Permits are not reviewed as part of the Certificate of Compliance, however,to avoid any delays or hang ups, you may want to verify that all permits and inspections for previous work on the property have been completed. To see the permit activity on your property please visit myProperty. For single family residential properties, you will be able to see the last 10 years of permit activity on your property, and for commercial or multi-residential properties, the last 3 years. To view permit history prior to these dates, please make a property research request.

A third-party home inspection is conducted by a private company that is not affiliated with the City of Calgary and is typically requested by a prospective home buyer. This inspection is non-invasive and will help determine the overall condition of the house.

While a third-party home inspection may reveal information that is valuable in making your decision to purchase a property, it does not ensure there are no hidden issues with concealed work. Some of the questions to ask a third party home inspector are:

• Grading: Is the grade around my entire home sloped away from my foundation walls and window wells?
  
  
• Smoke alarms: How do I test the smoke detector?
  
  
• Ventilation: What is a ventilation switch? Should it be on or off? How does it work with the heating system?
  
  
• Furnace: Where is the disconnect breaker or switch located for the furnace?
  
  
• Water: Where is the main water shut off?
  
  
• Electrical: Where is the electrical panel? How do I turn breakers on and off and how do I reset them?
  
  
• Detectors: Where are the smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, arc fault circuit interrupters and ground fault circuit interrupters? Where are the instruction manuals that are provided with these devices?
  
  
• Eavestroughs: Are the eavestrough down spouts connected and directed away from my home and not towards my neighbour?

If you are looking for information on work that has been done to a property you can visit myProperty to see the permit history for the last 10 years for residential properties.  If you would like information older than 10 years you can make a property research request. If you have any further questions please contact the planning services centre. 

Work previously completed without permits can be inspected by The City, but the proper permits must be obtained first.

A building permit can be applied for by

• The homeowner,
  
  
• A representative of the homeowner, or
  
  
• A contractor or professional

The application must provide the same requirements as an application for new construction. During the framing inspection, portions of the drywall may need to be removed to expose the work that was done.

An electrical, plumbing, gas, and heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) permit must be obtained by a registered and licensed contractor.

Once a contractor is hired they will assess the work and obtain the correct permit. Additional work may be required by the contractor to bring it up to code and then a city inspection should be requested though 311.

Ultimately the homeowner is responsible for any previous concealed work.

Please visit calgary.ca/homeimprovement to view information on each individual project type and its requirements.

If work has been started or completed without a permit, and no action has been done to correct the situation, there could be consequences such as:

• Enforcement action issued by a City inspector.
  
  
• A fine for building without a permit.
  
  
• Having to undo work that has been completed.
  
  
• Future legal and financial issues when selling your property or making an insurance claim.
  
  
• Having to do more work than was originally planned and budgeted.

As a homeowner, you are responsible for paying any penalties, even if you hired a contractor who assured you permits were not needed. If you are unsure if you need a permit, contact the Planning Services Centre. Find out if your contractor has a City of Calgary business license with our Licensed Trade Contractor List.

The survey should reflect the current state of the property and include all structures. You should remove or take down any structures that will not be part of the sale, including any temporary structures or coverings.

Employ a registered Alberta land surveyor to create a new or updated Real Property Report. Visit Alberta Land Surveyors' Association for more information. Rates for this service will vary so it is advised you shop around to find a surveyor that meets your needs.

The Real Property Report should be an accurate reflection of the current state of the site, showing all structures (i.e. houses, decks, sheds, fences, retaining walls, window wells, A/C units, etc.) located on the property. Consider the following points before submitting your application for compliance:

• Altered Real Property Reports, unclear plans and plot plans will not be accepted. A Real Property Report can only be updated by an Alberta land surveyor and must be signed and dated.
  
  
• The City cannot provide copies of previous surveys due to copyright laws.
  
  
• A Real Property Report stating "under construction" or "foundation only" can only be accepted if it is submitted within 12 months of the date of the survey.
  
  
• The municipal address and legal description are correct

When a Certificate of Compliance is granted, there is a possibility it may indicate there is an encroachment into City owned land or a City right-of-way. Private encroachments are not reviewed.

Common encroachments include:

• Sheds into Overland Drainage Right of Way
• Fences into city property
• Retaining walls and planters into city property

Visit our page on encroachments for more information.

Certain items are not reviewed for bylaw on Certificate of Compliances only. The Certificate of Compliance only relates to the building(s) location. We will still review these items for encroachments into city land of interest. Some items, like fences and retaining walls, cannot be determined to meet the bylaw by a site plan alone and are not reviewed for those reasons.

• Fences 
  
  
• Retaining walls
  
  
• Driveway width
  
  
• Patios (for compliance that is a deck less than 0.64m high)
  
  
• Parcel coverage
  
  
• Building Height
  
  
• Accessory Residential Buildings (sheds, pergolas etc.) less than 10m²

These types of real property surveys indicate the land and the building are owned by the individual resident.

These types of real property surveys indicate the building may have owners for individual units, but the land is collectively owned by the unit owners and is known as common property. The common property typically includes: hallways, elevators, recreation amenities and building exteriors, such as the roof and the land.

To re-submit your Real Property Report to be reviewed, Follow the instructions on your refusal letter and email.  You will need to submit a new copy of your Real Property Report. It will be reviewed and if compliance can be granted, you may receive your certificate of compliance in 1-2 business days. Real property reports that require additional review will take an additional 7-14 days.

If it is a minor issue, it may be easiest to remove or modify the structure creating the problem. This option depends on the feasibility and cost of removing the structure as well as the importance of the structure to the sale.

If the structure is removed or modified and the survey is updated to reflect the change you can resubmit your Real Property Report within one year at no cost.

You can apply for planning approval to relax one or more land use bylaw rules by submitting a development permit. If the Certificate of Compliance is not approved, we will contact you with the option of providing colour photos of the structure and payment (when required) for the development permit. Once both items are received, we will continue the approval process for you.

Review requirements list for relaxation of an existing structure for full application requirements.

Relaxations are not guaranteed and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Every relaxation is unique and can impact neighbours and the surrounding community. Because of the potential impact, all affected parties will have the opportunity to provide input.

For more information on the development permit process, visit Development Permit Process.