In Silverhorn, the country residential community in Rocky View County, a bungalow must have at least 1,600 sq ft of habitable floor area and a two storey at least 2,200 sq ft, with 1,400 sq ft or more on the main floor, not counting the basement (Silverhorn architectural guidelines, p. 9). The upper floor should be no more than 80% of the main, and every garage must hold at least three vehicles. The booklet carries no issue date; its last page reads "Copyright 2010", and silverhorn.ca has served this copy since 2023.
Key takeaways
- A Silverhorn bungalow needs at least 1,600 sq ft and a two storey at least 2,200 sq ft, with a 1,400 sq ft main floor at minimum, excluding basements (Silverhorn guidelines, p. 9).
- On a two storey, the upper floor should be 80% of the main floor area or less, and two storey great rooms count toward the 80% (Silverhorn guidelines, p. 9).
- Every garage must fit at least three vehicles, with one bay offset at least 12 in (305 mm) from the main garage face (Silverhorn guidelines, p. 18).
- The house sits inside a building envelope 3.0 m (9 ft 10 in) in from the site development envelope, and the guide lists setbacks of 15.0 m (49 ft 3 in) from internal roads (Silverhorn guidelines, pp. 8 to 9).
- Vinyl siding, vinyl windows, conventional stucco and steel front doors aren't permitted (Silverhorn guidelines, pp. 19 to 23).
- Rocky View County won't accept a building permit application without the architectural coordinator's approved stamp (Silverhorn guidelines, p. 5).
Silverhorn's website links this booklet as its architectural guidelines and lists Phases 3 and 4 alongside it (Silverhorn, architecture). The developer can amend the guidelines at any time, and each homesite also has its own site development guidelines. Ask the architectural coordinator which version and which site plan apply to your homesite before you finish the design. Other communities are on the architectural guidelines hub.
How big must a Silverhorn house be?
These are estate minimums on homesites of about 1 to just over 2 acres, roughly 85 of them west of Bearspaw Road (p. 4).
Silverhorn's floor area rules, from page 9:
| Rule | Silverhorn value |
|---|---|
| Single storey | At least 1,600 sq ft (149 m²) habitable, excluding basement |
| Two storey, total | At least 2,200 sq ft (204 m²) habitable, excluding basement |
| Two storey, main floor | At least 1,400 sq ft (130 m²) |
| Upper floor | 80% of the main floor area or less |
| Floor area over the garage | Not counted in the 80%, but no more than 80% of the garage area |
| Walkout rear | No three storey clear elevations; a three storey element on up to one third of the rear width |
Note: guideline values as printed, with metric areas as our conversion. The booklet is undated, so confirm these numbers for your phase with the coordinator.
The 80% rule is the one that reshapes a plan. A 1,400 sq ft main floor allows an upper floor of no more than 1,120 sq ft, for 2,520 sq ft in total. To reach the 2,200 sq ft minimum with the smallest main floor, the upper has to be at least 800 sq ft. The booklet asks designers to list the floor area of every level and work out the upper-to-main percentage on the drawings.
On a walkout, where the three storey element is used, the rest of the upper floor sets back at least 4 ft from the main floor so a roofline can break up the rear.
What do Silverhorn's garage rules require?
Three bays, and doors in one style. Page 18 asks designers to explore garage layouts other than a plain front or side drive, and, where possible, to make the garage look auxiliary to the house. The fixed numbers:
- At least three vehicles in every garage.
- One bay offset at least 12 in (305 mm) from the main garage face.
- Garage doors no more than 9 ft (2.7 m) high and 20 ft (6.1 m) wide unless the coordinator approves more.
- Carriage style doors with vertical panels and a stained finish, in wood or fibreglass made to look like wood; Mountain Contemporary homes can use more modern doors.
A three-car garage drives the footprint on these lots more than any room does. Our garage size guide has stall depths to check against your vehicles.
Where can a house sit on a Silverhorn homesite?
Inside two envelopes. Each lot has a site development envelope where all construction happens, and the rest stays natural. Inside that is a building envelope, offset 3.0 m, and no part of the house, garage, decks or accessory buildings may sit outside it (p. 8). The developer and coordinator set the envelopes for each lot after a site analysis and give them to the buyer.
The guide also reprints Rocky View County's setbacks for R-S land use, which apply on top of the envelopes (Silverhorn guidelines, p. 9):
| Yard | Setback printed in the guide |
|---|---|
| Front or side, from a municipal road | 30.0 m (98 ft 5 in) |
| Front or side, from a primary or secondary highway | 60.0 m (196 ft 10 in) |
| Front or side, from an internal subdivision or service road | 15.0 m (49 ft 3 in) |
| Side, all other | 6.0 m (19 ft 8 in) |
| Rear, from any road | 30.0 m (98 ft 5 in) |
| Rear, all other | 15.0 m (49 ft 3 in) |
Note: these are the County setbacks as the undated guide quotes them. The County's current Land Use Bylaw governs, so check it before you rely on these numbers.
