Renovations done without a permit in Calgary

Can you get a permit after the work is done

Yes. The City of Calgary calls it applying for permits for existing construction, and most people search for it as a retroactive permit. The rule is simple. All work that needed a permit still needs one, so you apply now and call for an inspection. The application has to meet the same requirements as one for new work, with full drawings.

Expect some drywall to come off

An inspector cannot pass what they cannot see. During the framing inspection, parts of the drywall may need to come off so the structure, the electrical and the plumbing behind it can be checked. Sometimes that means a few small openings. Sometimes, when the work is poor, it means opening whole walls and redoing them.

Electrical, plumbing and gas work

Here the rules are stricter. A homeowner cannot get a homeowner permit for trade work that was finished and hidden without one. You have to hire a licensed electrical, plumbing, gas or heating contractor. The contractor applies for the permit, checks the existing work, brings it up to code and then requests the inspection. The City is clear that the homeowner is ultimately responsible for any earlier concealed work, even if they did not do it.

The risks of leaving it

• Enforcement by a City inspector, including stop work orders.
• A fine for building without a permit.
• Having to undo work that is already finished.
• Legal and financial problems when you sell or make an insurance claim.
• More work than you planned, because problems hidden for years tend to get worse.

The City says homeowners pay any penalties, even when a contractor told them no permit was needed. That is one of the reasons to check that a contractor is licensed with the City before hiring.

How to check a home's permit history in Calgary

You can search permit history by address on the City's myProperty map, which shows the last 10 years of permit activity for a house. For anything older, make a property research request to the City. Permit records list the work that was permitted and whether the inspections passed. What they cannot show is work that was never permitted, which is why the history is most useful when you compare it with the house in front of you.

Buying a home with unpermitted work

A finished basement in a house built in the 1990s with no basement permit on record is the classic case. Before you remove conditions, compare the permit history with what you see, ask the seller for permits and inspection reports, and talk to your lawyer about how the purchase contract handles it. A home inspection helps, but it is not invasive and cannot see inside walls. Our home inspection checklist covers what to look at before you renovate.

Selling a home with unpermitted work

The City's certificate of compliance only confirms that the buildings on your lot are in the right places under the Land Use Bylaw. It does not check permits or building code. So unpermitted work does not stop a compliance stamp, but it often comes up when a buyer checks the permit history or when their lawyer asks for documents. Sorting out the permits before you list is usually cheaper than negotiating a price cut. See real property reports and compliance certificates.

Unpermitted basement suites

A basement with a kitchen and a bathroom is treated as a secondary suite, which has its own fire separation, egress and ceiling height rules. If you have a suite that was built without permits, read our legal basement suite guide for what it takes to make one legal, and our egress window guide for the bedroom window rules.

How Kay2 can help

When we renovate a home with older unpermitted work, we open it up, assess it with our trades and engineer, and include the corrections and permits in the renovation so the house is documented when we finish. For the City's links to apply, track a permit and book inspections, see how to apply for permits and inspections in Calgary.