A Development Agreement will be entered into between The City and a Land Developer. This legal contract is used for all residential, industrial, and commercial developments. It sets out the terms and conditions under which development of the lands are to take place within The City including the responsibility to construct public infrastructure and associated financial obligations.

The City uses a ranking system that determines the securities amount required before construction begins. This framework provides a risk-managed approach to supporting new investment opportunities through easing securities requirements for developers who meet their performance requirements.

See tiering and securities criteria.

An Indemnification Agreement may be entered into between The City and a property owner and authorizes a certified contractor working on behalf of the property owner/developer to excavate, break or reconstruct all or any portion of infrastructure for a project.

If unknown to you, The City will identify which agreement is applicable as part of your construction drawing submission.

The information collected will facilitate Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) applications and authorizations as well as assist various divisions within The City with forecasting capital projects and scheduling for the year.

Every proposed development must be reported to Development Commitments who then applies to Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) for authorization to proceed with construction of said developments. 

Under AEP’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, The City of Calgary is the approving authority for these activities within its jurisdiction and is responsible for coordinating and integrating the review of potential impacts of proposed projects on the environment in The City of Calgary’s administrative region. 

If a storm drainage system for a subdivision drains to a stormwater pond, a pond report must be submitted and approved by Development Engineering – Utilities prior to submitting the infrastructure construction drawings to Development Commitments.

The City of Calgary will coordinate the registration of public ponds under the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) with Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP). The purpose of EPEA is to support and promote the protection, enhancement, and wise use of the environment, and is administered by AEP.

A pond report, approved by The City (Development Engineering – Utilities), is required prior to Development Engineering – Utilities submitting the application for registration to AEP.  The owner, developer, or designated consultant is responsible for preparing and submitting the required information to Development Engineering – Utilities including a completed EPEA application form: stormwater management and design - 2011.

Erosion and Sediment Control plan reviews are a parallel process to construction drawing reviews. Approval is required prior to approval of underground or surface construction.

Find guidelines, standards & specifications and the ESC Field Manual, refer to erosion and sediment control plan reviews.

The City of Calgary requires that Geotechnical Reports be submitted as part of Land Development Applications to provide confirmation that the lands in question can physically accommodate the proposed development while minimizing Risks to Public Safety.

There are three main types of Geotechnical Reports that may be required as part of a Land Development Application.

They are defined as follows:

Geotechnical evaluation report – An interpretative report that is completed by a qualified Geotechnical Engineering Consultant and is intended to evaluate the geotechnical conditions of the site and confirm that the land may be used safely for the intended use without undue risk of hazards.

Slope stability report – A detailed report intended to assess Stable Land within the area set out in the report. This report is used to determine the boundaries of Development.

Deep fills report – A geotechnical analysis of the soils within areas of the Development being filled more than two metres deep. The report contains recommendations on any Development restrictions, including bearing certificates and special foundation designs that may be necessary to provide integrity of any structure, including buildings, roads and utilities constructed on those fill areas. A Deep Fills Report will also typically contain a plan showing all areas of cuts and fills known as a Cut-Fill Plan.

Depending on the characteristics of the parcel, more than one type of Geotechnical Report may be required in connection with a given Land Development Application.

For more details, see geotechnical reports.

Legal Plans

Plans must be created by the applicant or an Alberta Land Surveyor to show the boundaries of each new lot. Upon approval of a subdivision by plan, an Alberta Land Surveyor prepares a plan of survey, based on monuments placed in the ground.  The plan gets registered at the Land Titles office.

Miscellaneous Plans

Plans for corner cuts, road widening, access easements, utility rights-of-way, that have no concurrent subdivision applications.

A conceptual stormwater drainage plan in support of the Area Structure Plan and prepared for large drainage areas serviced by a single outfall to a receiving water body such as the Bow River.

For more information see staged master and master drainage plans.

Purchase master drainage plans from CityOnline

Required from the Province of Alberta prior to approval of outline plans.

As part of the planning process in Calgary, residential areas are examined to determine whether there is an existing or potential problem in outdoor rear leisure areas around the home. The City is committed to reducing the impact of noise generated by vehicles in existing and future residential areas.

Related info: network planning.

An approved pavement design is required to obtain surface construction permission. The pavement design must be submitted, under cover letter by the developer or their consulting engineer, to The City of Calgary, Materials and surface restoration – Pavement soils asset management for approval. See road specifications and guidelines for more information at roads.

The objective of a Sanitary Servicing Study (SSS) is to demonstrate the adequacy of the existing and proposed sanitary sewer systems to satisfy the demands of a proposed development or redevelopment.

For more details, see refer to the sanitary servicing study guidelines

For more information on what to submit and to get additional support or to inquire about report availability, see sanitary servicing studies.

Find guidelines and checklists indicating what to submit refer to staged master drainage plans.

See how to submit and view approved reports at CityOnline.

Find guidelines, checklists, and report submission requirements, refer to stormwater management reports.

See how to submit and view approved reports at CityOnline.

Water development resources - development

1. Not adhering to the current CAD standard.
2. Incomplete application submission including the omission of updated adjacent/adjoining block profiles.
3. The detailed cover letter is not explicit enough to clarify complexities.

1. A comprehensive detailed cover letter. At the first submission, outline the project scope and justifications and explanations of any unusual conditions. All subsequent submissions should clearly and thoroughly address the comments from the review.
2. Providing a CPC approved and stamped outline plan within the drawing set.

1. An incomplete request
2. Outstanding requirements

1. Clear site map(s) displaying the exact infrastructure requesting to be built. This may mean including multiple site maps depending on the extent of the proposed infrastructure to be constructed.
2. Clear site map titles (ie. Underground Construction Permission Request or Partial Surface Construction Request).
3. Requests for partial permission to construct - indicate which area is being constructed with a red boundary, and hatch and label the area which is not included in the request.

Requirements and processes related to the Construction Completion Certificate (CCC) and Final Acceptance Certificate (FAC) are outlined in detail here. The guidelines ensure that infrastructure such as utilities, improvements, streetlights, and boulevards comply with City of Calgary standards.

As-builts are required post construction to ensure that The City can maintain accurate records of the installed infrastructure. Drawings in PDF and AutoCad are submitted to WaterUtilityAsbuilt@calgary.ca

Once drawings are approved, security reductions may be authorized.

The name presented to the Calgary Planning Commission (CPC) for a recommendation and approved by Council through a bylaw.

A developer divides their developments into progressive phases. The phase number identifies a stage of their development project.

Stamped and signed by a professional engineer or equivalent. Digitally stamped and signed through ConsignO by a professional engineer. Authentication must be verifiable.

A committee appointed by City Council that acts as Approving Authority on all subdivision matters and as Development Authority on some development matters.

A legal contract used for all residential, industrial and commercial developments outlining the terms and conditions under which development of the lands are to take place within The City.

A contract between The City and a property owner authorizing a certified contractor to work on behalf of the property owner/developer.