Homeowner Trade Permits

To be eligible for homeowner trade permits:

• You must be doing the work yourself
• You must legally own the home and live there
• You must be capable of performing the work in accordance with applicable safety regulations
• It must be a detached home (not a condo building or other multi-unit development)
• You must not be doing work in a dwelling unit that you do not live in (e.g. basement suite)

Homeowner electrical permits

For safety reasons, a homeowners electrical permit does not allow:

• Installation or modification of the main electrical service, including the main panel, main breaker and the meter base
• Electrical work requiring other than standard wiring materials
• Work on systems over 100 amperes in capacity
• Work on a three phase electrical system
• Work on systems over 150 volts to ground
• Electrical work involving a hot tub or swimming pool

This guide is available for homeowners doing their own electrical wiring work. See Homeowner electrical guide 

Homeowner gas permits

Homeowners gas permits are only issued for individuals who are qualified gasfitters.

If you are not a trained gasfitter, you must hire a licensed gasfitter who is eligible to receive gas permits

Gasfitters are properly trained in the installation, operation and maintenance of gas services.

To apply for a Homeowner Trade Permit, click below:

Apply online

New to ePermit?
See user guide

We can help you apply online. Contact us by email or phone (403) 529-8374.

Online:

• Visa or Mastercard

In-person:

• Debit
• Cash
• Cheque
• Visa or Mastercard

Mail:

• Cheque

Fees and Charges

For many projects, it is important to find out where the utility lines are. We will ask you for line locates when you apply for some City permits. Locates are free of charge but require three days notice.

Line locates

Contact Utility Safety Partners (formerly Alberta One-Call) to obtain:

• Line locates ticket indicating City of Medicine Hat services (water, sewer, gas, electric), and
• Utility locate slips from other Utility Safety Partners

Shaw line locates are only available from Shaw Communications. While recommended, the City does not require line locates for telecom companies such as Telus, Shaw or Bell.

To book required inspections for construction work, visit:

Inspections

By not obtaining permits for work done on your home, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to potential future legal and financial issues when selling your property or making an insurance claim. There could also be consequences if you do not correct the situation, such as:

• Enforcement action issued by a Safety Codes Officer.
• A fine for building without a permit.
• Having to undo work that has been completed.
• Future legal and financial issues when selling your property or making an insurance claim.
• Having to do more work than was originally planned and budgeted, to fix deficiencies.
• Potential liability to you, the homeowner, in the event of an accident.

As a homeowner, you are responsible for paying any penalties, even if you hired a contractor who assured you that permits were not required.

Permits have an expiry date. If you have already received a City permit for building, plumbing, electrical, gas or HVAC work, but are not able to complete the work during the time period, you may apply online for an extension of your permit.

• You cannot extend a permit that has already expired.
• You cannot extend a permit more than once.
• You cannot extend a permit more than one year beyond the original expiration date.

Apply to extend a permit