Calgary Rebate: Backyard Suites

Calgary, like many prairie cities, is the definition of urban sprawl. Why build up when you can build out with seemingly no limits? 

Well, Calgary seems to have hit that limit or is at least coming close, so they’re offering land owners of single detached homes the opportunity to add a residence to their property at a reduced cost! 

Before we get to the savings, let’s see if your property is a fit. 

What is a Backyard Suite?

Backyard suites, also known as carriage houses, laneway houses, garden suites or garage suites, offer a secondary residence beside or behind the primary home on the same parcel of land. 

Why Build a Laneway Home or Garage Suite? 

If you have space on your property to build a stand-alone unit or on top of an existing garage, you could create a home for another family. 

It could be your ageing parents who need more support but still value their space, a young adult child who isn’t ready to move out on their own, or an income property to generate revenue. 

Some homeowners even move to the smaller suite and rent out the primary residence when it’s time to downsize. 

The benefits don’t end there. 

You’ll also see an increase in the listing price when it comes time to sell since you’re now selling two homes. While you can’t sell them independently of each other, they do sweeten the deal for the buyer. 

Lastly, it reduces the division of communities based on income, making our city more inclusive.

Do you Qualify?

You likely qualify if you live in a low-density neighbourhood zoned for secondary suites. If your home isn’t currently zoned, you can apply to have it re-zoned, and we can walk you through that process or help you find suitable alternatives that work with your existing zoning.

In addition to zoning, your design needs to consider your lot and neighbours. You can get an idea of some requirements with Calgary’s How-To Guide. It covers building placement, sunlight and shadowing, trees, height and massing, windows and balconies, and access.

To put it into practical terms and find out if your parcel qualifies, book a free consultation. 

Get the $1364 Permit for Free

The real reason you should act now! The new backyard suite permit fees have been waived until December 31, 2023. 

When you work with Melanson, we’ll visit your property, explain your options, draft the design, complete the application on your behalf, and pull any additional permits needed for trades. 

We also make sense of all the bylaws, including your allowable parcel coverage between the two buildings. 

Once the building is underway, we’ll book the required inspections, too.