As of October 2026, Foothills County charges a $100 filing fee plus a rate per square foot for a home building permit: 65 cents for the main floor and up, 45 cents for a basement development or garage and 35 cents for a deck or an undeveloped basement, plus a 4% Safety Codes levy (Foothills County, Fee Bylaw 21/2026, Schedule B). Every secondary suite needs a development permit, and suites aren't allowed at all in Heritage Pointe or Priddis Greens.
Key takeaways
- As of October 2026, a 1,000 sq ft basement development in Foothills County pays $572.00 for its building permit, the $100 filing fee and levy included (Foothills County, Fee Bylaw 21/2026).
- Land Use Bylaw 60/2014 says "A Development Permit shall be obtained for all Secondary Suites in the County" (Foothills County, Land Use Bylaw, section 10.26.5).
- Secondary suites are banned in the hamlets of Heritage Pointe and Priddis Greens, and elsewhere a parcel gets one suite with no more than two bedrooms (Land Use Bylaw, sections 10.26.2 to 10.26.10).
- A detached suite can be up to 1,400 sq ft on a parcel of 1 acre or more and 1,000 sq ft on a smaller one (Land Use Bylaw, section 10.26.13).
- The County says building permits "may take approximately two weeks for processing" (Foothills County, building permits and inspections).
Which projects need a permit in Foothills County?
The County's Building and Safety Codes Department issues building permits under the County's own Quality Management Plan. Development permits are the bigger question on an acreage, and the Land Use Bylaw, consolidated to 8 September 2026, exempts more than you might expect. As of October 2026:
| Project | Building permit | Development permit as well |
|---|---|---|
| First house on a parcel | Yes | No, where it's a permitted use, meets density and has legal road access (4.2.1.23) |
| Basement development | Yes | No, unless it becomes a suite |
| Secondary suite, attached or detached | Yes | Yes, always (10.26.5) |
| Up to two private garages | Yes | No, up to 1,200 sq ft (111.48 m²) in total, or 1,800 sq ft on agricultural land (4.2.1.9) |
| Other accessory buildings | Yes | No, within the parcel-size caps below (4.2.1.7) |
| Deck or covered canopy | Yes | The bylaw exempts only uncovered decks under 0.60 m (2 ft) above grade (4.2.1.49); ask about a raised deck |
Note: From Land Use Bylaw 60/2014, section 4.2.1. These exemptions don't apply in Sub-district "A", a Direct Control District, the Flood Hazard Protection Overlay or parts of the Airport Protection Overlay.
The County's own advice is blunt: "It is always best to assume that a development permit is required" (Foothills County, development permit applications). Near a provincial highway, Alberta Transportation has a say too. The suite checklist asks for a roadside development permit or waiver within 300 m (984 ft) of a highway or 800 m (2,625 ft) of a highway intersection.
What does a building permit cost in Foothills County in 2026?
Size sets the fee. Council passed Fee Bylaw 21/2026 on 29 April 2026, and its Schedule B lists these rates:
| Item | Filing fee | Rate per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Main floor and up, or an addition | $100 | $0.65 |
| Undeveloped basement | None | $0.35 |
| Walkout or bi-level | None | $0.45 |
| Attached garage | None | $0.45 |
| Detached garage | $100 | $0.45 |
| Basement development or interior renovation | $100 | $0.45 |
| Deck or covered canopy | $100 | $0.35 |
| Minimum fee | $165 | |
| Existing secondary suite preliminary inspection | $176 |
Note: From Schedule B of Fee Bylaw 21/2026. The levy is 4% of the permit, $4.50 minimum and $560 maximum. Start without a permit and the fee may double.
Plumbing, gas and electrical permits are set by the house's size. For 1,501 to 2,500 sq ft, plumbing is $275, gas $236.50 and electrical $275, each plus its levy. A septic permit is $275 plus $11.
Here's an example acreage house, worked through:
| Part of the house | Area | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Filing fee | $100.00 | |
| Main and upper floors | 2,500 sq ft at $0.65 | $1,625.00 |
| Undeveloped basement | 1,250 sq ft at $0.35 | $437.50 |
| Attached garage | 600 sq ft at $0.45 | $270.00 |
| Safety Codes levy | 4% | $97.30 |
| Building permit | $2,529.80 |
Note: A worked example from the 2026 rates, not a County quote. Plumbing, gas and electrical add $817.96 with their levies, and a septic permit $286.
Which fees disagree with the bylaw?
Two County pages are behind Fee Bylaw 21/2026, and this guide follows the bylaw:
- The secondary suites page still prices a pre-application inspection at "$160 + 4% Safety Codes Fee" (Foothills County, secondary suites). Schedule B lists $176.
- The building permits page says the fee schedule is "coming soon", although the bylaw has been in force since April 2026.
How do the County's fees compare with Calgary's?
Foothills County costs more for basements and garages and far less for houses and big additions. Calgary charges flat fees for these projects and $112 plus $10.14 per $1,000 of value for a new house:
| Project | Foothills County | Calgary |
|---|---|---|
| 300 sq ft deck | $213.20 | $205.92 |
| 576 sq ft detached garage | $373.57 | $333.84 |
| 1,000 sq ft basement development | $572.00 | $333.84 |
| 600 sq ft addition | $509.60 | $1,302.08 |
| The house above, valued at $700,000, building and trades before levy | $3,219.00 | $7,210.00 |
Note: Levy included except on the house row. From Fee Bylaw 21/2026 and Calgary's 2026 schedule.
The $700,000 is an illustration, not County data; we found no County permit statistics to draw on. For Calgary's rules and timelines, see the Calgary building permit guide.
What are the rules for a suite in Foothills County?
