A garage below, a home above. Garage suites and carriage homes, from the slab to the kitchen, built by the company that has built Calgary garages since 2008.
Tell us what you are building. Customers say replies come within minutes.
A garage suite, also called a carriage home, is a separate living space built above or beside a detached garage, with its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. Alliance Renovations builds garage suites in Calgary, from the concrete pad and the garage below to the finished suite above, tracked in a Buildertrend portal.
In Alliance's words, a garage suite is "a self-contained living space inside or above a garage". It makes room for family, a home office or a rental without giving up the backyard, and it has to be built and permitted as a home, so it takes more planning than a plain garage.
Alliance builds the whole thing: the slab, the garage, the framing for the suite, then the kitchens, baths and finishing that make it livable.
Pick the size, roof, doors and siding, and the drawing updates as you go. The closest garage Alliance has already built shows up underneath. Then flip the season to winter. Alliance builds then too.
A double garage with a fresh concrete apron, on a Calgary back lane.
Black trim, a man door and a window, tucked under the trees.
Two modern doors, each with a stacked row of glass slots.
Low-slope roof, stacked-stone wainscot and a stamped concrete apron, Alliance sign out front.
A suite is a home, so the planning step matters more. The build is tracked in your portal the whole way.
A look at your lot, your lane and what you want the suite for, then a detailed, transparent quote.
“They took the time to understand my needs, provided a detailed and transparent quote.” Ebin
The drawings and the City applications a suite needs before anything is built.
The garage first, then the suite above it, with payments in stages as the work is done.
“They were regularly communicating with us during the whole process.” Joshua F.
A final walkthrough with the 3-year warranty explained, and a 1-year follow-up.
The City of Calgary calls these backyard suites. The rules, with the City page for each one.
"Backyard Suites always require planning approval (development permit) prior to applying for your other permits." A building permit comes after that.
Source: City of Calgary, New backyard suiteThe City puts a backyard suite development permit at 60 days to a decision plus a 21-day appeal period: 10 to 12 weeks in total.
Source: City of Calgary, Suite permit costs and timelinesUp to 75 m² of floor area, relaxable by up to 10%, not counting stairs and landings up to 2.5 m². Up to 7.5 m tall (10 m on a laned R-G lot), lower near a neighbouring low-density lot.
Source: Calgary Land Use Bylaw, section 352At least 5 m from the house, or 1.5 m with an outdoor space of at least 5 m by 5 m between them. A 1.5 m rear setback (0.6 m for the garage part) and a 1.2 m side setback.
Source: Calgary Land Use Bylaw, section 352The City says a backyard suite needs "a foundation like a home, with footings extending to below the frostline" (4 feet deep or greater).
Source: City of Calgary, New backyard suiteBackyard suites stay "permitted in R-G and discretionary in all other zones". "A property can no longer build both a secondary suite and a backyard suite." No more on semi-detached lots, and a parking stall again.
Source: City of Calgary, Rezoning for HousingThese are the City of Calgary's rules as of October 2026. The City says its pages are a guide, not a legal reading of the bylaws. The City calls these backyard suites, garden suites, carriage houses and laneway houses. Some older pages and articles still describe the 2024 rules. The cities, towns and counties around Calgary have their own rules, covered on each area page.
Real photos from Alliance jobs.
“Highly recommend. Of all the companies that i contacted, Alliance was the only one that was able to construct a garage during the winter. They have done a beautiful job, on time and made the process painless. Colin, Ryan, Tim and the crew were amazing. They are super responsive and most of the time they would reply back to you within minutes. The Buildertrend app they use is also great. Don't hesitate to go ahead with them!”
“We recently worked with Alliance Renovations Ltd., and Malachy and his team were amazing from start to finish. The quality of their work was excellent, and they were always professional, reliable, and easy to deal with. They took the time to address any concerns we had throughout the project and made the entire renovation process smooth and stress-free. Their attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction really stood out. We are extremely happy with the results and would highly recommend Alliance Renovations Ltd. to anyone looking for a trustworthy and skilled renovation company.”
“They did a great job with my garage despite the harsh winter weather. They reply to messages and questions within minutes. Overall, I love the outcome of my garage.”
“Alliance Renovations made the entire process smooth and stress-free. They took the time to understand my needs, provided a detailed and transparent quote, and maintained clear and consistent communication throughout the project. Their use of the Buildertrend tracking system helped me stay updated every step of the way, a feature that truly sets them apart.”
“Really happy with how the garage turned out. The team was friendly, easy to deal with, and communication was great the whole time. They worked fast, kept things organized and clean, and whenever I had a question or brought something up, they responded and took care of it quickly. Overall it was a smooth experience and I'd definitely recommend Alliance Renovations to anyone looking to get work done.”
“Alliance Renovations was a great choice to tackle our garage project. Getting an assessment and quote was easy compared to other companies we tried. Everything went smoothly from start to finish and was built quickly and efficiently with minimal issues. Malachy handled everything very professionally and had superb communication with us the whole way through. They offer many different build options to accommodate your style. We would highly recommend them to anyone. Very impressed!”
“Alliance was a great choice in building our garage. From start to finish Malachy was very informative about the building process especially the garage was built during winter months. It was a great experience and will for sure hire them for upcoming house projects.”
“One of my friends recommended Alliance for basement development. They did all planning, provided professionally done plans and did all necessary demolition prior to starting renovations. The project was running online, we could see the schedule and updates of the schedule. If something was changing Ryan was contacting us right away and in general communication was fast and clear. Price was fair, we could see clear costs breakdown and total amount we payed was as agreed. We highly recommend Alliance for basement renovations.”
