Basement permits in Regina: what you actually need before framing starts

Every month someone calls us about a basement that was developed without a permit, usually because they are trying to sell the house and the buyer's inspector flagged it. Fixing that after the fact means opening walls. Doing it right the first time means a few forms and a couple of inspections.

What needs a permit

In Regina any basement development that adds rooms, moves plumbing, adds electrical circuits or creates a bedroom needs a building permit. Plumbing and electrical permits are separate and are pulled by the licensed trades doing the work. Painting and flooring alone do not need one.

Bedrooms and egress

A basement bedroom needs an egress window that a person can climb out of. In practice that means an opening of at least 0.35 square metres with no dimension under 380 millimetres, a window well big enough to stand in, and a sill height that a child can reach. Most 1960s to 1990s houses need the window cut larger. We do this with a concrete saw in a morning.

Secondary suites

A legal suite adds requirements: fire separation between units, interconnected smoke alarms, a separate heating system or a rated ducting arrangement, sound attenuation and a second entrance. The City also has zoning rules on parking. It is more work but a legal suite adds real value and rents without risk.

Cost and timing

• Building permit fees for a typical basement run a few hundred dollars and are billed as a line item in our quote.
• Plan review usually takes one to three weeks, and we submit while we are ordering materials so it does not slow the schedule.
• Inspections happen at framing, insulation and final. We book them and meet the inspector.

If you already have an unpermitted basement, do not panic. Call us and we will look at it, tell you honestly what an inspector would want opened, and quote the fix.