A legal secondary suite turns unused space into rental income, a place for family, or a smaller home you can age in. We design, fund, build, and legalize new suites, and we bring existing ones up to code.
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No better time than now
Programs like Calgary’s Secondary Suite Incentive Program and the Government of Canada’s New Secondary Suite Low Interest Loan Program make it cheaper to add a legal suite. See also secondarysuites.calgary.ca and the city’s secondary suites overview and permit guide.
Alberta Indoor Comfort handles design, funding paperwork, construction, and legalization so you are not bouncing between a contractor, a lender, and the city on your own.
Your home can do it all
A suite can cover more than one job at once:
- Generate rental income to offset the mortgage or add retirement cash flow.
- Give senior parents, adult children, or a caregiver a private, independent space.
- Downsize in place: live in the smaller suite and rent the main home, or live upstairs and rent below.
20 uses for a secondary suite
- Renter: consistent income against the mortgage or household bills.
- Senior parents: nearby independent living without a care facility.
- Adult children: affordable housing while they get established.
- Nanny: a private live-in space with mutual privacy.
- Caregiver: dedicated care in the home for elderly or disabled family.
- Student rental: steady income while housing a local student.
- Downsizing: move into the suite and rent the main home in retirement.
- Vacation rental: short-term stays in peak seasons, where the bylaw allows.
- Guests: private space for visiting family instead of a hotel.
- Home business: office or studio with possible tax treatment on that space.
- Exchange student: extra income plus a cultural exchange at home.
- Newcomers: rental housing while someone settles in.
- Co-housing: split costs with trusted friends or relatives.
- Multi-generational: more than one generation under one roof, with privacy.
- Tax treatment: expenses tied to the suite may be deductible. Confirm with your accountant.
- Retirement income: rent that supplements a pension or savings.
- Temp housing during a reno: live in the suite while the main floor is rebuilt.
- Mortgage qualification: projected rent can help a lender size the loan.
- Emergency housing: a place for family after a job loss or disaster.
- Future-proofing: aging in place or later family changes without moving.
Illustrative cash flow
This chart is an example of how suite rent, costs, and financing can stack. Your numbers depend on the house, the bylaw, and the lender.
Paying for your suite
Building a suite is often more affordable when you combine more than one funding source, and when interest on the renovation loan is deductible. We include the funding step in the process: projected in and out cash flows that lenders usually ask for, plus rental assumptions.
- Government grants and rebates: municipal or provincial programs for energy upgrades or code-compliant basement suites.
- Personal savings: covers materials and labour without a new monthly payment.
- Mortgage refinancing: pull equity at a mortgage rate and put it into the project.
- Home equity line of credit (HELOC): borrow against equity as you need it; interest only on what you draw.
- Bank loans and credit: compare rates and terms before you sign.
- Partnerships and private funding: family, friends, or a private investor share cost and rent.
- CMHC incentives: mortgage insurance programs sometimes apply when a suite is added. Availability changes; we check current rules with you.
What our customers have to say
“Great customer service! We were treated like friends. Very helpful team!”
“Fantastic company. From the thorough consultation to the installation everyone we dealt with was professional, knowledgeable, efficient and responsive. They cleaned up after themselves and explained everything we needed to know. Also great customer service. I would highly recommend this company for any AC, heating, water tank needs. Thank you Alberta Indoor Comfort for setting us up and making our home more comfortable.”
“Was very well versed with the service that was going to be provided I am quite happy that was him that came to my to explain some times you don’t have the questions to ask but with the knowledge he had put me to peace I would recommend Daryl to everyone I will be doing business with Daryl and James came on a follow up and was exceptional thanks for the service”