Nolan Hill, Calgary: no new houses, but 126 suite permits

Nolan Hill is finished building houses and has moved on to basements. City of Calgary open data shows no new single-detached, semi-detached or rowhouse permits issued here from January 2023 to 29 September 2026, but 126 secondary suite permits and 87 basement developments. Those 126 suite permits were 1.3% of Calgary's total, the 19th highest count in Calgary.

What are Nolan Hill owners building?

Suites and basements, mostly. Since 2023 the City issued 126 suite permits and 87 basement developments here, against 50 renovations, 22 decks, 15 detached garages and 2 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.

Garages are rare and quick here. The 15 permits took a median 7 days to issue and carried a median declared value of $50,920, tied for tenth highest of 87 communities. Declared values are what the applicant wrote on the permit, and they run below real costs. If you're adding one, the garage size page covers the dimensions that decide whether two cars and a workbench fit.

Renovations here are small jobs. The 50 permits had a median declared value of $7,000, lower than 68 of the 87 communities with a median.

How common is a basement suite in Nolan Hill?

Common enough to be the default project. The 85 permits altering existing space into a suite were 1.2% of Calgary's total, and they peaked at 30 in 2024. Another 41 were in the City's New work class, which covers a suite built as new construction in a new or an existing house, with 19 of those in 2024.

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 development permit numbers show how much of that went through the City's discretionary process. Of 179 applications since 2023, 98 were for suites, the eleventh most of the 97 communities profiled here. Nolan Hill's applications took a median 32 days to a decision, and 147 of 149 decided ones were approved, with 2 refused.

The registry now lists 213 Nolan Hill suites, with 56 added in 2025 and 26 through 29 September 2026.

Since July 2026, under Bylaw 26P2026, a secondary suite is a permitted use in R-1N, Nolan Hill's main district, so one that follows every zoning rule can skip the development permit. The legal basement suite guide explains what that changes as of October 2026, and the egress window page and basement ceiling height page cover the two code limits that most often reshape a basement bedroom.

Who lives in Nolan Hill?

Young families, mostly owners. The 2021 census counted 8,755 people in 2,650 households. Households averaged 3.3 people, only 12% were one person, 19% had five or more, and just 4% of residents were 65 or older.

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 1,784 single-detached dwellings, 677 townhouses and no apartments. Of 2,468 dwellings, 2,145 were owner-occupied. A large household in an owned single-detached house is the profile behind most of the suites above, and it suggests a basement that has to work for relatives as well as tenants: a bedroom sized for a queen bed, a real kitchen, and a separate way in.

What land use covers Nolan Hill?

R-1N on 38.8% of the districted area, with a lot of open space. Special purpose districts cover 31.1% in all, led by S-SPR at 11.4% and S-UN at 10.3%. M-1, a multi-residential district, covers 7.9% and R-1 7.6%.

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.

R-1N was named on 65 of Nolan Hill's development permit applications, an industrial district, I-B, on 25, R-G on 21 and Direct Control on 20. Check your own parcel on the City's land use map, since R-1 and R-G lots here sit under different rules for backyard suites.

Walking a Nolan Hill basement suite at full size

A suite in a finished house has fixed walls to work around: the furnace, the stair, the windows that are already there. On the studio's walkable LED floor, the basement plan is lit at full size with room names and dimension lines, and you can stand between the suite's kitchen and the shared stair and see whether two households will cross paths. Freestanding walls, a sofa and a dining table can be moved in to test the living space.

Changes are drawn on the spot and shown on the floor straight away, and the session is recorded for you to keep. Send the plans as a PDF or DWG at least three days before. Quotes are free and based on the plan's size: see pricing, book a session, or go back to the communities hub.