Does the Safety Codes Council require an engineered drawing for a 400 sq ft deck on a walkout basement in Evergreen?

The Safety Codes Council of Alberta doesn't directly require engineered drawings, but the City of Calgary's building permit requirements determine when structural drawings are needed for your 400 sq ft walkout deck in Evergreen.

For a deck of this size on a walkout basement, you'll likely need engineered drawings. The City of Calgary typically requires structural drawings for decks over 300 sq ft, and your 400 sq ft deck exceeds this threshold. Additionally, walkout basement decks often involve more complex structural considerations than ground-level decks, including proper attachment to the house structure, appropriate footings extending below Calgary's 4+ foot frost line, and accounting for the elevation change.

The Safety Codes Council of Alberta is the umbrella organization that administers Alberta's safety codes system and accredits the agencies that employ Safety Codes Officers. These officers review your permit application and conduct inspections, but they follow the Alberta Building Code requirements as enforced by the City of Calgary. When the city requires engineered drawings as part of the building permit application, the Safety Codes Officer will review those drawings during the permit process.

Calgary-specific requirements for your Evergreen deck include a building permit (required for all decks over 108 sq ft or more than 24 inches high), and likely a development permit since you're in an established neighborhood where deck placement and appearance standards apply. The city's online portal at calgaryplanningpermit.ca can help you determine exact requirements, but expect 2-4 weeks for permit processing once you submit complete drawings.

Professional guidance is essential here - hire a structural engineer to design the deck and ensure proper connection to your walkout basement structure. The engineer will account for Calgary's extreme weather conditions, including snow loads, chinook wind loads, and the expansive clay soils common in newer communities like Evergreen. A qualified deck contractor can then build to those engineered specifications.

Next steps: Contact the City of Calgary at 311 or check calgaryplanningpermit.ca to confirm permit requirements for your specific lot. Get quotes from structural engineers (typically $800-$2,000 for deck drawings) and find verified deck contractors in our Calgary directory to handle the construction and permit process.