What to expect on your inspection

You’ve finished planning your new renovation, you’ve gotten a building permit from The City of Calgary and are ready to start construction.

It’s an exciting time for DIYers!

Perhaps you are transforming your cold, empty basement into a beautiful living space tailored to your needs. We spend lots of time thinking about paint, finishes and decorating, but sometimes forget about safety. After the whirlwind of getting a permit and planning every detail, it can be easy to forget the next steps to completing the permit process. To help with those often forgotten steps and to help you be prepared, I’ve put together a list of what to expect on your inspection.

I have a permit for the work. Does it really need to be inspected?

The inspection is the final step of your building permit. Without it, the building permit is just a concept. If you don’t have the work inspected, The City has no idea if you’ve done the work correctly, or at all. Your inspector brings a fresh set of eyes to your project. Known as safety codes officers, City inspectors are knowledgeable in construction, proper building practice, safety and building code. They verify that you have built things the way you planned and that you meet safety code requirements. They can also steer you in the right direction if you have encountered problems or gotten off track.

You’ve already paid for an inspection

Inspections are part of the building permit process and included in the permit price. Why not give yourself the peace
of mind that things are completed to a minimum standard of safety?

How to book your inspection

Inspections can be booked online by visiting calgary.ca/vista or by contacting 311. If you call before 2 p.m., your inspection will be booked for the next day.

At what stage of construction should I call for an inspection?

An inspection for basement development and other interior renovations should be called when the new walls have been framed and before gypsum board (drywall), insulation or vapour barrier have been installed. This allows the inspector easily to see what has been constructed and check for proper fastening of materials. Once the framing has been covered, it is very difficult to tell if things have been done correctly. It is also more expensive to make required changes if the construction is already covered.

Deck projects can be built completely, including decking material and railing, before calling for an inspection. As long as an inspector is able to see under the deck to see the beams and joists, this is acceptable. If you plan to install a skirting around the bottom of the deck, we ask that this is left until after the building inspector has reviewed the installation. This is for the same reasons that inspections should be done on exposed interior walls before being done on drywall.

I have a contractor completing the work. Do I have to do anything?

If you are having a contractor complete the work for you, you still need to ensure that inspections are done. In most cases, contractors are diligent and call to have their work inspected. Keeping in touch with your contractor and setting your expectations at the beginning of the project, preferably in a written contract, is a good way to protect your investment. No one wants to be left holding the bag if their contractor does not follow through as you’ve expected. Since any work that has been done in the home is ultimately the responsibility of the homeowner, it pays to be proactive. For other tips on hiring a contractor, visit calgary.ca/homerenos.

What do City inspectors look for?

Your inspector will review what you have built to make sure it matches your proposed plans and to identify safety code infractions. It is important to understand that Alberta’s safety codes mandate a minimum standard for safety, not necessarily best construction practice. Only code infractions will be identified in your report.

Basements – typical items in an inspection:
Installation of framing members - proper size, materials and nailing patterns.
Confirm doors accessing furnace and laundry rooms meet the required 32-inch width.
Verify bedroom window type and operation is adequate for egress (exit).
Ensure the window opening is not obstructed by cantilevers or decks.
Locate smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and confirm they are operational.
Check new ductwork for all rooms has been properly installed for heating and ventilation
Check handrails on stairs, proper landings and any other safety concerns that may exist.

Decks – typical items in an inspection:
Ensure the structure is installed properly and adequately fastened - proper size materials, hangers, nailing pattern, beams locations, posts, joists and decking.
Verify railing height meets minimums for the height above ground.
Test resistance of railing. If composite materials are used, ensure they are installed to the manufacturer’s installation instructions and any applicable CCMC (Canadian Construction Materials Centre) documents.

What documents does the inspector need to see?Do I need to provide anything else?

Your approved drawings and permit conditions must be on site when the inspector arrives. Renovation projects that include structural changes may have a professional engineer involved. If this is the case, a field review by your engineer must be provided to your field inspector when they arrive. If you are required to provide this document, it will be listed in the permit conditions you received with your permit.

How will I know if I passed the inspection?

Once the inspector has completed their review they will leave an inspection report that identifies any items to be corrected. An inspection may have one of three outcomes. Acceptable means that you do not have any deficiencies that need to be corrected. At this point the owner may finish the cosmetic portions of the project and the building permit is considered complete. Acceptable with conditions means that minor deficiencies have been found but they are not significant enough that an inspector has to re-inspect. It is the owner’s responsibility to correct these, whether another inspection is required or not. Not acceptable - recall inspection indicates that the inspector has found multiple items that need correction and that they wish to see the project again before proceeding further. In this case, the inspector will add another inspection for the owner/applicant to call for when the items are corrected.

Electrical and plumbing inspections

If you are completing a project that has electrical or plumbing work, you may need to call for additional inspections. If the work is being done by a contractor, they should obtain their own trade permits and call their own inspections. If you have decided to do your own electrical and plumbing work under homeowner permits, you will need to call for these inspections. These types of work typically have two inspections: rough-in and final.

A rough-in inspection is typically called at the same time as framing. For more information about electrical work that should be completed before calling this inspection refer to calgary.ca/electricalpermits.

A final inspection is required when the work is 100 per cent complete. For electrical work, this means when everything is fully hooked up and operational with all cover plates installed. For plumbing work, it is when all the fixtures are installed and in full working order.

For more information about home renovations, inspections, maintenance and more, visit calgary.ca/myhome.