• Must be complete, legible and indicate all right of ways setbacks, utility rights of way and any structures and projections on the property.
• Indicate the location of the proposed deck and stairs (if applicable).
• Indicate the distances from the deck to property lines and existing buildings. 

Sample site plan

Your permit application should include a deck plan drawing on a scale of not less than 1:100 (no larger than 8 ½” x 14”). Your deck plan should be clearly labelled and include:

Plan view: 

• Size of deck (length and width)
• Floor joist, type and spacing
• Size and type of decking material (if using composite decking provide the product’s CCMC listing)
• Size and spacing of beams
• Size and location of posts
• Size and type of ledger board (if applicable)
• Location of stairs (if applicable)
• Stair rise and run dimensions (if applicable)

Side elevation or cross section view:

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• Beam members must be secured together and supported on top of the supporting posts. The width or diameter of a support post cannot be less than the width of the beam being supported.
• Any wood within 6” must be adequately protected or use preserved wood.
• A handrail must be provided for stairs with more than three steps and be mounted between 865mm and 1070mm measured vertically from the stair nosing. If the handrail is acting as a guard it must be mounted between 900mm and 1070mm.
• Site-built wood handrails for stairs must be no wider than a 2x4.
• Guards are required for decks over 2' high. If the deck floor is 2’ to 5’ 11” above ground level, guards must be a minimum of 36” (900mm) high. If the deck floor is over 5’ 11” (1.8m) above ground, level guards must be 42” (1072mm) high.
• Deck bench brackets have special requirements. Please call 403.948.8832 for information.
• Guards around decks must be designed so there is no opening larger than 100mm (4”).
• Foundation support columns for attached decks must penetrate the frost level the same depth as the building or a minimum of 4'. This requirement does not apply when the distance from finished ground to the underside of the joists is not more than 600mm (2'), not supporting a roof and not attached to a structure.
• There will be additional requirements if you intend to cover or enclose your deck. Roof post loads must be transferred directly down to deck beam. Engineering may be required. 
• Other conditions may apply once a full plan review is completed by the Safety Codes Officer.
• Deck additions: all new joists must extend to and be supported on the existing deck beam and cannot be hung off the existing deck rim board.
• Egress windows below decks are not permitted unless there is a minimum headroom clearance of 2.1m between grade and the underside of deck, or there is a minimum headroom clearance of 760mm between grade and the underside of deck and the window opening is immediately adjacent to the edge of the deck above. Covers or grates over a window well serving a bedroom are not permitted unless reviewed and approved on a case by case basis.

Auger-installed helical pile (screw pile) foundations may be used to support single-storey residential buildings and accessory structures under the National Building Code provided certain conditions are met:

• An engineer, registered in the province of Alberta, must be involved in the design to determine the number and spacing of piles. This design drawings with the CCMC approval number must be submitted with the permit application. 
• A site-specific design bearing the seal of an Alberta registered professional engineer must be submitted with the building permit application.
• A building permit must be issued prior to the installation of any screw pile used as a foundation. 
• All screw piles used must have approval from the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) and may only be installed by individuals who are certified by the manufacturer of the screw pile using approved installation equipment.
• Installers must follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions and adhere to the conditions and limitations stated in the CCMC report for the specific screw pile being used. All installers must carry a certification card featuring their signature and photograph. 
• The screw piles must be hot-dipped galvanized meeting CAN/CSA-G-164 or ASTM A123/A123M with a minimum thickness of 610 g/m². Where this is not provided, an Alberta registered professional engineer shall determine the presence of corrosive conditions and specifications for corrosion protection.
• A certificate attesting to the conformity of the installation and the allowable loads for the piles must be provided by the certified installer or registered professional engineer. This conformity report must be submitted to the City before you request an inspection.

Manually-installed screw piles (screw piles which are installed without the use of machinery by a certified installer) may not be acceptable.