Other site rules on pages 10, 30 and 31: principal buildings top out at 11.0 m (36 ft 1 in) and accessory buildings at 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in). A lot can have at most two accessory buildings, totalling 120 m² (1,292 sq ft), plus one single detached house and one accessory dwelling unit, which is discretionary. There is one driveway per homesite, no wider than 5 m (16 ft 5 in) until it nears the garage apron, paved in asphalt at least. Privacy fences only go in the rear yard, within 12.0 m of the house's rear wall, at least 6 m from side property lines and no more than 1.5 m high.
What must a Silverhorn house look like?
Heavier and more crafted than a subdivision home. The styles are French Country, Tudor, Craftsman, Mountain, Mountain Contemporary and Prairie, and the material rules leave little room (Silverhorn guidelines, pp. 17 to 24):
- Roof pitch between 4 in 12 and 16 in 12, with overhangs of at least 12 in; flat roofs only on Mountain Contemporary homes or as a decorative feature.
- Walls in smooth acrylic stucco or fibre cement siding; no conventional stucco and no vinyl siding "under any circumstances".
- Masonry on every home, in natural stone, natural stone veneer with proper corners, or brick.
- Windows vertically proportioned and in metal or wood; no vinyl windows.
- Front doors in wood or fibreglass that looks like wood; no steel doors.
- Porch and entry columns at least 18 by 18 in (457 by 457 mm).
- Any wall longer than 20 ft in plan offset at least 2 ft, or broken with a chimney or box-out.
- Smooth parging, on side and rear elevations only, no more than 16 in (406 mm) high.
The same plan and elevation won't be approved twice on one street, and a colour scheme can't repeat within three homes on either side.
How does Silverhorn approval work?
Two stages with the coordinator, then the County. The developer, Silverhorn Inc., commissioned IBI Group as architectural coordinator. IBI Group is now part of Arcadis, which runs the archcontrol.com submission site the booklet names. You send plans for a preliminary review first, then a formal application with the title, a surveyed site plan, construction drawings, a colour board and the materials list (Silverhorn guidelines, pp. 5 to 7).
The builder gives the developer a $7,500 architectural compliance deposit and a $7,500 landscape compliance deposit when the drawings are reviewed, and a re-inspection costs $100 (p. 8). The landscape plan goes to the landscape coordinator within 12 months of the house plan approval.
Walking a Silverhorn plan at full size
Silverhorn plans are big, and the hard calls are about proportion: how an 80% upper floor sits over a 1,400 sq ft main, and where a three-car garage joins the house. At 1to1 Plans Calgary, your plan is lit at full size from inside a walkable LED floor. Very large plans don't fit on the floor at once, so an estate home is walked a floor or a wing at a time. The elevations go up on a wall-size screen, so you can see a 16 in 12 roof against a 4 in 12 one before the coordinator does.
Changes are made on the spot and recorded for you to keep. Bring the plans as a PDF or DWG three days ahead (for homeowners). Quotes depend on the plan's size and are free (pricing), and you can book a session once the preliminary drawings exist. For the budget side, see what a custom home costs in Calgary.
Questions
What is the minimum house size in Silverhorn?
The minimum house size in Silverhorn is 1,600 sq ft of habitable floor area for a single storey and 2,200 sq ft for a two storey, with at least 1,400 sq ft on the main floor. Basements don't count toward either number.
How big does a garage have to be in Silverhorn?
A garage in Silverhorn has to hold at least three vehicles, with one bay offset at least 12 in from the main face. Garage doors are limited to 9 ft high and 20 ft wide unless the coordinator approves otherwise.
Can I use vinyl siding in Silverhorn?
You can't use vinyl siding in Silverhorn; the guidelines say it won't be permitted under any circumstances. Smooth acrylic stucco and fibre cement siding are the main wall materials, with masonry required on every home.
Who approves house plans in Silverhorn?
The architectural coordinator approves house plans in Silverhorn, and the booklet names IBI Group, now part of Arcadis. Rocky View County won't accept a building permit application unless the drawings carry the coordinator's approved stamp.
How current are the Silverhorn architectural guidelines?
The Silverhorn architectural guidelines carry no issue date and a 2010 copyright line, though the community site has linked this copy since 2023 and lists Phases 3 and 4 beside it. Confirm with the coordinator that it still governs your homesite.
Sources
- Silverhorn architectural guidelines, p. 9 silverhorn.ca
- Silverhorn guidelines, p. 18 silverhorn.ca
- Silverhorn guidelines, pp. 8 to 9 silverhorn.ca
- Silverhorn guidelines, pp. 19 to 23 silverhorn.ca
- Silverhorn guidelines, p. 5 silverhorn.ca
- Silverhorn, architecture silverhorn.ca
- Silverhorn guidelines, pp. 17 to 24 silverhorn.ca
