Inglewood, Calgary: 12 backyard suites and 1.8-person households

Inglewood is one of the few Calgary communities where backyard suites are a regular project. City of Calgary open data counts 12 backyard suite permits there from January 2023 to 29 September 2026, tied with Renfrew for fourth among 97 communities and 2.4% of the city's total. Households are small, too: the 2021 census put the average at 1.8 people, tied for the lowest of 84 communities profiled here, with 46% of households one person.

Why build a backyard suite in Inglewood?

The data shows demand for small homes. Nearly half of households are one person, and the 2019 civic census found apartments, at 912 units or 38% of dwellings, outnumbered single-detached homes at 840.

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.

Backyard suites here went through steadily: 12 permits, a median 36 days to issue. As of October 2026, a backyard suite is still discretionary in R-C2 and R-CG, Inglewood's main residential districts, so each one needs a development permit; the backyard suites guide covers the process and costs. Inglewood development permits took a median 61 days to a decision, and 190 of 194 decided were approved.

Suites inside houses are fewer: 6 permits altered existing space into a suite, slow to issue at a median 76.5 days, and 1 more was a suite built as new construction. Since 4 August 2026, a lot can have one suite, so you choose between a basement suite and a backyard suite; the legal basement suite guide sets out the basement route. The City's registry lists 88 Inglewood suites.

The median backyard suite was declared at $108,814. That's the applicant's figure on the permit, not a builder's quote, and real costs run higher.

What else are Inglewood owners building?

Garages and new houses, mostly. The City issued 58 detached garages, 30 new single-detached houses and 17 semi-detached homes.

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.

New single-detached permits peaked at 15 in 2024 and fell to 4 in 2025. Semi-detached homes were slow, at a median 141 days to issue, and pricey on paper, with a median declared value of $318,895, fourth highest of 61 communities. Additions were few but large: 10 permits at a median declared $109,418, tenth highest of the 58 communities profiled here with a median. The home addition cost guide puts real numbers on that work.

How big are new houses in Inglewood?

Mid-sized for a new infill. The 30 new single-detached houses had a median of 2,536 sq ft on the permit.

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.

Eleven were 2,500 to 2,999 sq ft and nine 2,000 to 2,499, with six at 3,000 or more and one under 1,500. The 2023 median was 2,669 sq ft and 2024's was 2,548. The custom home cost guide is the place to start if you're pricing one.

Who lives in Inglewood?

Mostly adults living alone or in pairs. The 2021 census counted 4,130 people in 2,285 households, 77% aged 15 to 64.

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 331 townhouses and 136 converted structures among 2,387 dwellings, and 48% were owner-occupied. A one-bedroom or studio backyard suite looks like the best fit for the households already here, though that's a reading of the census, not a market study. The bedroom size guide helps size a single bedroom in a small footprint.

How much of Inglewood is land you can build on?

About half. Special purpose districts cover 50.2% of Inglewood's districted area, led by S-UN at 20.7% and S-R, the recreation district, at 19.8%.

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 Land Use Bylaw applies S-UN to land kept for "a natural plant or animal community" and limits it to passive recreation (Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, s.1021). R-C2, a district for single, semi-detached and duplex homes, is the largest single district at 23.2%, and residential districts cover 24.2% in all. Direct Control covers 14.3% and M-CG, for grade-oriented multi-residential buildings, 5.9%. Development permit applications were nearly even across R-CG (69), DC (62) and R-C2 (61). Check your lot on the City's land use map.

Walking a backyard suite at full size

A backyard suite is small enough that a few centimetres change how a room works. At the studio, the whole suite plan is lit at full size on a walkable LED floor at once, so you can stand in the kitchen, turn to the bed, and check whether the bathroom door clears the vanity. The sofa, dining table and bathtub on wheels show what fits in each room.

Elevations go up on a wall-size screen, useful for a suite above a garage. Changes show on the floor straight away, and the session is recorded for you. Send a PDF or DWG at least three days ahead. Quotes are free and depend on the plan's size: see pricing, book a session, or go back to the communities hub.