Residential building addition

Residential building addition projects are some of the most common development requests and include such projects as the addition of a sunroom, bedroom, office, or an entire second storey.

What permits do I need for a building addition development?

Building additions can require up to three Parks Canada permits. Firstly, a Development Permit, which ensures conformance with the requirements listed in the Town of Jasper Land Use Policy including the Architectural Motif Guidelines for the Town of Jasper (PDF, 2.93 MB). Secondly, a Building Permit ensuring conformance to the National Park Building Regulations and National Building Code – Alberta Edition. Thirdly, after the construction is complete, and the final safety codes inspections are complete, you can then obtain an Occupancy Permit / Certificate of Completion to close out the project.

Where can I find the specific development requirements for a building addition?

The Town of Jasper Land Use Policy contains both general and specific requirements that depend on what zoning district you are in. Your zoning district can be found by referencing the Town of Jasper Land Use Map.

What are the requirements if I wish to add a 13.7 m² bedroom addition off my first storey of my residential bungalow?

When planning to build an addition that would expand your homes footprint (Site Coverage), you would start with obtaining a Real Property Report (RPR) of your Site. Using the RPR you can then start to draft a Site Plan and draw in the front, side, and rear setbacks to find the building pocket (potential area that your building, and the addition, may sit within). The following table lists the required setbacks of the primary building:

With the potential building pocket (the area within your Site’s setbacks) you can then look at your maximum Site Coverage of all your buildings (including any structures which are 1.0 m or more in height) and maximum Gross Floor Area (total floor area of all floors of your home) to ensure your addition is within your District’s limits. The following table contains each zoning district’s maximum Site Coverage and Gross Floor Area requirements:

In the Architectural Motif I noticed that upper floors are to be built into the roof structure and the use of dormers is to be used to achieve headroom, light and venting. Are there any limitations on roof dormers?

The preferred architectural style of a roof dormer is to be a gabled (minimum 6:12 roof slope except in the case of a mobile home where the roof pitch minimum is 4:12), but in some instances the span of the dormer may be more conducive to a shed style dormer which may have a reduced slope. Dormers on either the front or back elevations shall not be more than 50% of the primary building width. Dormers on either side elevation in the R4 District shall not be more than 50% of the primary building width, and 75% of the primary building width for all other districts.

Can I have any projections into the setbacks?

The Primary Building, including your proposed building addition, should not project into a setback, but the following projections from the building are permissible:

1. Front setback (for all districts):
   
   • eaves, balconies, canopies, decks, and fire escapes may project a maximum of 1.0 m over or onto a required front setback; and
   • open porches may project a maximum of 1.8 m over or onto a required front setback.
2. Side setbacks:
   • For all districts except R4 - eaves, balconies, canopies, decks, fire escapes, and open porches may project a maximum of 0.9 m over or onto a required side setback, except that only eaves may project into a required side setback on a site where the side setback is used for vehicular access to the rear of the site.
   • For the R4 District - eaves, balconies, canopies, decks, fire escapes, and open porches may project a maximum of 0.6 m over or onto a required side setback.
3. Rear setback: eaves, balconies, canopies, decks, fire escapes, and open porches may project a maximum of 1.8 m over into a required rear setback.
4. Bay windows, chimneys, and other architectural projections may project a maximum of 0.6 m into any setback.
5. Any projections above the first story of the building may not exceed 0.6 m.
6. Unenclosed steps providing entry exclusively to a basement or first floor of a principal building may project over or into a required front, rear, or side setback except into a required side setback on a site where the side setback is used for vehicular access to the rear of the site.

I’ve heard that there are limitations on the colour and materials I can use for the siding and roofing of my home. Where can I find these?

With an addition you should try and match the existing exterior materials and colours if the existing materials and colours are compliant. As part of the Architectural Motif Guidelines for the Town of Jasper, building materials should appear to be local in origin and colours that relate directly to the surrounding natural environment. Building exterior colour and materials can be found on the Jasper Colour Palette webpage.

How do I plan my required on-site parking and landscaping?

On-site parking and landscaping requirements are dependent on which district your home is within as well as if your home has back lane access.

On your Site Plan parking stalls are required to be dimensioned at the minimum width of 2.7m and length of 6.0m and shall be unobstructed. If your site has back lane access the parking must be accessed from the lane and be in the back yard. Except in the R4 zoning district, sites without back lane access cannot have their required on-site parking within the front setback. Parking stalls must also be setback a minimum of 0.6 m from public roadways / back lanes.

If your addition is removing existing landscaping at the rear of the existing building) you will have to provide a Site Plan along with your proposed landscaping calculations. More information on soft landscaping, including sample landscape plans and calculations, as well as the link to the Parks Canada approved planting list, are all available on the Landscaping: Including sidewalks, decks and parking webpage.

What do I need to submit for a Development Permit for a building addition?

1. Development Permit Application - There is no fee for a development permit application. To apply for a development permit, please sign and submit the Development permit application (in the Jasper Townsite) (PDF, 199 KB). This will provide the development office with basic contact information and the anticipated cost of the project to ensure the proper authority approves the permit.
2. Building Addition Checklist - The Building Addition Checklist (PDF, 127 KB) is for you to ensure you are submitting everything that is required for a complete development permit submission package for an Interior Renovation. Include a short narrative to describe your proposed project which may include photos if you think it will help explain what currently exists onsite or what is being proposed.
3. Architectural plans (in metric and drawn to a scale of not less than 1:100) demonstrating:
   
   • Dimensioned floor plans of existing (in accordance with previous permits) and the proposed renovations.
   • Elevation Plans for any additions that involve the building’s exterior.
4. Site Plan (in metric and drawn to a scale of not less than 1:200) The plan must show:
   
   • North arrow and Scale
   • Lot dimensions and Total Site Area (m²)
   • Dimensions and area (m²) of existing and proposed structures (primary building, garage, shed, fence, retaining walls, etc.)
   • Site Coverage of each structure and total Site Coverage Calculation
   • All setbacks (rear, front and side) from the property line to the Primary Building and the proposed structures
   • Proposed required on-site parking spaces demonstrated and dimensioned (minimum 2.7 m width by 6.0 m length each with no obstructions)
   • location of utility lines (buried and / or overhead)

The above required submissions, or any questions regarding the above, may be submitted to the Jasper Development Office at: jasperdevelopment@pc.gc.ca.

When do I need to obtain the building permit?

Once a Development Permit has been issued, you can begin the process of applying for a building permit as detailed on the Parks Canada Building Permit webpage.