Legal Basement Suite Development
Complete Secondary Suite with Separate Entrance
About This Project
This project involved transforming an unfinished basement into a fully legal secondary suite in the Taradale community. The homeowners wanted to generate rental income while ensuring full compliance with City of Calgary regulations. We handled everything from initial permit applications through final inspection approval.
The 750 sq ft suite features a spacious open-concept living area with modern vinyl plank flooring, a full kitchen with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances, one bedroom with egress window, and a contemporary bathroom with tiled shower. Special attention was paid to soundproofing between floors and proper fire separation to meet all code requirements.
The separate entrance was constructed at the side of the home, providing complete privacy for tenants. HVAC was zoned separately to allow independent climate control, and all electrical and plumbing was brought up to current code standards.
Challenges & Solutions
Challenges
- • Low ceiling height in one section required creative solutions
- • Existing plumbing location required rerouting for optimal kitchen layout
- • Fire separation needed to work around existing HVAC ducts
Solutions
- • Designed layout to place living area in higher ceiling section, bedroom in lower area with raised platform bed design
- • Rerouted plumbing through ceiling space to achieve ideal sink and dishwasher placement
- • Installed fire dampers and wrapped ducts with appropriate fire-rated materials
Results
- • Passed all City of Calgary inspections on first attempt
- • Suite rented within 2 weeks of completion
- • Strong rental income providing excellent ROI for homeowner
"TrekStone made the entire process stress-free. They handled all the permits and kept us informed every step of the way. The suite looks amazing and we found a tenant almost immediately. Highly recommend!"— Ahmed K.
Taradale, Calgary