Bylaw 68/2023, passed on 31 January 2024, opened suites to parcels under 2 acres and to most hamlets, and allowed stand-alone detached suites (Foothills County, secondary suites). Section 10.26 of the Land Use Bylaw now sets these limits:
| Rule | Suite in or attached to the house | Detached suite |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Districts listing it as permitted or discretionary; not Heritage Pointe or Priddis Greens | Same |
| Maximum size | Smaller than the house, to 1,400 sq ft (130 m²) | 1,400 sq ft (130 m²) on 1 acre or more; 1,000 sq ft (93 m²) under 1 acre |
| Exception | The whole basement, if its footprint tops 1,400 sq ft | None |
| Bedrooms | 2 at most | 2 at most |
| Parking | 1 extra space up to 1,000 sq ft, 2 above | Same |
| Address | Its own County address | Its own County address |
Note: From Land Use Bylaw 60/2014, sections 10.26.2 to 10.26.17. A detached suite also counts toward the parcel's accessory building limits.
A parcel under 80 acres gets one house plus either a suite or a temporary dwelling, not both (section 10.10.5). A restrictive covenant on title that bars suites turns the application discretionary, and the Development Authority may refuse it.
Water is the acreage catch. The suites page says a suite counts as its own household under the Water Act, and each household's allowance is 1,250 m³ a year. On a septic system, a certified septic designer or installer must confirm the system can take the extra load. For layout ideas at these sizes, see the backyard suite guide and the legal basement suite guide.
Approved suites go on the County's public Secondary Suite Registry, which lists the legal description, address, parcel size, land use and permit number, not names. You can ask to be left off.
How big can accessory buildings be without a development permit?
It depends on the parcel. Within these caps, and where an accessory building is a permitted use, you need only a building permit:
| Parcel size | Buildings allowed | Total area |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 acre | 2 | 41.8 m² (450 sq ft) |
| 1.0 to 1.99 acres | 3 | 88.26 m² (950 sq ft) |
| 2 to 2.99 acres | 3 | 155.6 m² (1,675 sq ft) |
| 3.0 to 4.99 acres | 4 | 285.7 m² (3,075 sq ft) |
| 5.0 to 9.99 acres | 4 | 325.2 m² (3,500 sq ft) |
| 10.0 to 14.99 acres | 5 | 380.9 m² (4,100 sq ft) |
Note: From Table 4.2.1.7A of the Land Use Bylaw. Up to two private garages sit outside these caps. Larger parcels get more; agricultural buildings on working farms have no cap.
How long does a permit take in Foothills County?
About two weeks for a building permit, by the County's own estimate. The suite development permit comes first and has no published timeline. If your land use district doesn't list suites at all, a redesignation through Council "can add approximately four to six months" (Foothills County, secondary suites).
For inspections, the building permits page asks for "at least two days notice" in one paragraph and "3 days prior" in the next. Call three days ahead, between 8:30 and 9:30 am if you can, at 403-603-6216 (Foothills County, building permits and inspections).
How do you apply in Foothills County?
On paper. The suite checklist describes the building permit application as "a four page Carbon Paper form" that you can fill out with a County representative at the office, 309 Macleod Trail in High River (Foothills County, secondary suite building checklist). Fees are paid at application.
The checklist asks for two site plans and two sets of construction plans. Site plans must show any oil and gas wells or pipelines, and slopes of 15% or more over 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high need a geotechnical engineer's slope stability report. Drawings must state the climate zone, 6 or 7A.
Where does a full-size walkthrough fit?
Before the development permit, while the suite's size is still a number on paper. A detached suite capped at 1,000 sq ft on a lot under an acre, with two bedrooms at most, has to earn every square foot.
At 1to1 Plans Calgary in northeast Calgary, a plan is shown room by room at full scale on an LED floor you walk on, lit from inside. Freestanding walls and studio furniture show how the two bedrooms and the living space work, and changes appear on the floor during the session. Large acreage houses are walked a floor or a wing at a time.
A quote for your plan is free, and sessions are priced from it; pricing has the details. Book a session, and see room sizes for minimums. For acreages north and west of Calgary, see the Rocky View County guide; for a town lot, the Airdrie guide.
Questions
Can I build a secondary suite in Heritage Pointe?
No. Foothills County's Land Use Bylaw says "Secondary Suites are not permitted within the hamlets of Heritage Pointe and Priddis Greens", as of October 2026 (Land Use Bylaw, section 10.26.2). The County kept the ban based on feedback from residents of both hamlets.
How much is a building permit for a basement in Foothills County?
A Foothills County basement development permit costs a $100 filing fee plus 45 cents per sq ft in 2026, plus the 4% levy. A 1,000 sq ft basement pays $572.00 (Foothills County, Fee Bylaw 21/2026). Trade permits are extra.
Do I need a development permit for a garage in Foothills County?
Usually not. In Foothills County, up to two private garages totalling 1,200 sq ft (111.48 m²) need no development permit, or 1,800 sq ft on agricultural land, as of October 2026 (Land Use Bylaw, section 4.2.1.9). That doesn't apply in Sub-district "A", Direct Control or flood hazard areas. The building permit is still required.
What happens to an unpermitted suite in Foothills County?
Foothills County's two-year grace period to legalize existing suites ended on 31 January 2026 (Foothills County, secondary suites). As of October 2026, a suite without approvals may face enforcement, double development and building fees, fines or removal.
Sources
- Foothills County, Fee Bylaw 21/2026, Schedule B foothillscountyab.ca
- Foothills County, Land Use Bylaw foothillscountyab.ca
- Foothills County, building permits and inspections foothillscountyab.ca
- Foothills County, development permit applications foothillscountyab.ca
- Foothills County, secondary suites foothillscountyab.ca
- Calgary's 2026 schedule calgary.ca
- Foothills County, secondary suite building checklist foothillscountyab.ca
