Climate ready measures: General advice
If your home is damaged by a climate hazard:
- Most importantly, keep you and your family safe.
- Report property damage to your insurance provider as soon as possible.
- Record information about the event and the extent of damage to your home. Information can be recorded through written documentation, photographs and/or videos, and can be used to support your insurance claim. It is useful to take pictures with time stamps.
Home Self-Evaluation Tool
Self-assess your home to understand how you can prepare for climate impacts.
Talk to your insurance provider
- Are you covered for damage from climate hazards, such as wildfire, flooding, hail, wind, freezing rain and heavy snow? Specific types of damage may be excluded. Policy deductibles may vary depending on the cause of damage.
- Does coverage include other structures and belongings?
- Does your policy have a deductible? Are there separate deductibles? (e.g., a separate deductible tied to your “water damage” or basement flooding endorsement)
- Do you have coverage for living expenses if you cannot stay in your home?
- Are discounts or other incentives available for climate ready home measures?
Speak with your insurance provider about how the home improvement measures in this guide could affect your policy. Some, like those focused on basement flooding, could improve your coverage or reduce your insurance premiums.
Talk to a professional contractor
- Each home's capacity to withstand climate hazards is different. Qualified, private building inspectors could offer important insights.
- Disturbing the ground on your property can cause damage to a buried utility. Before landscaping, building a new fence or deck, or planting a garden, contact Utility Safety Partners at 1-800-242-3447. Request that the buried utilities on your property be located and marked.
- A professional energy advisor can provide detailed information on protecting your home from extreme heat. They can also advise on reducing your energy bills.
- A certified arborist can assess the health of your trees. They may advise on pruning for health and structure or replacement with a suitable species if at end of life.
Learn about The City’s permit, bylaw and professional requirements for your project before your get started.
Read our tips on hiring the right contractor for you.
Talk to The City
- A development permit allows The City to review your plans. This ensures they comply with the Calgary Land Use Bylaw requirements for your property. Not all home improvement projects require a development permit.
- Special regulations apply for development in flood risk areas.
- A Building Permit is designed to address life and safety issues of a structure. Your application will be reviewed for compliance with the National Building Code – Alberta Edition.
Visit Calgary.ca/MyHome or contact the Planning Services Centre to learn about the permits you will need.
Learn how to get prepared for any emergency at Calgary.ca/GetReady.
Disclaimer: The content of the Climate Ready Home Guide is for informational purposes only and cannot be construed as technical advice with respect to any particular building(s) or construction project(s). The Climate Ready Home Guide does not recommend or endorse specific products or companies. All products and measures should be installed by a professional contractor, according to manufacturer specifications and following all City Bylaws and codes.
Did you know?
Canada's building and infrastructure design are based on historical climate data. Infrastructure Canada’s Climate-Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure Initiative aims to integrate climate resilience with these designs. The goal is to address climate resilience in the National Building Code 2025 edition.
The work also guides new publications on how to protect buildings and homes against hazards like wildfire and flooding.