Edmonton’s Secondary Suite Design Guide separates planning for a future suite from completing a suite for use. That distinction matters when a house is being built or renovated now but the secondary unit will be finished later. The guide is versioned January 31, 2025, says it may be updated periodically, and directs readers to use the most recent version.
Record the future suite in the current permit
For a project that includes suite rough-in work, Edmonton’s guide says to submit rough-in plans with the current permit application and use the City’s checklist to identify the work included in that permit. The checklist records the intended future suite and the partial work proposed at this stage. The City may review or amend that record when the owner later applies to complete the suite, particularly if plans, the property, codes, or by-laws have changed.
Rough-in work is still inspected. The guide says inspections document the work completed at the rough-in stage, and work intended to be covered must be inspected before it is concealed. For a home-improvement project that constructs the suite, the guide also describes a ready-to-cover building inspection after the relevant trade rough-in inspections. Confirm the current inspection sequence with the permit office for the actual scope.
Apply again to complete the suite
The guide’s checklist says a future suite is completed later under separate but mandatory Development and Building Permit applications. A rough-in permit or inspection record is not the later development approval, completed-suite building permit, or permission to occupy a finished unit.
When planning the second stage, confirm the property’s current zoning status, the approved rough-in record, and the code and by-law versions the City will apply to the new application. Ask whether the intended suite configuration has changed and whether the City requires revised plans, additional permits, or inspections. The City guide explains technical review subjects, but it does not establish a particular address’s land-use approval or code compliance.
Use the current City guide for the project
The City’s guide covers access and egress, alarms, fire protection, HVAC, electrical supply, sound separation, structural changes, health, energy, and inspection topics. It is an explanatory resource, not a substitute for the current Alberta code, Edmonton zoning rules, permit conditions, or the decision of the authority having jurisdiction. Check the City’s latest Secondary Suite Design Guide before preparing an application.
For an existing suite or conversion, describe what already exists and what work remains. Do not treat an earlier rough-in inspection as evidence that the full suite was reviewed or approved.