Renovating your Edmonton basement adds square footage to your home, and it is a great way to make use of otherwise wasted space. For many prospective homeowners, a finished basement is an important selling point so using your renovation dollars to renovate this space can add instant equity to your home.
When renovating the basement in your Edmonton home, it is important to carefully follow all of the City’s bylaws, rules and regulations. Doing this saves you time, frustration and money, and it is also essential if you ever plan to resell your house.
Edmonton Zoning Laws
The first step in completing an Edmonton basement renovation involves checking the zoning laws in your neighborhood. In some parts of the city, it may not be legal to renovate a basement for business purposes or to create a rental property or in-laws suite. To find out about any renovation restrictions in your neighborhood, visit a municipality office or the city of Edmonton maps site. This website allows you to input your address and quickly view any pertinent zoning or overlay information.
When you are ready to begin renovating your basement, visit the municipality office and obtain the forms for a development permit, building permit and heating, electrical and plumbing permits if applicable. This is important because it ensures you are following specific safety and building regulations and that the appearance of your home remains appropriate for your neighborhood. Permit fees range from $100 to $1,760, and safety fees range from $4.50 to $70.40. How much you pay will depend on the total value of your construction project.
Basements Renovations Over 5k
If you are renovating your Edmonton basement to add a bathroom or bedroom, making flooring changes, moving walls or completing renovations that exceed $5,000, you must have a building permit. If your renovation includes changing exterior walls, adding a living suite to a previously unfinished basement, adding space for a business or otherwise completely changing the use of your basement, you will require a development permit. Submit an application for the appropriate permit to your municipality office with three copies of scaled drawings of your plans. These drawings should include specifics about each room, location of windows, doors and the stairs exiting the basement, location of carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and information about any plumbing, heating or electrical changes.
Once your application has been reviewed and you have received the appropriate renovation permits, it is time to schedule inspections. This is important for safety reasons and coding standards. Inspection appointments are arranged by calling the City of Edmonton Call Center at 311. A responsible adult must be present throughout the inspection process, and the inspector must have unobstructed access to all areas being renovated. Before you proceed with construction, your home must pass all inspections.
Alair Homes Taking Care of the Permit Process
The permit and inspections process is sometimes overwhelming, but it is an important part of any home renovation in Edmonton. If you are looking to avoid the stress that often comes along with these important steps, call on a general contracting professional. Alair Homes is Edmonton’s premier design and construction team. We listen first and work with our customers to find cost effective solutions that make home renovation dreams come alive. Owners Jamie Affleck and Jason Brown and their project management team have a clear understanding of building codes, zoning laws, permit requirements and the inspections process, and they take a hands on approach to make sure these vital steps go smoothly on all of their projects. The end result is you get to enjoy your beautiful new basement without all the hassle. To learn more, contact us for a free, no obligation consultation.