Minimum hallway width in Alberta: 860 mm, plus door widths

In Alberta, a hallway inside a home must have an unobstructed width of at least 860 mm (2 ft 10 in) (NBC(AE) 2023, 9.5.4.1). It can drop to 710 mm (2 ft 4 in) only where it leads to nothing but bedrooms and bathrooms and a second exit sits at its far end or in each bedroom. Both rules are in the second printing of the National Building Code, 2023 Alberta Edition, in force since 17 August 2026 (Government of Alberta, 2026).

What is the minimum hallway width in Alberta?

A hallway in a home must be at least 860 mm (2 ft 10 in) wide in Alberta. The rule covers every hallway within a dwelling unit, which takes in a house, an apartment and a secondary suite, since the code defines a secondary suite as a self-contained dwelling unit (NBC(AE) 2023, 9.5.4.1 and Division A, 1.4.1.2).

The number is the unobstructed width, the clear space you walk through. At least one stair between floors of a home has the same 860 mm minimum (see the stair rules).

Here's how the hallway minimum compares with the other widths the code and the City of Calgary set for walking routes, as of September 2026:

Note: code and City minimums, not recommended sizes, and only the first three rows are code rules for a house. Confirm with the City of Calgary before you build.

When can a hallway be 710 mm wide?

Only in one case. Sentence 9.5.4.1.(1) allows a 710 mm (2 ft 4 in) hallway when both of these hold (NBC(AE) 2023, 9.5.4.1):

• the end of the hallway farthest from the living area has only bedrooms and bathrooms, and
• a second exit is provided, either in the hallway near that far end or in each bedroom the hallway serves.

Rooms off a hallway that uses this exception can have 610 mm (2 ft) doors. The 760 mm bathroom door rule only applies to hallways 860 mm or wider, so it doesn't reach a 710 mm hallway (NBC(AE) 2023, 9.5.5.3).

"Exit" is a defined term in the code: the part of a way out, doorways included, that leads from the floor to a street, another building or protected open space outside (NBC(AE) 2023, Division A, 1.4.1.2). Bedroom escape windows are a separate rule (egress windows). Ask the City of Calgary what it will accept as the second exit before you draw a 710 mm hallway.

How wide do doors have to be in Alberta?

For most rooms in a home, the doorway must fit a door at least 760 mm (2 ft 6 in) wide and 1 980 mm (6 ft 6 in) high. Table 9.5.5.1 sizes the door the opening has to take, so the clear gap you walk through is narrower once the open door sits in the frame.

These are the door sizes for homes, with two rules from outside houses for comparison, as of September 2026:

Note: minimums, not recommended sizes. The house rows size the door, while the last two rows are clear openings. Confirm with the City of Calgary before you build.

The bathroom rule needs a closer read. Where a hallway at least 860 mm wide serves rooms with a bathtub, shower or toilet, at least one doorway off it must fit a 760 mm door and give access to one of each of those fixtures (NBC(AE) 2023, 9.5.5.3). The code's note says the aim is "a certain degree of barrier-free access" to a typical bathroom. So a powder room can keep a 610 mm door, as long as the full bathroom off the same hallway gets the wider one.

In a secondary suite, the City of Calgary lets doors drop to 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) high where required (The City of Calgary, 2026). That goes with the lower suite ceiling covered in the basement ceiling height guide.

Does the code set a hallway width for a wheelchair in a house?

No. Section 3.8, the accessibility section, doesn't apply to detached houses, semi-detached houses, houses with a secondary suite, duplexes, triplexes, townhouses or row houses (NBC(AE) 2023, 3.8.2.1). Inside those homes, the 860 mm hallway and the Table 9.5.5.1 doors are the only widths the code sets.

Where Section 3.8 does apply, it gives useful reference numbers:

• a barrier-free path at least 1 000 mm (3 ft 3 in) wide, which may pinch to 850 mm (2 ft 9 in) for no more than 600 mm (2 ft) of length, with level space at each end (3.8.3.2);
• doorways with 850 mm clear when the door is open (3.8.3.6);
• in adaptable dwelling units, a 1 700 mm (5 ft 7 in) turning diameter in entryways, kitchens, washrooms and laundry rooms, and 850 mm clear doorways (3.8.4.2).

Alberta adds its own rule: residential projects of 10 or more units funded in whole or in part by the Government of Alberta must make 1 in every 10 units adaptable (NBC(AE) 2023, 3.8.1.1).

In Calgary, the Secondary Suite Incentive Program sets its own standard for its accessibility top-up of up to $7,500: a 920 mm (3 ft) path of travel throughout, 850 mm doorways fully open and a 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) turning diameter in the living area, kitchen and bedroom (The City of Calgary, 2026). New applications have gone on a waitlist since 24 June 2026. For bathrooms, see the barrier-free bathroom guide.

Is 860 mm comfortable, or only legal?

The code doesn't say. It sets minimums and stops there, with no comfort width, no width for two people passing and no allowance for moving furniture through a home. Anything wider than 860 mm is a design choice you make with your designer.

This drawing puts the widths from the table side by side at the same scale:

The gap between the house minimum and the barrier-free path is 140 mm (5.5 in). Whether that matters depends on who lives there, what they carry and what furniture has to turn through the doors. For other rooms, see the room size guides.

What does a full-size walkthrough show in a hallway?

At 1to1 Plans Calgary, your plan is shown at full size on a walkable LED floor, lit from inside the floor, with room names and dimension lines. You can walk a hallway at its drawn width with another person and see whether you can pass without one of you stopping.

The studio's movable pieces include freestanding walls and sofas. You can stand walls on the hallway lines and set a sofa at a bedroom door to see how much room the turn leaves. Changes are made on the spot and shown on the floor right away, and every session is recorded for you to keep.

A standard session is two hours. Sessions are quoted for the plan by its size, the quote is free, and there's nothing to pay at booking (get a quote). Send your plans as a PDF or DWG at least three days ahead. Read how a session works or book a session.