Building and Renovating

The location, size, and use of buildings and other factors are regulated in our Land Use Bylaw. Before determining what you can do on your property, you will need to determine your Land Use District.

Determine your Land Use District using Discover Parkland.

1. With Discover Parkland, you can view an online, interactive map to learn more about your property's zoning information, possible land uses and legal descriptions, as well as County services, facilities, aerial imagery and how to build your own maps. See Discover Parkland user manual
2. Is my project listed in the District's Permitted or Discretionary uses in the Land Use Bylaw?
3. Will the building meet the setbacks defined in the Land Use District?
4. Are there other regulations, such as maximum building height, site coverage, or minimum or maximum floor area that will be applicable to my project?

Each Land Use District has a set of permitted and discretionary uses which can be found in our Land Use Bylaw. Permitted uses are those deemed suitable in the Land Use District. In residential districts, these often include Single Family Dwellings and Accessory Buildings (garages, shops, sheds). Discretionary uses ensure that the location of the use is compatible with adjacent parcels, as not all sites in the land use district may be suitable for this type of development (i.e. Secondary Suite, Home Based Business). Discretionary uses are also subject to a 21-day appeal period, during which neighbouring landowners have the right to appeal a decision.

All dwellings, secondary suites, accessory buildings (over 25 meters-squared) and renovations or additions that expand building footprint (decks over 0.6 m included) require a development permit.

To learn more about application requirements for different types of development projects, view “Types of Building Projects” below.

The Alberta Safety Codes Act requires that all contractors and homeowners in Alberta get a safety codes permit before starting work on buildings covered by the National Building Code – 2019 Alberta Edition, or work governed by the Canadian Electrical CodeAlberta Gas Code or National Plumbing Code of Canada. Your project may need development permit approval prior to getting a safety codes permit.

Benefits and services

The major benefits of getting a safety codes permit are:

• Knowing that the installation will conform to the safety standards adopted under the Safety Codes Act and all other applicable regulations
• Knowing that safety codes officers will provide inspection(s) services

The services you can normally expect to receive with a safety codes permit are:

• The permit itself
• Plans examination (if applicable)
• Inspection(s) by certified safety codes officers
• Site Inspection Report(s)
• Follow-up of deficiencies and/or unsafe conditions
• Technical advice
• Final report at the completion of the project

Residential dwellings (including manufactured homes) require:

• Development permits 
• Safety codes permits 

Permit information and checklists - Dwelling

View the following resources to help you apply for a new single-detached dwelling (Dwelling, Single Detached) or manufactured home:

Development Permit Resources

• Dwelling, Single Detached Development Permit guide

Safety Codes Permit Resources

• For Single Family Dwellings:
  • Single Family Dwelling Safety Codes Checklist
    
  • Energy Efficiency Details – Dwelling Building Permit
  • Energy Code User Guide 
  • National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings
• For Manufactured Homes:
  • Manufactured Home or Single Mobile Home Safety Codes Checklist
  • Manufactured Home / Single-wide Mobile Home Safety Codes Application Information Details

Permit information and checklists –
Dwelling (Single-Wide Mobile Home)

View the following resources to help you make an application for a new single-wide mobile (manufactured) home:

Development Permit Resources:

• Residential Dwelling Development Permit Application Package

Safety Codes Permit Resources:

• Manufactured Home or Single Mobile Home Safety Codes Checklist
  
• Manufactured Home / Single-wide Mobile Home Safety Codes Application Information Details 

Residential structures exceeding 10 m²(108 m²) require:

• Development permits 
• Building permits

Note: Buildings under 10 m² must still meet all Land Use Bylaw regulations (i.e. setbacks).

Permit information and checklists - Accessory building (ex: garages, sheds, shops)

View the following resources to help you make an application for a new accessory building:

Development Permit Resources:

• Accessory Building Development Permit Guide and Sample Site Plan 

Safety Codes Permit Resources:

• Accessory Building Safety Codes Permit Checklist
• Accessory Building Safety Codes Permit Application Details 

View the following resources to help you make an application for a renovation to your home:

• Residential Renovation or Addition Safety Codes Checklist
• Basement Development Safety Codes Checklist

View the following resources to help you make an application for an addition to your home.

