New houses in Elbow Park are large and expensive even by inner-city standards. City of Calgary open data to 29 September 2026 shows 38 new single-detached house permits since January 2023, with a median declared value of $631,900, the highest of 73 communities, and a median floor area of 3,633 sq ft, sixth largest in Calgary. Owners who keep their houses add on instead: 21 addition permits, second in the Centre sector after Upper Mount Royal.
Key takeaways
- Elbow Park's 38 new single-detached houses had a median declared value of $631,900, just above Lake Bonavista's $630,988 as the highest of the 73 communities profiled here; it's what applicants wrote on the permit and runs below real costs.
- 32 of the 38 new houses were 3,000 sq ft or more on the permit, and only 3 were under 2,500 sq ft.
- The median new house fell from 3,963 sq ft in 2024 to 3,382 sq ft in 2025, and 3,224 sq ft so far in 2026.
- Elbow Park had 21 addition permits, second in the Centre sector after Upper Mount Royal's 23 and nearly twice Hillhurst's 12, at a median declared value of $109,159.
- Detached garages had a median declared value of $61,239, the highest of 87 communities.
- Elbow Park had no secondary suite permits of either kind in the window, and 99% of its dwellings were single-detached in 2019.
How big are new houses in Elbow Park?
Almost all over 3,000 sq ft. The median was 3,633 sq ft, and 92% of the new houses were 2,500 sq ft or more, the second highest share of 74 communities.
| Floor area on the permit | Houses |
|---|---|
| Under 1,500 sq ft | 0 |
| 1,500 to 1,999 sq ft | 1 |
| 2,000 to 2,499 sq ft | 2 |
| 2,500 to 2,999 sq ft | 3 |
| 3,000 sq ft and over | 32 |
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 yearly medians show the size coming down a little: 3,917 sq ft in 2023, 3,963 in 2024, 3,382 in 2025 and 3,224 in 2026 to date. The 2026 figure covers only part of the year, so it's a direction, not a final number. The floor area on the permit usually excludes the basement.
New houses came at 11, 9 and 13 a year from 2023 to 2025, with 5 by 29 September 2026. They took a median of 44.5 days to issue. For what a house of this scale costs to build, see the custom home cost guide; the declared values above are not costs.
What do Elbow Park owners build besides new houses?
Large additions, renovations and garages. Every median declared value in the table below sits near the top of the city's range, though these are what applicants wrote on the permit and run below real costs.
| Project | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 to date | Total | Share of Calgary | Median declared value | Median days to issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New single-detached houses | 11 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 38 | 0.2% | $631,900 | 44.5 days |
| Backyard suites | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.4% | fewer than 5 | fewer than 5 |
| Additions | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 1.3% | $109,159 | 61 days |
| Detached garages | 10 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 31 | 0.3% | $61,239 | 21 days |
| Basement developments | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 0.2% | $45,410 | 15 days |
| Renovations | 12 | 19 | 10 | 12 | 53 | 0.6% | $60,000 | 21 days |
| Decks | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0.3% | $7,960 | 23.5 days |
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.
The 21 additions took a median of 61 days to issue, longer than the new houses, and 8 of them came in 2026 to date, already the most of any year. Renovations had a median declared value of $60,000, third highest of 87 communities, against $10,000 or less in many others. Basement developments were few, 13, at a median of $45,410. The home addition cost guide and the garage size guide cover the two most common projects after a new house.
Who lives in Elbow Park?
Families, in houses they own. The 2021 census counted 3,285 people in 1,145 households, averaging 2.9 people, and 21% of residents were 14 or younger.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 census) | 3,285 |
| Households (2021 census) | 1,145 |
| Average household size | 2.9 |
| One-person households | 15% |
| Households of five or more | 10% |
| Residents aged 0 to 14 / 65 and over | 21% / 17% |
| Dwellings (2019 civic census) | 1,195 |
| Single-detached | 1,182 (99%) |
| Duplex | 2 (0%) |
| Townhouse | 0 (0%) |
| Apartment | 0 (0%) |
| Owner-occupied | 1,034 (87%) |
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.
