H-GO — Housing – Grade-Oriented District
Housing – Grade-Oriented District (H-GO) is one of Calgary's grade-oriented housing districts under the Land Use Bylaw. Permitted: dwelling unit, single detached house, semi-detached house, duplex, rowhouse, townhouse, secondary suite.
Last reviewed: August 2026
What you can build in H-GO
Permitted (the rules below still apply):
- Dwelling unit
- Single detached house
- Semi-detached house
- Duplex
- Rowhouse
- Townhouse
- Secondary suite
H-GO rules at a glance
| Building height | 12 m s.1399(2): where a building setback is required from a property line shared with a low density residential district, H-GO, or M-CG, max height at that line = greater of (neighbour building height, 8.0 m), stepping up at 45° to a max of 12.0 m. |
|---|---|
| Parcel coverage | 45% (under 40 units/ha); 50% (40–50 units/ha); 55% (50–60 units/ha); 60% (60+ units/ha); 45% (other uses) Coverage is tiered by density: 45% (<40 uph), 50% (40–50), 55% (50–60), 60% (≥60 uph). s.1392. |
| Front setback | 3 m |
| Side setback | 1.2 m. 0.6 m on the street side of a corner lot |
| Rear setback | 5 m. 1.2 m with a lane or on a corner lot |
| Floor area ratio | 1.5× Maximum Floor Area Ratio 1.5 (s.1390) is the primary density control for H-GO. Calculating it needs the total gross floor area of the proposed building — check that figure against your plans. |
| Maximum building depth | 0.65× the parcel depth |
| Minimum parking | 0.5 stalls per unit 0.5 per secondary/backyard suite |
Common H-GO permit mistakes
- Total floor area can be at most 1.5 times the lot area. That, not a unit count, is the real limit, and it's easy to go over.
- Coverage goes up with the number of units, to a maximum of 60%. More units doesn't automatically mean a bigger footprint.
- A steep roof or raised main floor can push the height over 12 m.
- The building can't be deeper than 65% of the lot depth.
- Every unit needs its own door at ground level with direct access to the street. Shared or stacked entrances don't count.
Notes
- New district from the 2024 blanket rezoning (21P2024): a flexible grade-oriented multi-unit infill district.
- Density is controlled primarily by a Floor Area Ratio of 1.5 (s.1390), not a units/ha cap.
- Building depth: max 65% of parcel depth (s.1393).
- Minimum off-street parking is 0.5 stalls per dwelling unit (s.1411).
- Minimum bicycle parking 1.0 stall per unit (s.1413).
Is a specific Calgary lot zoned H-GO?
Amest reads the current district for any Calgary address and shows the buildable envelope, setbacks and unit count for that exact lot — free.
Check an address →Bylaw sections: Purpose (s.1386), Uses (s.1387), Floor area ratio (s.1390), Parcel coverage (s.1392), Building depth (s.1393), Front setback (s.1395), Side setback (s.1396), Rear setback (s.1397), Height (s.1399), Parking (s.1411). Read the live City of Calgary bylaw for this district →
Digitized from the City of Calgary Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 as amended (incl. Bylaw 9P2026, effective August 4, 2026). Amest is not the City of Calgary, a planning authority, or a law firm. Preliminary information only — confirm with the City and a qualified professional before buying or building.