When the summer weather comes out, many of us are making plans for our yards – gardens, decks, trees, pergolas! But don’t let your imagination run too wild just yet… the City of Calgary has a bunch of bylaws related to these items that are not commonly known and can come back to bite you when the time comes to sell your house!
We love a little DIY spirit and now is the time to get after your summer projects. But hopefully these notes will help keep you on the right side of the city bylaws 🙂
When you sell a single-family home, you have to provide a compliant survey (Real Property Report) and structures including garden boxes, decks, fences and pergolas need to be shown on the survey. So if you are adding any of these elements, you will likely need to get a new survey prior to selling and will need a stamp of compliance from the City of Calgary. The cost for this can range from $700-$1200 and is worth obtaining before you hit the market so we can get ahead of any potential issues. Even if you’ve added a new air conditioner, this can make your survey non-compliant.
Many homeowners don’t know or don’t remember that they have a utility right-of-way, drainage right-of-way or other easement on their property that would prohibit structures from being built in certain areas. It’s important to check your survey prior to starting to build. If there are any encroachments, you can apply for an encroachment agreement. This can take months and will cost a few hundred dollars, plus there is always a risk that the city doesn’t approve the encroachment which means you will need to remove the structure.
Then, if no right-of-ways are getting in the way of where you want to build, take note of these rules:
-You need a permit for any uncovered deck higher than 2’ above the ground.
-Decks must be 6 metres from the rear property line and 3 metres from the front property line in most cases.
-The maximum height for a deck is 1.5 metres (unless it is located above a walkout basement). The maximum height for a privacy wall on a deck is 2 metres.
-If you are building a covered deck (even just a pergola-style covering) and the roof of the structure is attached to your house, it is considered an addition to your home and must follow the same rules you would follow if you were adding a full heated interior addition (!!). This includes rules for setbacks from the property lines – 1.2 metres from the side yard for most properties, 1.2 metres from the rear yard line if you have a back lane and 7.5 metres if you don’t.
-If you are building a covered deck but the roof doesn’t attach to the house, it’s considered an accessory residential building and must comply with all the bylaws related to this – there are many nuances to this including setbacks, drainage, eaves, maximum height, size, etc.
-Even a fence needs a permit in certain cases (yes, the city likes to take money from us whenever they can haha)! In the rear yard, you can go to 6’6” in height and in the front yard 4’ in height without needing a permit.
-If a retaining wall or garden box is holding 4’ or more of height in soil, it also requires a permit.
-Sheds fall under the accessory building category and need a permit if they are larger than 10 square metres, but even if they are smaller, they still have rules about setbacks.
-And just to be extra fun police, the city also requires a permit for a skateboard ramp if it’s more than 1.5 metres high, 5 metres wide and 6 metres long or is less than 1.2 metres from a side or rear property line!
-Fire pits have rules too! They must be 2 metres away from any property line and from your house, garage and fence. They must not be below any tree branches. So you actually need a fairly decent sized yard to fit one of these in! And they even have hours of operation for fire pits – you’re not allowed to have one burning after midnight on weekdays or after 1 am on weekends!
This is just a small sample of the rules relating to outdoor projects and calgary.ca or calling 311 is a great resource to ask questions specific to your property and desired project.
And if your yard is too small to fit that skateboard ramp, please reach out and we will help you find a bigger one 🙂
-Amie
