Home building in Calgary showed no signs of slowing last year as The City of Calgary processed a record number of building permit applications. The City issued 18,168 residential building permits in 2024 with single construction permits increasing 27 per cent and commercial multi-family applications increasing by 28 per cent year over year compared to 2023, which was also a record setting year.
The data aligns with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s report that Calgary has the highest number of housing starts per capita compared to other large Canadian municipalities.
“Last year we issued the largest number of permits for townhouse, rowhouse and semi-detached units ever, as well as the most single detached home permits since 2006,” says Ulrik Seward, Chief Building Official for The City of Calgary. “These numbers show that Calgary’s housing landscape is growing and changing, demonstrating the progress that industry and The City have made in the past year towards increasing the housing supply.”
In 2024, The City of Calgary issued residential building permits for:
- 5,341 single detached homes, a 22 per cent increase over 2023
- 1,842 semi-detached homes, a 63 per cent increase over 2023
- 3,343 townhouses or rowhouses, a 28 per cent increase over 2023
- 7,312 apartment units, a 37 per cent increase over the five-year average.
- 3,787 new secondary suites and 4,748 suites were added to the Secondary Suite Registry.
Reid Hendry, Chief Housing Officer for the City of Calgary also sees these numbers as a move in the right direction to meet the diverse housing needs of Calgarians.
“The increases in residential building permits are an early indicator that policies like citywide rezoning and programs like the Secondary Suite Incentive are helping us meet the objectives set out in Home is Here – the City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy,” says Hendry. “When we make building homes easier, overall supply is increased, improving choice and affordability for all Calgarians.”
While policy changes and incentives are one way The City removes barriers to building, working with the building industry allows for opportunities to streamline processes and improve customer experience. In 2024, that included the implementation or piloting of several programs such as the:
30-60-90 Process for Commercial Multi-Family Permit and Residential Improvement Building Permits: set to expand in 2025, this project is designed to address incomplete applications. It makes it clear to applicants how much time they have to respond to application deficiencies before the application is canceled.
Expedited Review for Builders: this program allows quick release on permits for pre-approved home models in greenfield communities for qualified builders. The pilot went live in September and, if proven successful, is set to expand in 2025.
Online Applications for Land Use, Outline Plans and Road Closures: modernizing the system for submissions allows applicants to use ApplyCentral to submit, track and pay for Land Use, Outline Plans and Road Closures completely online.
Inspection Booking Portal: this online system allows homeowners, building professionals or tradespeople to book and manage their City inspections easily from anywhere at any time. More information on the program can be found at inspections.calgary.ca
“Reviewing the existing systems and looking for new ways to speed up our timelines, while retaining safe and quality housing, ultimately benefits how quickly home builders can get shovels in the ground,” says Brenda Desjardins, Director of Development, Business and Building Services. “We are appreciative of the collaborative nature of our work with industry to develop and update our processes as our city continues to grow.”
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Definitions:
Single construction permit: A new home construction permit that includes the building permit and trades installations for the construction of one or two dwellings.
Single detached dwelling: A building that may contain one dwelling unit and may include a secondary suite in districts where secondary suite is a listed use.
Semi-detached dwelling: A building that contains two dwelling units located side by side and separated by a common party wall extending from foundation to roof.
Townhouse/Rowhouse: A building that contains three or more dwelling units. Each dwelling unit has a separate direct entry from grade and could have a dwelling unit located wholly or partially above another dwelling unit.
Secondary suite: A self-contained dwelling unit within the main residence that has separate living, cooking, sleeping and bathroom facilities. These are often referred to as basement suites or in-law suites.
Building permit: Authorization from The City of Calgary showing that proposed construction work has been reviewed and enables the building owner, designer or contractor to comply with the National Building Code (Alberta Edition). Work may include construction, demolition, alteration, relocating buildings and repairs to buildings.