Development Permit Resources:

If you are expanding the footprint of your home, expanding the livable square footage (ex: converting garage space to bedroom), or creating a secondary suite, Development Permit approval is required. Finishing a basement does not require development permit approval if none of the above apply to your project.

• For expansion of the footprint of your home or expanding the livable square footage: Residential Dwelling Development Permit Application Guide
• For creating a secondary suite: Secondary Suite Development Permit Application Guide 

Safety Codes Permit Resources:

• Residential Renovation or Addition Safety Codes Checklist 
• Basement Development Safety Codes Checklist 
• Single Family Dwelling Safety Codes Checklist
• Energy Efficiency Details – Dwelling Building Permit 

Shingles, siding, windows and doors replacement

You do not need a permit to replace shingles, siding, windows and doors for your home. As long as you are not making structural changes (like increasing the size of openings), general maintenance of buildings (such as painting) does not require a permit.

Secondary Suites

An Accessory Suite (also known as a garden suite, in-law suite) and a Secondary Suite (basement suite) are permitted uses in the many districts of the Land Use Bylaw. You will need development permit and safety codes approval from the County. View our Secondary Suite Application Package for more information.

A Secondary Suite:

• Must have its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and living quarters; and,
• Is limited to the following floor area:
  • Minimum: 30.0 m² (323 ft²)
  • Maximum: 102.2 m² (1100 ft²)

Types of Secondary Suites:

An additional single-detached dwelling may be considered on agricultural parcels greater than 8.0 ha (not subject to floor area restrictions). The following application guides and information is applicable to applying for a second dwelling:

Development Permit Resources

• Dwelling, Single Detached Development Permit guide

Safety Codes Permit Resources

• For Single Detached Dwellings:
  • Single Family Dwelling Safety Codes Checklist
    
  • Energy Efficiency Details – Dwelling Building Permit 
  • Energy Code User Guide
  • National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings
• For Manufactured Homes:
  • Manufactured Home or Single Mobile Home Safety Codes Checklist 
  • Manufactured Home / Single-wide Mobile Home Safety Codes Application Information Details 

Deck information and checklists

View the following resources to help you make an application for a deck exceeding 2 feet height from average grade:

• Safety codes permits are required for all decks exceeding 2 feet
  • Safety Codes resources.
• Development permits are required for decks
  • greater than 0.6 m (2.0 ft) in height above grade

Fences

Fences built within the following parameters do not require development permit approval:

• If your parcel of land is less than one acre in size, your fence can be no higher than 2.0 m (6.5 ft) for rear or side yards and no higher than 1.0 m (3.3 ft) for the front yard.
• If your parcel is larger than one acre in size, your fence can be no higher than 2.0 m (6.5 ft) on all sides.

View the following resources to help you make an application for installing a hot tub, stove or solar system:

• Hot Tub / Pool Safety Codes Checklist 
• Stove Safety Codes Checklist 
• Solar Electrical Permit Safety Codes Application 

View the following resources to help you make an application for installing a new private sewage system:

• On-site Wastewater Treatment System Design
• Private Sewage Holding Tank Information Form
• Soil Report for Private Sewage System 

You do not need approvals or permits from Parkland County to drill a well on your land. However, before drill a well, we suggest that you:

• Research the costs of drilling a well versus other options (i.e., cistern).
• Get a copy of your Land Title. It may have a restrictive covenant that limits if / where you can put a well on your land. Contact Service Alberta to find a local Registries office.
• Use provincial groundwater information to find out if there are existing wells in your area.
• Check with your local Alberta Health Unit about water quality. Alberta Health provides water sampling.

View the Government of Alberta's overview of working wells to learn more about how to care for wells. View the Working Well Fact Sheet: Drilling a New Well.

Farm or agricultural accessory buildings (i.e., a granary) may not require permits if the structure is:

• directly and solely related to farming activity, as defined in the National Farm Building Code of Canada (Article 1.2.1.2) 
• on a parcel of two acres or greater in size
• Meets all applicable setback, height, and site coverage regulations in the Land Use Bylaw
• not a detached garage

A development permit is not required for permitted farming activities.