Legal basement suites in Alberta: the requirements, town by town

A legal suite is a separate home inside your house, with its own kitchen, bathroom, sleeping area and entrance. It needs zoning approval (a development permit), a building permit and trade permits, and it has to meet extra building code rules that a regular basement doesn't.

What the building code asks for

Alberta uses the National Building Code – 2023 Alberta Edition. For suites, the rules that shape the design most are:

• Independent heating and ventilation for each unit, required in Alberta since 2006. That can be two furnaces, or permanent alternate heating with separate ventilation.
• A smoke-tight separation: at least 1/2-inch drywall on the ceiling and both sides of the walls between the units, with joints taped and openings sealed.
• Solid, self-closing doors between the units.
• Smoke and CO alarms in both units, hardwired and interconnected so an alarm in one sounds in the other.
• Sound control between the units, typically insulation, resilient channel and drywall.
• Ceiling height of at least 1.95 m in living spaces, and 1.85 m under beams and ductwork.
• Bedroom windows with at least 0.35 m² of clear opening and no side under 380 mm, and an exit leading directly outside.

Edmonton

Under the zoning bylaw in force since January 2024, suites are typically allowed in zones where single detached, semi-detached, duplex or row houses are. A suite must have its own entrance and less floor area than the main home. Edmonton has not required minimum on-site parking since 2020.

St. Albert

Suites are allowed in single detached, semi-detached and duplex homes, not townhouses. A suite can have up to 3 bedrooms and must be at least 30 m² (323 sq ft). The entrance must be from a shared landing or from the side or rear of the house, and parking for the suite is required on top of the main home's.

Sherwood Park (Strathcona County)

A suite is a permitted use wherever single detached, semi-detached or townhouse dwellings are allowed (townhouses only in certain cases). One suite per home, smaller than the main unit, with a separate entrance and at least 3 on-site parking stalls: 2 for the house and 1 for the suite.

Leduc

Secondary suites have been a permitted use in Leduc since 2020, and 199 were built in 2024 alone. The main home needs 2 parking spaces and the suite 1 per bedroom, with tandem parking allowed. Permitted, code-compliant suites can get their own mailing address.

Beaumont, Spruce Grove and Fort Saskatchewan

• Beaumont: since 2025, a residential lot can have at most 2 units in total, and new neighbourhoods need 1 parking stall per unit.
• Spruce Grove: any self-contained suite needs a development and a building permit, whether it's rented or used by family.
• Fort Saskatchewan: suites are allowed in single-family homes. The application must show the separate HVAC system, the extra drywall and the added parking. A new land use bylaw is in the works in 2026.

Financing

CMHC offers insured mortgage refinancing for homeowners adding a self-contained suite, based on the value of the home after the work. Talk to your lender about whether it fits your situation.