Post-war and 1950s
Small bungalows on generous lots in the established inner communities. What to look at:
- Electrical capacity. These homes were built for a fraction of modern demand. Check the panel and service size, and look for evidence of older wiring types still in place.
- Plumbing supply lines — older galvanised piping corrodes internally and restricts flow.
- Asbestos-containing materials in flooring, ceilings and pipe insulation. Detail →
- Insulation levels, which are typically far below current standards and show up in winter heating bills.
- Foundation and grading, given seventy years of soil settlement. Detail →
1960s and 1970s
- Aluminum branch wiring in homes from roughly the mid-1960s onward. A known condition with an accepted remedy, and an insurance question. Detail →
- Asbestos remains relevant through this era.
- Original windows, if never replaced — a significant comfort and efficiency issue in this climate.
- Vermiculite in attics.
- Cast iron drain stacks approaching end of life.
1980s and 1990s
- Poly-B plumbing — the defining item of this era in Calgary, and an insurance question rather than a plumbing one. Detail →
- Original furnaces and hot water tanks now well past typical service life if never replaced.
- Windows and seals — failed double-glazing shows as fogging between panes.
- Roof age, likely on its second covering by now. Detail →
- Deck and exterior structures built in that period and possibly unpermitted.
2000s onward
Generally the fewest surprises, but not none. Look at envelope details — flashing, sealing and drainage plane execution — because rapid construction periods produce variable workmanship. Check for evidence of basement development done after the fact, and whether it was permitted.
Brand new
Yes, inspect it. Municipal inspection verifies code compliance, not finish quality or whether things function, and warranty coverage requires you to identify and report defects within deadlines you are responsible for tracking.
Common findings in new Calgary homes: grading not yet complete or already sloping toward the house, deficient sealing and flashing, HVAC balancing so that some rooms never get warm, and a long list of finish defects that are far easier to have corrected before final payment than after. What warranty covers →
The single best inspection value in Calgary real estate is a pre-possession inspection on a new build — a few hundred dollars, at the one moment when the builder still has a reason to care.