Alberta variance guide · Published 2026-10-21 · By Sebastián Álvarez Villa
What is an Alberta building code variance?
In Alberta, a variance or alternative solution is a request to use a different approach from a code rule while demonstrating an approximately equal or greater level of safety. The owner requests it through the safety codes process; a Safety Codes Officer, technical administrator, or the Safety Codes Council can issue a variance. Preparing a request is not the same as receiving one.
Two names for a formal request
The Safety Codes Council uses variance and alternative solution together. The idea is to authorize an installation, process, equipment, or action that does not strictly follow an existing rule, provided the required safety level is demonstrated. It is a pathway for a specific proposal, not a waiver of safety requirements.
Calgary's building guide uses the term variance for the formal request and describes the applicant's task under the National Building Code – Alberta Edition. Local forms and submission steps can differ, so use the instructions of the authority handling the project.
Sources: Safety Codes Council: Variances · City of Calgary: Guide to Applying for an Alternative Solution (2023)
Who requests it, and who decides?
The owner, or an authorized agent acting for the owner, prepares the request. The proposal identifies the rule at issue, the alternative and the supporting evidence. A qualified professional may need to prepare or sign technical material. The applicant does not grant the variance by completing a form.
The Safety Codes Council says a variance may be issued by a Safety Codes Officer, a technical administrator, or the Council. Calgary's guide recommends discussing the need with a building Safety Codes Officer before preparing the application. Ask the authority having jurisdiction which process applies to your address and code edition.
Sources: Safety Codes Council: Variances · City of Calgary: Guide to Applying for an Alternative Solution (2023)
When a variance is the wrong shortcut
Calgary's guide says a variance is not a means of waiving the code's required safety level and is not intended as a product approval process. If a product has an evaluation report, that report may be evidence, but it does not itself grant project-specific acceptance. The authority must assess the actual proposal.
Before drafting, check whether an issued provincial variance or a local standing solution already covers the situation. Then collect the drawings, reports and project facts that explain the proposed approach. An incomplete package can lead to a request for more information.
Sources: Safety Codes Council: Variances · City of Calgary: Guide to Applying for an Alternative Solution (2023)
This guide organizes public information. It is not a technical assessment, an approval or a substitute for the current authority's instructions and a qualified professional.