Rangeview architectural guidelines: lot codes, sizes and setbacks

In Genstar's Rangeview Springs, the minimum size and width of a house come from the lot's code, not from a single community table: code A asks for at least 900 sq ft as a bungalow and 1,200 sq ft as a two storey, and code G asks for 1,800 and 2,450 sq ft (Genstar, Rangeview guidelines, January 2023, p. 25). The number in brackets after the letter is the minimum house width in feet. The guidelines are dated January 2023, and the only lot code schedule in the public file is the one for Phase 2.

How do you read a Rangeview lot code?

Read it in three parts: the letter sets the floor area, the bracket sets the width, and the numbers after it add conditions. Genstar prints the key in Schedule A.

The house size each letter sets, from Schedule A:

Note: Genstar's minimums in square feet as printed for Phase 2 in January 2023; metric is our conversion. A later phase's schedule can use the same letters with different rules, so read the schedule for your phase.

The bracketed width is the minimum house width in feet, and it "does not include jogs in garage, porches", in Genstar's words. A house that reaches 24 ft only by counting a porch projection won't meet a (24) code.

The numbered requirements, as Schedule A lists them:

Note: Genstar's key as printed in Schedule A; the code on your lot tells you which ones apply.

Genstar gives two worked examples. D (24) 3,5,10,11 is a house of at least 1,300 sq ft and 24 ft wide, with a detailed rear elevation, a landscape design, a rear deck and second storey lighting. B (20) 2,9 is at least 1,000 sq ft and 20 ft wide on a low exposure corner, with a rear garage.

What did the Phase 2 lots carry?

The January 2023 schedule codes each Phase 2 lot by block. Grouped, it reads like this (Genstar, January 2023, pp. 26 to 27):

Note: a summary of Schedule A for Phase 2 only, with lot widths in feet as the schedule lists them. Genstar issues a schedule with each phase's lot release.

On a 29 ft lot, a 24 ft house leaves 5 ft (1.5 m) for both side yards together. Check that against the City's side setbacks for the district before you settle the width; the code only sets the minimum.

What setbacks and site rules apply in Rangeview?

Genstar sets a recommended range for the front and leaves most of the rest to the City of Calgary bylaw (Genstar, January 2023, pp. 5 to 6):

• Front: 3.0 to 5.0 m recommended minimum on R-G and R-Gm, 4.75 to 7.5 m on R-1N, with variety required along the street and bigger setbacks for bigger houses.
• Corner side yard: 3.0 m (9 ft 10 in) preferred wherever possible.
• Zero lot line lots: the house sits along the property line opposite the shared access right of way.
• Site coverage and height: as the City's bylaw allows.
• Grading: at least 2% on landscaped areas; at most 15% in front and rear yards, 33% in side yards and 10% on driveways; at least 300 mm (11.8 in) of loam.
• Driveways: at most 6.0 m wide on lots 9.0 m wide or less, 7.0 m (23 ft) on lots wider than 9.0 m and under 15.0 m, and never wider than the garage, with no extra parking surfaces beside it.
• Retaining walls: a wall over 1.00 m (3 ft 3 in) must be approved by a professional engineer and may need a development permit.

What do the Rangeview design rules require?

Most of the design pages are about the street face (Genstar, January 2023, pp. 17 to 21):

• Roof overhangs are typically 1 ft 6 in (457 mm), and at most 1 ft (305 mm) on zero lot line homes.
• Front steps are pre-cast or poured concrete; front doors are fibreglass with a gel stain finish.
• Windows need divided or simulated divided lites; grilles between the glass aren't accepted.
• Fascia is at least 6 in deep; stucco battens, Crezone and plywood aren't permitted.
• Homes on collector roads need composite siding on exposed elevations and recessed lighting on the second storey.
• Similar designs and colour schemes need at least two houses between them, on the same side or across the street.

Each lot needs a tree (50 mm caliper deciduous or 2 m coniferous) and six shrubs in the front yard (p. 22). Builders must also run portfolio reviews and create elevations exclusive to Rangeview before they submit (p. 17).

How are Rangeview plans approved?

Genstar's architectural agent reviews every home before it goes to the City for permits (p. 5). The guidelines name E2 + Associates as the architectural contact (p. 23). Genstar or its agent may relax any rule at their discretion, and only Genstar can enforce them. For the City's side, the new-house page lists the grade slip among the application documents and estimates about 21 days for the permit (The City of Calgary, new houses). Our permit times guide compares that estimate with 2026 results. For garage depth, see the City's stall sizes in our garage size guide.

Walking a Rangeview plan at full size

On a code-driven lot, the questions are about width: whether a 20 ft or 24 ft house leaves a usable living room once the stair and entry are in. At 1to1 Plans Calgary, the plan is lit at full size from inside a walkable LED floor, room by room with dimension lines, so you can pace a 20 ft width the way you'd live in it. Elevations go up on a wall-size screen, which helps with the two-house repetition rule and the second storey step-back over the garage.

Builders bring a model and a buyer, change it on the spot and keep the recording (for builders). Every plan is quoted free by size and type (pricing). Send the PDF or DWG three days before and book a session. For the wider budget, see what a custom home costs in Calgary.