REVIEW TIMES. From the time staff begin* reviewing your permit to the time your permit is issued can take up to six weeks.
To ensure expedient review times, Building Permit applications will not be accepted for projects which have not obtained any necessary Development Permit approvals prior to applying.
*Payment of the fee does not constitute start time.
Building Permit Process
Step One: Pre-Application meetings are required for all major developments and are optional for small developments. You can look to our Other Services page.
Step Two: Building Permit application submitted (online only)
Step Three: Applicant contacted by Town of Canmore to make permit fee payment
Step Four: Review of application by Planning and Engineering Departments
Step Five: Review of application by the Safety Codes Officer
Step Six: Building Permit issued
Step Seven: Applicant arranges for inspections
Step Eight: Permit Services Report issued to building permit holder
Step Nine: Applicant can apply for an Occupancy Certificate. Once the Occupancy Certificate is issued, the file will be closed.
The Town of Canmore will not accept applications that:
- are incomplete (i.e. do not include all of the required documents identified in the applicable requirements list;
- include documents that are unclear or illegible;
- are not prepared to professional drafting standards; or
- stamped with phrases suggesting inappropriate use, such as “not for construction” or “preliminary.”
Please do not include personal information on plans.
Upon review of your application, the Town of Canmore may request additional information.
How Can We Assist You?
The Town of Canmore doesn't issue HVAC or Mechanical permits, but any Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning work will require the appropriate permits where that work is covered by the Alberta Building Code, Canadian Electrical Code, Alberta Gas Code, or Alberta Plumbing Code. Furnace and heating appliance installations require gas permits, and all wood-burning fireplaces and stoves require a building permit.
An accessory building can be built in any yard except the front yard of a residential property and must maintain the required setbacks. If an accessory building is attached to the house it is subject to the same setback regulations as the principal building.
Apply Now
To submit your building permit, please email your Building Permit Application Form and the required information outlined in the applicable application requirements list to planning@canmore.ca
Note: The Town of Canmore requires that applications be submitted digitally. For application submissions that exceed 20MB, email planning@canmore.ca in advance of submitting your application. You will be provided with a file share link to upload your application submission. Please do not submit files using Dropbox.
Additional Information about Permits
Browse the following sections for additional information for permit holders.
- Post the building permit card conspicuously on the site.
- The signed and stamped drawings that were returned to you with the building permit card are the drawings that should be used for construction.
- Only the work identified on those drawings is covered under the building permit.
- Keep track of the inspections required as part of your building permit and to abide by the conditions of your permit.
- Please ensure that you and your contractors maintain a safe and tidy construction site.
Moving Forward
- If you do require access to a portion of the road right of way you must first obtain a road right of way usage permit from the Town of Canmore.
- If you require access over a park or municipal reserve parcel as part of construction you must first obtain permission to cross a public reserve.
- If you need to work on a Sunday or a statutory holiday, you must first obtain permission to work from the Town of Canmore. Submit this form Request for Permission to Work Sundays and Holidays
- If you wish to make an amendment to your building permit, please submit the proposed revisions and supporting information electronically through planning@canmore.ca. Please note that additional fees are due if the amendment is submitted after the building permit has been granted. Until such time as the amendment is approved, no work other than that detailed in your existing permit and drawings are permitted.
Development with a Total Construction Value (TCV) of less than $50,000 will have up to one year to complete construction. Development with a TCV of $50,000 or greater will have up to two years to complete construction.
The Safety Codes Officer may set an expiry date longer than two years to complete a development, if in their opinion the development requires a longer construction period due to the projects size, complexity, or falls tragedy to fire or natural disaster.
Should you not be able to complete your project by the original expiry date issued with your Building Permit, a one-time 12-month extension can be requested (subject to applicable fees). Should the development not be completed within the 12-month extension period, the applicant will have to re-apply for a new Building Permit and pay the applicable permit fees.
The building permit MUST be posted on site until all work is complete.
Once the review of an application is approved the following responsibilities apply. These are excerpts from the Town of Canmore's Building Permit Bylaw.
