Altadore, Calgary: big infill houses, a third over 3,000 sq ft

Altadore replaces old houses with large new ones. City of Calgary open data shows 76 new single-detached houses permitted there from January 2023 to 29 September 2026, more than any other community in the Centre sector, and 25 of them were 3,000 sq ft or more. The median size jumped from 2,066 sq ft in 2024 to 2,874 sq ft in 2025. Add 45 semi-detached houses and 24 rowhouse or townhouse permits, and Altadore saw 145 new homes in under four years.

How big are new houses in Altadore?

Much bigger from 2025 on. The median new single-detached house was 2,460 sq ft on the permit overall, but the yearly medians tell the story: 2,119 sq ft in 2023, 2,066 sq ft in 2024, 2,874 sq ft in 2025 and 2,598 sq ft in 2026 to date.

The floor area the applicant entered on the building permit, for new single-detached houses issued in the same window. It usually excludes the basement. Source: City of Calgary open data (building permits, development permits, secondary suite registry, census 2021 population, census 2021 households, civic census 2019, land use districts), retrieved 5 October 2026.

The bands split almost in half. Thirty-nine houses were under 2,500 sq ft and 37 were 2,500 sq ft or more, with the 3,000-plus band the largest single group. None was under 1,500 sq ft. The permit's floor area usually leaves out the basement.

The median declared value on a new house was $438,345, 16th highest of 73 communities. That's what the applicant wrote on the permit and it runs below real construction costs; the custom home cost guide has real prices. New houses took a median 33 days to issue, and the new home permit time guide explains where that time goes.

What else is built in Altadore?

Semi-detached houses, rowhouses and garages. Semi permits ran 12, 15 and 10 a year from 2023 to 2025. Rowhouse and townhouse permits peaked at 10 in 2024 and took a median 131 days to issue, the ninth slowest of 62 communities.

Permits issued, excluding cancelled ones. "Share of Calgary" is this community's part of the citywide count for the same project type and years. Declared value is what the applicant wrote on the permit application. It is not a quote and runs below real costs. Medians are shown only where a category has at least 5 permits. Source: City of Calgary open data (building permits, development permits, secondary suite registry, census 2021 population, census 2021 households, civic census 2019, land use districts), retrieved 5 October 2026.

Detached garages, 110 of them, are the largest single category, at 1.0% of Calgary's total. Work inside existing houses is thin by comparison: 32 renovations, 10 additions and 9 basement developments. Renovations jumped to 16 in 2025 from 5 and 7 in the two years before.

Why do so many Altadore applications show R-CG?

Because of the 2024 citywide rezoning. Of 229 development permit applications in Altadore since 2023, 130 were recorded on R-CG lots and 52 on R-C2. That's the 21st highest application count of 97 communities, and the median decision took 74 days, 19th slowest of 96.

The share of the community's districted area in each land use district, from the City's district and community boundary maps intersected exactly. Districts change by lot and by amendment: check a specific lot on the City's land use map before you plan. Source: City of Calgary open data (building permits, development permits, secondary suite registry, census 2021 population, census 2021 households, civic census 2019, land use districts), retrieved 5 October 2026.

The repeal took effect on 4 August 2026. The City says a lot rezoned in 2024 returns to its previous district unless an R-CG, R-G or H-GO development had been applied for or approved (The City of Calgary, 2026). Today's map has R-C2 on about 47.8% of Altadore, tied for the fifth highest share of the 97 communities, R-C1 on about 12.5% and M-C1 on about 7.9%. R-CG is down to about 2.1%. The second biggest district isn't housing at all: S-SPR, which the City labels Special Purpose - School, Park and Community Reserve, covers about 19.2%, the third highest share of any community here.

Those districts allow different things. The City describes R-C2 as single-detached, semi-detached and duplex homes, R-C1 as single-detached homes only, and M-C1 as mostly 3 to 4 storey apartments and townhouses (The City of Calgary, land use districts). So a semi you could draw on an R-C2 lot may not fit an R-C1 lot a few streets away. Check yours on the City's land use map.

Do Altadore homes have suites?

Few, by permit. The City issued just 2 Altadore suite permits for altering existing space, 3 for suites classed as new construction, and 4 for backyard suites. Nine development permit applications were for suites.

Development permits applied for from 1 January 2023; many home projects in Calgary need only a building permit, so these are a subset of all work. The registry lists suites the City has confirmed meet the rules, not every suite that exists. Source: City of Calgary open data (building permits, development permits, secondary suite registry, census 2021 population, census 2021 households, civic census 2019, land use districts), retrieved 5 October 2026.

The registry lists 102 Altadore suites, with 28 added in 2025 and 24 in 2026 to date, up from 5 and 7 in the two years before. As of October 2026, the site's legal basement suite guide lists a secondary suite as a permitted use in R-C1 and R-C2. A backyard suite is discretionary in both, and since 4 August 2026 it can't sit with a semi-detached home outside R-G and R-Gm unless approved before that date; the backyard suites guide explains it.

Who lives in Altadore?

A mix of households in a mix of housing. The 2021 census counted 7,290 residents in 3,075 households, an average of 2.4 people, and 30% of households were one person.

Population and household figures are from the 2021 Census of Canada as published by the City of Calgary; dwelling types are from the City's 2019 civic census, the last one it ran. Newer communities have grown since. Source: City of Calgary open data (building permits, development permits, secondary suite registry, census 2021 population, census 2021 households, civic census 2019, land use districts), retrieved 5 October 2026.

In 2019 only 1,367 of 3,285 dwellings (42%) were single-detached. Duplexes made up 19%, apartments another 19% and townhouses 14%. Smaller households next to houses past 3,000 sq ft suggest rooms planned for later needs: a main-floor office, a guest room, or a basement that could take a suite.

Walking an Altadore infill plan

On a large Altadore infill plan, the walk from the front door to the back is where problems show. At the studio, each floor is lit at full size on a walkable LED floor with room names and dimension lines, one floor at a time for a house this size. Walk from the front door to the back and you see how much of the floor the stair and halls take, and whether the kitchen at the back still feels connected to the living room at the front. Elevations go up on a wall-size screen behind you.

Changes are drawn and shown on the floor during the session, which is recorded for you to keep. Send a PDF or DWG three or more days ahead. The quote is free and based on plan size: see pricing, book a session, or visit the communities hub.