New homes in Moraine, Calgary have grown 466 sq ft since 2023

Moraine has built new single-detached houses above all else since January 2023: 634 permits, 3.7% of Calgary's, in the City of Calgary's open data to 29 September 2026. Those houses are getting bigger every year. The median floor area on the permit rose from 1,717 sq ft in 2023 to 2,183 sq ft in 2026 so far, an increase of 466 sq ft (about 43 m²).

How big are new houses in Moraine?

The median across all 634 permits is 1,952 sq ft, but that hides a steady climb. A house permitted in Moraine in 2026 is, at the median, 466 sq ft larger than one permitted in 2023.

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 spread is wide, with 84 houses under 1,500 sq ft (about 13%), 96 between 2,500 and 2,999 sq ft and 3 at 3,000 sq ft or more. Small starter plans and large family plans are being permitted in the same community. The floor area is what the applicant entered on the permit and usually excludes the basement.

What does 466 sq ft buy? Enough to add a room or two, such as a fourth bedroom, a bonus room over the garage, or a main-floor den, rather than just wider rooms. If you're comparing a 1,750 sq ft plan with a 2,200 sq ft one, the bedroom size guide and what a custom home costs in Calgary help put numbers on the trade.

What else is being built in Moraine?

Houses lead by a long way, and the yearly count tells you the community is in full build-out. Permits rose from 81 in 2023 to 180 in 2024 and 216 in 2025.

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 2026 figure, 157 through September, covers nine months and shouldn't be read as a slowdown. The median declared value for a new house was $319,214, which is what applicants wrote on the permit; it isn't a quote and runs below real build costs. A house permit took a median of 18 days from application to issue.

Semi-detached homes are a small share (58 permits) and townhouses smaller still (8). A semi permit took a median of 19 days.

Are Moraine owners adding garages?

Yes, and quickly. Detached garage permits went from 5 in 2023 to 36 in 2024, then 94 in 2025, with 48 more in 2026 so far: 183 in all, 10% of the North sector's.

The median declared value was $42,434, the applicant's own figure and below real costs, and the median wait was 12 days. Garage width and door choice set how usable the space is; our garage size guide has the dimensions.

How common are suites in Moraine?

After houses, suites are Moraine's most common project, with 257 permits against 183 for garages. The City issued 194 for suites created by altering existing space and 63 classed as new construction (its New work class).

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 City's registry lists 458 suites in Moraine, with 139 added in 2025 and 111 so far in 2026. Basement developments, by contrast, total just 18 permits. The permits suggest that when Moraine owners open up a basement, they mostly build a suite rather than a rec room.

Of 36 development permit applications since 2023, 14 were for suites. As of October 2026, a secondary suite is a permitted use in R-G and R-Gm, so one that follows every zoning rule goes straight to a building permit; a lot can have a secondary suite or a backyard suite, not both. Our legal basement suite guide carries the full rules and sources.

What does the land use look like?

About half of Moraine is zoned for houses, and more than a quarter is still waiting for them. R-G covers 42.3% of the area, the third-largest R-G share among the 97, and R-Gm another 9.1%, second only to one other community. S-FUD, which the City labels Future Urban Development, takes 28%.

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 what's left is special purpose land: school, park and community reserve (S-SPR, 9.7%) and urban nature (S-UN, 5.1%), as the City labels them. Add it up and residential districts hold 54.2% of Moraine, multi-residential included, and special purpose ones 45.8%. Check a specific lot on the City's land use map.

Seeing a bigger Moraine plan at full size

When plans grow by 400 sq ft or more, the risk is space that looks generous on paper and feels empty, or a bonus room that ends up as a hallway. On our walkable LED floor, the plan is shown at 1:1, room by room, with dimension lines, so you can stand in the den or bonus room and decide whether it earns its square footage. Our movable walls and furniture, including sofas and a dining table, show how a room will hold what you own. Changes are made on the spot and appear on the floor right away.

A standard session runs two hours. Sessions are quoted by the plan's size and the quote is free: see pricing or book. Other North communities are on the communities hub.