Calgary, Alberta
Residential Drafting & Custom Home Design in Calgary
Custom-home design, renovations, basement and secondary-suite plans, residential construction drawings and permit drawing packages for homeowners, builders and contractors in Calgary and southern Alberta.
Drafting Smith designs the home and prepares the drawings. You choose who builds it.
Every estimate request is reviewed within 24 hours.
Designed Around the Property
A City Lot, Infill Site and Acreage Should Not Get the Same House
Calgary-area residential projects can start with very different properties: a new-community lot, an established-neighbourhood redevelopment, a narrow infill site or several acres outside the city.
The property can influence garage and driveway placement, orientation, views, setbacks, access, outdoor connections, basement planning and the overall form of the home.
Drafting Smith develops the floor plan and exterior together, then prepares the detailed residential drawings once the design is established.
Residential Projects
More Than Custom Homes
Renovation & Addition Design
Existing and proposed plans for reorganizing or expanding an existing Calgary-area home.
Basement & Secondary Suite Design
Basement layouts and secondary-suite plans developed around the existing home and the requirements that apply to the property.
Building Permit Drawings
Residential drawings prepared for municipal review for new homes, renovations, additions, basements, suites and other applicable projects.
Residential Drafting Services
Already have a concept or builder sketch? We can develop it into a coordinated residential drawing package for pricing, permit review and construction, where applicable.
Selected Work
Calgary Projects
Explore our residential drafting projects in Calgary and surrounding communities, featuring custom home designs, thoughtful layouts and practical plans tailored to local homeowners and builders.
Choose the Builder You Want
Drafting Smith Is Not a Home Builder
Many Calgary custom-home companies combine design and construction. Drafting Smith takes a different role.
If you already have a builder, we can work with them while the design develops. If you do not, the design and drawing package can be completed first and used to obtain pricing from the builder or contractor you choose.
That separation can be useful for homeowners who want to develop the home before committing to a construction company, and for builders who need outside drafting support for client projects.
Greater Calgary
The House Still Has to Respond to the Site
Rocky View County, Foothills County and other country-residential markets around Calgary offer more land, but that does not mean fewer design constraints.
Access, orientation, views, topography, private servicing, setbacks, outbuildings and future site plans can all influence where the home sits and how it should be designed.
Permit and development requirements also change outside Calgary city limits. The actual municipality and property information are reviewed before the project scope is confirmed.
Updated October 2026
Current Rules Matter More Than Old Online Advice
Calgary’s residential land-use rules changed again in August 2026. That makes property-specific research especially important for infill, redevelopment, suites and new-home projects.
Low-Density Residential Districts Were Reinstated
The City’s 2026 repeal of citywide rezoning took effect on August 4, 2026, returning most affected properties to the low-density land-use districts that applied before the 2024 rezoning, with specified exemptions. The current district for the actual property should be checked before relying on older articles or assumptions.
Secondary Suites Remain Part of the Low-Density Framework
Calgary separately amended the Land Use Bylaw in 2026 to list secondary suites as permitted uses in low-density residential districts. The permit path and site requirements still depend on the property and land-use district.
Backyard Suites Are a Different Project Type
The City states that backyard suites always require permits, including development and building approval, along with applicable trade permits. The lot, setbacks, access, parking and other development rules need to be considered before the design is finalized.
New Homes Also Have Alberta Requirements
Alberta’s new-home framework requires the applicable licensed-builder and warranty requirements, or an Owner Builder Authorization where that route applies. The home can be designed before the builder is chosen, but those provincial requirements must be addressed before the applicable building-permit stage.
Drafting Smith Prepares the Drawings
The homeowner or builder submits the permit application, and the City or municipality makes the approval decision. If the project requires engineering, surveying or other professional information, that work is handled separately and can be coordinated into the drawing package where appropriate.
Drafting Support
Residential Drawings Without Adding an In-House Drafting Department
Drafting Smith works directly with builders, renovators and contractors on custom client homes, plan development, revisions, additions, basement projects and residential drawing packages.
You keep the client relationship. We prepare the drawings and can coordinate directly with the homeowner or other project partners when that makes sense.
Completed plans are supplied as PDFs. Project timing is discussed when the scope is quoted; editable DWG/source files are not supplied.
Saskatoon Based. Digital by Design.
Calgary Projects Use the Same Process as Every Other Project
Drafting Smith does not maintain a Calgary office and does not pretend otherwise. The company also does not run an in-person process for Saskatoon clients.
Phone calls, email, online meetings and digital plan review are the normal process. For existing homes, we first review the plans, photos, measurements, surveys or other information available and determine what still needs to be confirmed.
Every estimate request is reviewed within 24 hours. The actual design and drafting schedule depends on the project scope and current workload.
Calgary & Southern Alberta
Calgary and the Communities Around It
Drafting Smith works with projects throughout Calgary and nearby communities such as Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, Okotoks, High River and Strathmore.
Acreage and country-residential projects can also be considered in Rocky View County, Foothills County and the Diamond Valley area.
The remote process makes appropriate projects elsewhere in southern and central Alberta possible as well. The permit authority and site requirements are confirmed for the actual property rather than assuming Calgary rules apply outside the city.
Calgary Area
Calgary
Airdrie
Cochrane
Chestermere
Okotoks
High River
Strathmore
Acreage & Country-Residential
Rocky View County
Foothills County
Diamond Valley
Calgary Homeowner
We needed plans for an addition to our house. They listened to what we wanted and came up with a layout that made sense for our family.
Karen & Tim A. — House Addition
Calgary FAQs
Questions About Residential Drafting in Calgary
Can I design a custom home before choosing a Calgary builder?
Yes. Drafting Smith can develop the design and residential drawing package independently. If you already have a builder, we can work with them; if not, the finished plans can be used to obtain construction pricing. Alberta’s builder, warranty or owner-builder requirements still need to be addressed before the applicable new-home permit stage.
Did Calgary zoning change again in 2026?
Yes. The City repealed citywide rezoning and reinstated low-density residential districts effective August 4, 2026, with specified exemptions. The current zoning for the actual property should be checked before design decisions are based on older information.
Can you design Calgary secondary suites and backyard suites?
Yes, where the property and current rules allow the proposed project. Secondary and backyard suites have different development and permit requirements, so the property is reviewed before the layout is finalized.
Do you work on acreage homes outside Calgary?
Yes. We can take appropriate country-residential and acreage projects in surrounding municipalities such as Rocky View County and Foothills County. Site and permit requirements are reviewed for the actual jurisdiction.
Do you work directly with Calgary builders and contractors?
Yes. Builders, renovators and contractors can hire Drafting Smith for residential plan development, revisions and detailed drawing packages.
Do I need to travel to Saskatoon for meetings?
No. The design and review process is handled by phone, email, online meetings and digital plan review.
Official Information
Useful Calgary / Alberta Starting Points
Calgary
Building permit information for new homes, secondary suites, additions, garages and basement developments.
Airdrie
Residential permits for new homes, renovations, basements and garages.
Cochrane
Permit requirements for custom homes, additions and residential renovations.
Chestermere
Building permits for new homes, secondary suites, additions and garages.
Rocky View County
Permits for acreages, custom homes, detached garages and workshops.
Foothills County
Building permit information for rural homes, acreages, shops and secondary suites.
Planning a Calgary-Area Project?
Start With the Property and the Project Type
Send the property location, what you are planning and whatever information you already have – survey or Real Property Report, sketches, photos, existing plans or inspiration. We will review the project and let you know what is needed to define the design and drawing scope.
Every estimate request is reviewed within 24 hours.