The 2019 civic census counted 1,182 single-detached houses out of 1,195 dwellings, with no apartments or townhouses, and 87% were owner-occupied, the fourth highest share of 87 communities. Seventeen percent of residents were 65 or over. With so few smaller homes in the community, a household that wants to stay through a change of life stage has to do it inside a house, and Elbow Park's 21 additions are the second most in the Centre sector, after Upper Mount Royal.
Do Elbow Park owners add suites?
Almost never. Elbow Park had no secondary suite permits, neither alterations of existing space nor new construction, and 2 backyard suites, one in 2024 and one in 2025.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Development permit applications (all types, since 2023) | 115 |
| Decided so far: approved / refused | 101 / 2 |
| Median days from application to decision | 63 days |
| Secondary suite development permit applications | 4 |
| Districts with the most development permit applications | R-CG (70), R-C1 (45) |
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.
Only 4 of 115 development permit applications were for suites. R-CG lots drew 70 applications, more than R-C1's 45, yet R-CG isn't among Elbow Park's five largest districts in the City's land use data from 5 October 2026, after the 2024 citywide rezoning was repealed on 4 August 2026. Development permits here took a median of 63 days to a decision, with 101 of 103 approved. As of October 2026, a secondary suite is a permitted use in R-C1, per the site's legal basement suite guide.
What does Elbow Park's zoning allow?
Single houses, with parks around them. R-C1, which the Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 names Residential - Contextual One Dwelling, covers 77.3% of Elbow Park's area.
| District | Share of the community's area |
|---|---|
| R-C1 | 77.3% |
| S-R | 10.4% |
| S-CS | 8.9% |
| S-UN | 1.6% |
| DC | 1.3% |
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.
Most of the rest is special purpose land, 21.3% in all: S-R (recreation) 10.4%, S-CS (community service) 8.9% and S-UN (urban nature) 1.6%. Direct control (DC) covers 1.3%. Check your own lot on the City's land use map.
Seeing an Elbow Park plan at full size
On a 3,600 sq ft plan, the risk is rooms that are big on paper and awkward in use: a great room too deep for one sofa group, or a primary suite where the walk-in closet steals the light. Very large plans are walked a floor or a wing at a time on the studio's walkable LED floor, lit at full size with room names and dimension lines. Sofas, the dining table and freestanding walls can be moved into place, and elevations go up on a wall-size screen.
Each change shows on the floor right away, and the session is recorded for you to keep. Send a PDF or DWG three days ahead. Quotes are free and based on plan size: see pricing, book a session, or browse the communities hub.
Questions
What do new houses in Elbow Park cost?
The permits don't say. Elbow Park's new houses carried a median declared value of $631,900, the seventh highest in Calgary from 2023 to September 2026, but that's what the applicant wrote on the application and runs below real costs.
How big are new houses in Elbow Park?
New single-detached houses in Elbow Park had a median of 3,633 sq ft on the permit, from 38 permits. Thirty-two were 3,000 sq ft or more.
How long does an addition permit take in Elbow Park?
An Elbow Park addition permit took a median of 61 days from application to issue, from 21 permits since January 2023. New house permits took a median of 44.5 days.
Can I add a suite to my Elbow Park house?
On an R-C1 lot, a secondary suite is a permitted use as of October 2026, so one that meets every zoning rule needs only a building permit. Elbow Park owners haven't been doing it: no secondary suite permits were issued there from 2023 to 29 September 2026. A backyard suite still needs a development permit; see the backyard suites guide.
How long does a development permit take in Elbow Park?
Elbow Park's development permits took a median of 63 days from application to decision, for applications made since January 2023. Of 103 decided, 101 were approved and 2 were refused.
Sources
- City of Calgary open data: building permits data.calgary.ca
- City of Calgary open data: development permits data.calgary.ca
- City of Calgary open data: secondary suite registry data.calgary.ca
- City of Calgary open data: community boundaries data.calgary.ca
- City of Calgary open data: census 2021 population data.calgary.ca
- City of Calgary open data: census 2021 households data.calgary.ca
- City of Calgary open data: civic census 2019 data.calgary.ca
- City of Calgary open data: land use districts data.calgary.ca
- Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 calgary.ca
- land use map maps.calgary.ca
