Calgary, a city home to over a million people, is the largest city in the province of Alberta and one of Canada's premier urban centers.
It's a beautiful city, set just a few hours away from the Rocky Mountains, where thousands of people come to live each year.
Because of Calgary's reputation for being one of the most aesthetically attractive cities in the country, many communities in the city are subjected to certain standards that limit what you can accomplish when you're thinking of doing renovations.
Depending on the scale of your renovations, you might have to take into consideration your community's aesthetic continuity, especially if you are remodeling the exterior of home, your backyard, or if you are in one of Calgary's more recently built neighborhoods.
There are many communities both within the city and along the city's outskirts (such as Chestermere, Canmore, Okotoks, et al) that mandate the types of changes that you can make, and insist that whatever you change, the look and feel of your house adhere to an overall aesthetic that the community is striving for.
While city of Calgary supports renovations projects, understanding that such projects are essential to maintaining and re-vitalizing mature communities, it still requires full participation with their legislation and city by-laws.
Calgary's City Hall is known to update and rearrange its by-laws frequently, in an attempt to regulate the city's constant growth.
Because of these stipulations placed on many of the neighborhoods in Calgary, it's important that you investigate the by-laws in your own community before you proceed with any of your own home renovations.
And, as always, if you're going to be hiring someone to help you, try to find someone who is knowledgeable about the city, and can aid you in navigating these challenges.