SECTION 11 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PERMIT HOLDER
On the issuance of a Permit, the permit holder must:
(a) comply with the terms and conditions of the Permit; and
(b) undertake the construction, process or activity in accordance with the Act and
applicable codes and standards; and (c) notify the Town:
(i) if the permit holder does not intend to complete the undertaking, or
(ii) if there is a change in ownership from the owner as stated on the Permit
application, (d) ensure that all plans and specifications required to apply for the Permit are available at the construction site at all reasonable times for inspection by a Safety Codes Officer, and
(e) ensure that the Permit is posted, or otherwise identified, at the construction site.
SECTION 12 TERM OF A PERMIT
In the absence of a different term set under Section 10, a permit expires if the undertaking to which it applies
(a) is not commenced within 90 days from the date of issue of the permit, or
(b) is suspended or abandoned for a period of 120 days, or
(c) is in respect of a seasonal use residence and the undertaking is suspended or abandoned for a period of 240 days after the undertaking is started. Despite subsection (1), when the term of a Permit has not expired, the Town may, in writing, and on the request of the Permit holder, extend the permit for an additional fixed period of time that the Town considers appropriate.
SECTION 14. DEVIATION FROM PERMIT CONDITIONS
No person shall deviate or authorize a deviation from a Permit or terms or conditions of a permit without first obtaining the written permission of the Town.
SECTION 15 PERMIT TRANSFER, TERMINATION
If a holder of a Permit relinquishes the holder’s interest or participation in the undertaking governed by the Permit before the undertaking is completed, the Permit or any label or identification number issued as part of a Permit:
(a) is terminated, and
(b) applies only to the part of the undertaking completed before the termination unless the Town authorizes the Permit or label or identification number to be transferred. A Permit is not transferable to any other person unless the transfer is authorized in writing by the Town.
Once the final inspection has been passed and unconditional occupancy granted, the building permit file will be closed by the Town. As part of closing the file, a Permit Services Report (PSR) will be issued to the building permit holder.
PSRs are issued for all files that are closed. Please note that in some cases a PSR will be issued where conditions of a building permit are not complete or the work does not comply. This is done when a building permit expires and there has been no renewal applied for by the applicant.
The Alberta Building Code requires some homes to use different construction materials and designs to improve fire resistance.
Additional Details about Permits or Other Requests
Browse the following sections for additional information about permits or other requests that may be relevant to you.
An Occupancy Certificate is a required document that is issued by the Town of Canmore, which grants a permit holder the ability to occupy a building. An Occupancy Certificate is required for a building after construction, relocation, partial demolition or after a change of the existing occupancy classification has taken place.
View a detailed process map outlining the various steps to obtaining an Occupancy Certificate.
The Occupancy Certificate process cannot be started until a final inspection of the project has been passed by the Safety Codes Officer. Final inspections can be arranged by contacting Superior Safety Codes Inc. office at 1.888.717.2344, allowing a minimum of 48 hours to book.
Depending on the scale of development, the requirements to obtain an Occupancy Certificate will differ.
To initiate the Occupancy Certificate process, please submit the required information to the Planner assigned to your Building Permit application. Only Occupancy Certificate requests that provide all required information will be reviewed. Incomplete submissions will be sent back to the applicant.
It is important to read and understand your Occupancy Certificate and ensure that any conditions that are listed on it are met by the prescribed date (where applicable). Should the conditions of occupancy not be met by the outlined dates, the occupancy for the building may be revoked and the water turned off. A building permit is still open until all conditions of occupancy are completed.
Permits are available through municipalities that are accredited to administer the Safety Codes Act, and through agencies who provide inspection services on behalf of the Alberta Safety Codes Authority (ASCA) in unaccredited municipalities. Where to get a Permit: Safety Codes Council
Water meter installation requests are managed by the Town of Canmore. If you need to have a water meter installed or removed, please complete the following online Water Meter Installation or Removal Request Form.
NOTE: For smaller developments requiring a meter(s) ranging in size from 15-20 mm, requests must be received a minimum of 5 business days in advance. For Larger size water meters, requests must be made up to 4 months in advance. For further information please contact water@canmore.ca .