General information about Alberta and City of Calgary rules, written in plain language and linked to the sources. It isn't legal advice. Laws change and details matter, so check the source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.
Calgary homeowners hear two opposite answers about roofing permits: always, and never. The truth depends on what's actually being done to the house.
Building permits in Alberta come from the Safety Codes Act and its Permit Regulation, and the City of Calgary issues them here. This guide explains the provincial rule, what the City's own pages say, and the grey areas where a phone call to the City is the right move.
The starting rule: renovations need a permit, with exceptions
Section 6 of Alberta's Permit Regulation says a building permit is required for the construction of a building, and that includes renovating or adding to one. Then it lists exceptions. Two matter most for exterior work on a house.
- Re-roofing or re-siding doesn't need a permit if all four conditions are met: the work is for looks or for maintaining the building, the new roofing or siding is a similar type, health or safety matters aren't at risk, and there's no structural change to the building.
- Small jobs don't need a permit if the construction is worth $5,000 or less at market value and health or safety matters aren't at risk.
Common roof and siding jobs, and where they usually land
Here's how the provincial exemption lines up with typical jobs. The City's renovation page is worded more broadly (see the next section), so treat the third column as a question to take to the City, not a ruling.
| Project | Fits the re-roof or re-side exemption? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Tear off asphalt shingles and install new asphalt shingles, same roof shape | Usually yes: maintenance, similar type, no structural change | Fits the provincial exemption. Confirm with the City, and keep the contract and invoice on file |
| Replace damaged roof sheathing boards during a re-roof | Often treated as maintenance, but the Regulation doesn't address it directly | Ask the City if framing (rafters or trusses) is being changed |
| Replace vinyl siding with similar vinyl siding | Usually yes | Fits the provincial exemption. Confirm with the City |
| Switch material type, for example asphalt to a heavier roofing product or vinyl to a very different cladding | Maybe not. The exemption requires a similar type | Call the City before signing |
| Add a new skylight or roof window | Unlikely. Cutting a new opening through the roof usually means changing framing | Assume a permit may be needed and confirm with the City |
| Change the roof structure: new pitch, dormer, removing or altering trusses or rafters | No. This is a structural change | Outside the exemption. Expect a permit and apply before work starts |
| Add exterior insulation under new cladding | Unclear. It changes the wall assembly | Confirm with the City |
Where the City and the Province seem to differ
The City's renovation page lists situations that need a building permit. One of them reads: exterior renovations that do not add new square footage or structures. Read on its own, that sounds like almost any exterior work. The same page also says replacing exterior cladding with a similar material that performs as well or better is allowed, and the provincial Permit Regulation specifically exempts like-for-like re-roofing and re-siding.
Those statements don't line up neatly, and the City's pages don't mention roofing, shingles or skylights by name. This article can't settle which reading the City applies to your house, and neither can a contractor's say-so. Call the Planning Services Centre at 403-268-5311 (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and describe the exact scope.
It helps to have the details ready before you call: your address, what's on the roof or walls now, what will replace it, whether any framing, sheathing or openings will change, and roughly what the job is worth. The answer can turn on one of those details. A roofer replacing asphalt shingles with the same kind of shingle is in a very different spot from one adding a dormer, a skylight or a heavier roofing material on the same house.
Who is responsible for getting the permit
Calgary's renovation page puts it simply: if you're hiring someone to do the work for you, they will need to apply for the permit. If you're doing the work yourself, you apply.
It's still your house. An unpermitted structural change can come up years later, when you sell or make an insurance claim. The best protection is a contract that says which party gets any required permits and that the work will pass the required inspections. See what belongs in a roofing contract.
Historic homes, decks and other nearby work
Historic resources. A building permit is only one kind of approval. Calgary's Land Use Bylaw also has development permits, which deal with how a property looks and is used. The bylaw exempts many exterior alterations to single detached and semi-detached houses from a development permit, but that exemption doesn't apply if the house is on the City's inventory of evaluated historic resources. The same goes for the bylaw's exemption for adding exterior insulation and cladding. If your home is older and may be on that inventory, ask the City before changing its exterior.
Decks. The provincial Permit Regulation exempts an exterior deck attached to or detached from a single family house from a building permit only if it's no more than 600 mm above the ground on all sides. Higher decks need one. The City has its own decks page with application requirements, so check it before building or rebuilding one.
Eavestroughs, soffit and fascia. The Permit Regulation doesn't list these separately, and the City's pages don't name them. If you're unsure, or the work involves the roof structure or new openings, ask the City.
Do I need a permit to reshingle my house in Calgary?
Section 6(3)(c) of Alberta's Permit Regulation exempts re-roofing with a similar roofing type, for maintenance or looks, with no structural change and no health or safety risk. The City of Calgary's renovation page is worded more broadly, so confirm your project with the City at 403-268-5311 before work starts, especially if you're changing materials, framing or openings.
Do I need a permit for new siding in Calgary?
The provincial Permit Regulation exempts replacing siding with a similar type, for maintenance or looks, with no structural change. The City's renovation page is worded more broadly, and adding exterior insulation or changing the wall assembly is a grey area. Ask the City, and check whether your home is on the historic resources inventory.
Does adding a skylight need a permit?
The City's pages don't address skylights directly. A new skylight means cutting a new opening in the roof, which usually involves the roof framing, and the re-roofing exemption only covers work with no structural change. Assume a permit may be needed and confirm with the City before work starts.
Who pulls the permit, me or the contractor?
The City of Calgary says that if you hire someone to do the work, they need to apply for the permit. Put that responsibility in writing in your contract.
Where the facts on this page come from. If a source has changed since we last checked, tell us and we'll fix the page.
- Permit Regulation, AR 204/2007 (ss. 5 and 6) · Alberta King's Printer
- Home renovations and basements · City of Calgary
- Home improvement projects · City of Calgary
- Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, Part 2, Division 3 (development permit exemptions) · City of Calgary