Secondary suites – Building codes

Overview

Secondary suites are self-contained living units created within houses. These suites include a:

• kitchen
• bathroom
• separate entrance

Municipalities have the choice to develop municipal land use bylaws to allow secondary suites in their communities, as well as deciding which areas to apply those bylaws.

Building code requirements

The Alberta building code requirements for secondary suites came into force on December 31, 2006. The objective for creating these requirements was to establish standards for secondary suites.

Heating and ventilation systems

Houses with secondary suites are required to have independent heating and ventilation for the primary suite and the secondary suite, as per the Alberta Building Code.

Independent heating and ventilation can mean 2 furnaces or a combination of permanent alternate heating sources and independent ventilation systems.

Other resources

• STANDATA: Building Code Interpretation – Secondary Suites (PDF, 47 KB)
• Secondary Suite Standards Brochure

Contact

Connect with the Public Safety Division:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-644-1010 (within Canada and the United States)
Toll free: 1-866-421-6929 (within Canada)
Email: safety.services@gov.ab.ca