ALBERTA LAW& PERMITS.
Licences, contracts, cancellation rights, permits, liens and safety rules.
- GUIDES
- 6
- GLOSSARY TERMS
- 24
Alberta has specific rules that protect homeowners hiring contractors, and most people only find out about them after something goes wrong. Who needs a licence to take your deposit, how long you have to cancel a contract signed at your door, when the City needs a permit, and what happens if a contractor doesn't pay a supplier are all set out in law.
These guides explain those rules in plain language and link to the legislation and government pages they come from. They're general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, check the source or talk to a lawyer.
- Does my contractor need a licence to take a deposit?
- Can I cancel a contract I signed at my door?
- Do I need a City of Calgary permit?
- What is a builders' lien, and can it hit me?
READ THEM IN THIS ORDER.
- 01Alberta's prepaid contractor licence: who needs one and how to checkIn Alberta, a contractor who sells you home improvement work at your door or kitchen table and takes money before the job is finished must hold a prepaid contracting licence. You can check one in two minutes on Service Alberta's licence search, and if they needed one and didn't have it, you can generally cancel the contract for up to a year.
- 02Cancelling a contractor contract in Alberta: the 10-day and one-year rulesYes. In Alberta you can cancel a contract signed at your home for any reason within 10 days of getting your copy, and for up to a year if the seller needed a licence and didn't have one, the contract is missing required information, or work doesn't start within 30 days of the promised date. Give notice in a way that proves the date; the refund is due within 15 days.
- 03Do you need a permit to replace a roof or siding in Calgary?A like-for-like re-roof or re-side usually doesn't need a building permit under Alberta's Permit Regulation, but structural work, new openings or a change of material can. The City of Calgary's own renovation page is worded more broadly, so confirm your specific project with the City before work starts.
THE BASICS
Plain-language primers. Assume nothing.
Do you need a permit to replace a roof or siding in Calgary?
A like-for-like re-roof or re-side usually doesn't need a building permit under Alberta's Permit Regulation, but structural work, new openings or a change of material can. The City of Calgary's own renovation page is worded more broadly, so confirm your specific project with the City before work starts.
Alberta's new home warranty: what's covered, for how long, and your roof
New homes in Alberta (permits applied for after February 1, 2014) carry a warranty the law requires: at least 1 year on materials and labour, 2 years on delivery and distribution systems, 5 years on the building envelope, which includes the roof, and a 10-year period on structure. It covers the builder's construction defects, not hail or normal wear.
Fall protection rules for roofers in Alberta: what homeowners should know
Alberta's OHS Code requires roofers to be protected wherever they could fall 3 metres or more, and sometimes from lower: guardrails first, then travel restraint or a harness and lifeline tied to an anchor. On a compliant roofing job you'll usually see anchors, harnesses and lifelines in use, and anyone can report unsafe work to Alberta OHS.
DEEP DIVES
For when you're mid-decision, mid-claim or mid-argument.
Alberta's prepaid contractor licence: who needs one and how to check
In Alberta, a contractor who sells you home improvement work at your door or kitchen table and takes money before the job is finished must hold a prepaid contracting licence. You can check one in two minutes on Service Alberta's licence search, and if they needed one and didn't have it, you can generally cancel the contract for up to a year.
Cancelling a contractor contract in Alberta: the 10-day and one-year rules
Yes. In Alberta you can cancel a contract signed at your home for any reason within 10 days of getting your copy, and for up to a year if the seller needed a licence and didn't have one, the contract is missing required information, or work doesn't start within 30 days of the promised date. Give notice in a way that proves the date; the refund is due within 15 days.
Builders' liens in Alberta: how a lien can land on your home, and how to protect it
If your contractor doesn't pay a supplier or subcontractor, they may be able to register a lien on your home even though you paid in full. Alberta's Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act protects you if you hold back 10% of the value of the work for 60 days after completion and check your title before releasing it.
THE LEGAL & PERMITS GLOSSARY.
- Builders' lien
- A claim registered against a property's title by a contractor, subcontractor or supplier who says they haven't been paid for work or materials. Check for liens before you make a final payment.
- Building permit
- Municipal approval required before certain construction work starts, usually followed by inspections. Whether roofing or siding work needs one depends on the municipality and the scope.
- Business licence
- A municipal licence to operate a business. The City of Calgary requires contractor businesses working in the city, including those based elsewhere, to hold one.
- Cancellation rights
- Your right under Alberta's Consumer Protection Act to cancel a direct sales contract, such as one made at your home, for any reason until 10 days after you receive a copy of the written contract. In some situations the right extends to one year.
- Certificate of lis pendens
- A notice registered at Land Titles that a lawsuit about the land is under way. Under Alberta's Builders' Lien Act, a registered lien ends unless the lienholder starts a court action and registers one within 180 days.
- Certificate of substantial performance
- A document a contractor can issue when, in its opinion, the contract is substantially performed. If one is issued, the holdback period under Alberta's Builders' Lien Act runs from its date.
- Consumer Protection Act
- Alberta's main consumer protection law. Among other things, it sets rules for direct sales, prepaid contracting and business licensing.
- Control zone
- Under Alberta's OHS Code, a marked area at least 2 metres wide along the unguarded edge of a surface sloped no more than 4 degrees, such as a flat roof. Workers who stay farther from the edge than the zone's width don't need another fall protection system.
- Cooling-off period
- A period set by law during which a consumer can cancel certain contracts. In Alberta the rules depend on the type of contract and how it was sold.
- Development permit
- A permit under Calgary's Land Use Bylaw that deals with how a property looks and is used, separate from a building permit. Many exterior alterations to single detached and semi-detached houses are exempt, unless the house is on the City's inventory of evaluated historic resources.
- Direct sales contract
- A consumer contract negotiated or concluded somewhere other than the seller's place of business, such as at your home. Alberta's Consumer Protection Act gives buyers specific cancellation rights on these contracts.
- Electrical permit
- Approval required under Alberta's Safety Codes Act before certain electrical work, such as adding new wiring. Check with your municipality whether your project needs one.