“Alliance Renovations did a fantastic job with our garage! Malachy and his team were not only quick but also produced high-quality results. They were regularly communicating with us during the whole process. Their stage payment process was also very helpful. Would recommend them to anyone!”
“Alliance really did a good job, and we are very happy with their work. We compared a few builders in the very beginning and Alliance price was quite competitive. Their team members are professional and the communication is always smooth and on time. We never had any problem with them. They always try their best to meet our needs. I would highly recommend Alliance!”
“We had Alliance Renovations built our garage and we are happy with the result! I am glad we worked with Malachy, he dealt with issues promptly and was easy to work with.”
“Malachy and his team did a good job with our basement! Very pleased with the result. Malachy responded very quickly in all of our concerns. He is very patient and kind. Credits also to the female painter she is really good and to the one who did our bathroom, such a pro. We recommend!”
“Great price. Malachy is one of the best people to work with. His customer service is outstanding and he always goes above and beyond. It's always a pleasure dealing with Malachy and the Alliance Team.”
“Highly recommend. Of all the companies that i contacted, Alliance was the only one that was able to construct a garage during the winter. They have done a beautiful job, on time and made the process painless. Colin, Ryan, Tim and the crew were amazing. They are super responsive and most of the time they would reply back to you within minutes. The Buildertrend app they use is also great. Don't hesitate to go ahead with them!”
“We recently worked with Alliance Renovations Ltd., and Malachy and his team were amazing from start to finish. The quality of their work was excellent, and they were always professional, reliable, and easy to deal with. They took the time to address any concerns we had throughout the project and made the entire renovation process smooth and stress-free. Their attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction really stood out. We are extremely happy with the results and would highly recommend Alliance Renovations Ltd. to anyone looking for a trustworthy and skilled renovation company.”
“They did a great job with my garage despite the harsh winter weather. They reply to messages and questions within minutes. Overall, I love the outcome of my garage.”
“Alliance Renovations made the entire process smooth and stress-free. They took the time to understand my needs, provided a detailed and transparent quote, and maintained clear and consistent communication throughout the project. Their use of the Buildertrend tracking system helped me stay updated every step of the way, a feature that truly sets them apart.”
“Really happy with how the garage turned out. The team was friendly, easy to deal with, and communication was great the whole time. They worked fast, kept things organized and clean, and whenever I had a question or brought something up, they responded and took care of it quickly. Overall it was a smooth experience and I'd definitely recommend Alliance Renovations to anyone looking to get work done.”
“Alliance Renovations was a great choice to tackle our garage project. Getting an assessment and quote was easy compared to other companies we tried. Everything went smoothly from start to finish and was built quickly and efficiently with minimal issues. Malachy handled everything very professionally and had superb communication with us the whole way through. They offer many different build options to accommodate your style. We would highly recommend them to anyone. Very impressed!”
“Alliance was a great choice in building our garage. From start to finish Malachy was very informative about the building process especially the garage was built during winter months. It was a great experience and will for sure hire them for upcoming house projects.”
“One of my friends recommended Alliance for basement development. They did all planning, provided professionally done plans and did all necessary demolition prior to starting renovations. The project was running online, we could see the schedule and updates of the schedule. If something was changing Ryan was contacting us right away and in general communication was fast and clear. Price was fair, we could see clear costs breakdown and total amount we payed was as agreed. We highly recommend Alliance for basement renovations.”
“Alliance Renovations did a fantastic job with our garage! Malachy and his team were not only quick but also produced high-quality results. They were regularly communicating with us during the whole process. Their stage payment process was also very helpful. Would recommend them to anyone!”
“Alliance really did a good job, and we are very happy with their work. We compared a few builders in the very beginning and Alliance price was quite competitive. Their team members are professional and the communication is always smooth and on time. We never had any problem with them. They always try their best to meet our needs. I would highly recommend Alliance!”
“We had Alliance Renovations built our garage and we are happy with the result! I am glad we worked with Malachy, he dealt with issues promptly and was easy to work with.”
“Malachy and his team did a good job with our basement! Very pleased with the result. Malachy responded very quickly in all of our concerns. He is very patient and kind. Credits also to the female painter she is really good and to the one who did our bathroom, such a pro. We recommend!”
“Great price. Malachy is one of the best people to work with. His customer service is outstanding and he always goes above and beyond. It's always a pleasure dealing with Malachy and the Alliance Team.”
Every quadrant of the city, plus the communities around it.
A garage suite sits above or beside a detached garage in the backyard, with its own entrance. A basement suite is inside the house. Both need permits to be legal in Calgary. Alliance builds both, so you can compare them on one free assessment.
Yes. Alliance builds the garage below and the suite above as one project, from the concrete pad to the finished kitchen and bath, with one schedule and one set of stage payments in your Buildertrend portal. Ask Malachy to price both together on your free quote.
You can start with Spec Your Garage on this page: the suite above is already switched on. Pick the size, roof, doors and siding, then send the spec. It fills in the quote form so Malachy sees what you have in mind.
Yes. Alliance offers project financing through Financeit, with a payment calculator and promotions that change through the year. Ask Malachy about current options when you book your free quote, so the payment plan fits your budget before any work starts.
Ask for a free quote and talk to Malachy about a garage suite on your lot.
Someone from Alliance will be with you shortly.