineer verifies

A note from the engineer:

The cost of skipping the permit

Stop-work orders, the City can shut down active construction
Resale problems, unpermitted work flagged in home inspections
Insurance gaps, claims denied for undocumented work
Tear-out and rework, the most expensive way to do a renovation twice

A Permit-Ready Drawing

What a stamped drawing looks like.

Detailed architectural blueprint of a multi-story building, structural engineering permit drawing — A structural drawing prepared for permit submission, the level of detail Calgary requires.

How We Fit In

Stamped drawings, ready for submission.

Tusk Engineering Inc. provides APEGA-stamped structural drawings prepared specifically for the City of Calgary permit process, beam designs, foundation repairs, decks, additions, and retaining walls. We coordinate with your contractor or architect so the structural package lands without revision loops.

Back to Chapter 01, Walls