Hillhurst, Calgary: 39 new infill houses, no suite conversions

Hillhurst rebuilds houses but doesn't convert basements. City of Calgary open data shows 39 new single-detached houses issued there from January 2023 to 29 September 2026, with 32 of them between 2,000 and 2,999 sq ft, and not one permit for altering existing space into a suite. Hillhurst is one of only six of the 97 communities profiled here with none, while detached garage permits went from 22 in 2024 to a single permit so far in 2026.

How big are new infill houses in Hillhurst?

Mostly 2,000 to 2,999 sq ft. The median was 2,446 sq ft, with 18 houses at 2,000 to 2,499 and 14 at 2,500 to 2,999.

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.

Only five were 3,000 sq ft or more and two were under 2,000. The yearly medians stayed close: 2,446 sq ft in 2023, 2,532 in 2024 and 2,231 in 2025. The median house was declared at $407,918, the applicant's own figure, which runs below the real cost of building. The custom home cost guide has realistic numbers, and the new home permit time guide covers the wait; Hillhurst's median new house took 45 days to issue.

Semi-detached homes were the other new build, at 15 permits, with a median declared value of $286,617, ninth highest of 61 communities.

What else is being built in Hillhurst?

Garages, renovations and additions. Garages were the biggest line at 57, followed by new houses, then 37 renovations and 12 additions.

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 garage numbers dropped sharply in 2026, with one permit issued by 29 September; the data doesn't say why. Renovations had a median declared value of $43,500, seventh highest of the 87 communities profiled here, and additions $62,980. Hillhurst's 12 additions were the fourth most in the Centre sector, after Upper Mount Royal, Elbow Park and Ramsay. Smaller jobs were slow to issue here: decks took a median 27 days and basement developments 15.5, both among the five slowest of the communities profiled here, the basements tied with Acadia. The home addition cost guide puts real prices on an addition.

Why does no one in Hillhurst convert a basement into a suite?

The data can't say, but the households are a clue. The 2021 census put the average Hillhurst household at 2.0 people, tied for sixth lowest of 84 communities, and 42% 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.

The 2019 civic census found 1,352 apartments among 3,011 dwellings, and 107 multiplex units, a 3.6% share only two Centre sector communities beat. Single-detached homes were 33% of dwellings, and 46% of all dwellings were owner-occupied. With that much rental stock already here, there may be less pull to add a basement unit, though that's a reading of the numbers, not a finding.

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.

Hillhurst did get 4 suite permits in the City's New work class, which means the suite was built as new construction, whether in a new house or an existing one. Owners filed only 7 suite development permit applications since 2023, and the registry lists 63 Hillhurst suites. As of October 2026, a secondary suite is a permitted use in R-C2 and R-CG, and a property can have one suite, not both kinds; the legal basement suite guide explains the rest. Development permits of all types took a median 51 days to a decision.

What does Hillhurst's land use look like?

Low-density housing and institutions, in nearly equal parts. R-C2, the City's contextual one and two dwelling district, is the largest at 25.8% of Hillhurst's districted area. S-CI is close behind at 24.3%, a district the Land Use Bylaw reserves for large culture, worship, education and health facilities (Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, s.1053).

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.

S-R, the City's recreation district, takes 18.8% and M-CG, a grade-oriented multi-residential district, 14%. Special purpose districts cover 44.2% of Hillhurst in all, and no other community of the 97 has a larger share in S-CI. The development permits match the map: R-C2 drew the most applications, 43 of 199, ahead of M-CG d72 with 39 and R-CG with 36. Districts change lot by lot, so check yours on the City's land use map.

Seeing a Hillhurst infill at full size

If your Hillhurst infill is long and narrow, the plan's main risk is a hallway that eats the width. At the studio, the plan is lit at full size on a walkable LED floor, one storey at a time. You can walk from the front door to the back, stand at the kitchen island with the dining table set behind you, and see whether the stair crowds the living room.

Freestanding walls can be moved to try a wider opening, and elevations show on a wall-size screen. Changes go up on the floor while you watch, and the session is recorded for you to keep. Send a PDF or DWG at least three days ahead. Quotes are free and set by the plan's size: see pricing, book, or browse the communities hub.