Legal Basement Suite Requirements in Edmonton

Is a suite allowed in my house?

Edmonton's Zoning Bylaw 20001 (2024) allows secondary suites with most detached, semi-detached and row houses. A house can have one secondary suite. The suite must have:

• its own entrance, separate from the main home
• its own kitchen
• its own bathroom
• its own sleeping area

Permits you need

• Development Permit: required before the suite is built or used.
• Building Permit: for the construction work.
• Trade permits: electrical, plumbing and gas, and HVAC.

A "suite rough-in" permit does not make a suite legal. It only covers some work toward a future suite. Nobody can live in it as a separate suite until a Development Permit is approved and the remaining permits are completed.

Fire and smoke separation

The suite and the main home must be separated by a continuous smoke-tight barrier. In practice that means:

• continuous 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) drywall between the units, including on the ceiling below the main floor
• solid-core doors that latch and have self-closers where the suite meets the main home or shared spaces

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

• Smoke alarms must be hardwired and interconnected, so when one sounds, they all sound.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are required where there are fuel-burning appliances (such as a gas furnace or water heater) or an attached garage.

Bedroom egress windows

Each bedroom needs a way out in an emergency. A bedroom window used for escape must have:

• an openable area of at least 0.35 m² (3.77 sq ft)
• no side of the opening smaller than 380 mm (15 in.)
• if there is a window well, at least 760 mm (30 in.) of clear space in front of the window

Many existing basement windows are too small and have to be enlarged.

Ceiling height

The ceiling must be at least 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in.) high, except under beams and ducts, where it can be 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in.).

Sound separation

Between the units you need either sound insulation with resilient channel, or a rated assembly: STC 43, or ASTC 40 when the surrounding construction is counted.

Heating and ventilation

The suite needs its own heating and ventilation that it controls separately. It can't share ducts or an HRV with the main home. A heat source alone isn't enough; ventilation is required too. Common solutions are a separate furnace with its own ductwork, or in-floor or electric heat with separate ventilation such as an HRV.

Entrance, exit and path to the street

• The suite's entrance and exit can't be only through the main home.
• A hard-surface path at least 0.9 m (3 ft) wide must lead from the street (or the lane, if there is one) to the suite's entrance.

How long it takes

Permits usually take a few weeks. Construction then takes several weeks, with inspections at each stage. The exact timeline depends on the house, the scope of work and the City's review and inspection schedule.

Official sources

• City of Edmonton Secondary Suite Design Guide (PDF)
• City of Edmonton: Secondary suites