Construction Permits

The process for obtaining construction permits is regulated by the Alberta Safety Codes Council. The Safety Codes Council derives its authority from the Safety Codes Act and the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Through the Safety Codes Council, the County was accredited in March 2011 to issue permits for all 5 construction disciplines.  This means that landowners are able to obtain construction permits from the County office, rather than from an agency outside the County’s boundaries:

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The County has also contracted an inspection agency, Park Enterprises, to provide support and certified inspectors to review and inspect work carried out under these permits.

By providing in-house construction permits and contracted inspections, the County has reduced the cost of these permits to the landowner. At the same time, the County is ensuring that structures are being built according to the Alberta Building Code.

As of February 1, 2014, all dwellings must be entered into the registry at HomeWarranty.Alberta.ca.  The register number must be provided to the County before a building permit can be issued.

  • Building
  • Electrical
  • Gas
  • Plumbing
  • Private Sewage Systems

A construction permit is designed to address life and safety issues with new developments.  It gives the authorization to the owner to build, alter or repair a structure.   Construction permits are reviewed for compliance with the Alberta Building code by a Safety Codes Inspector.   A construction permit is a document that confirms that your construction will comply with the Alberta Safety code.    

Inside the Alberta Building code is the electrical, gas, plumbing and private septic codes.  These all have minimum safety standards that must be obtained to have compliance for your project and most importantly the safety for the benefit of all Albertans.

These codes are updated every few years as new methods and materials are introduced.

Permits are required for most construction projects.  These projects include new builds, additions, renovations, alterations, repairs and relocations.

The County of Newell is an accredited municipality therefore you can obtain all of your permits through the County and our safety code partner Park Enterprises Ltd.

The owner of the land is responsible for obtaining the permit and constructing the development in accordance with the Safety Codes Act and Alberta Building Code.

  1. Owner/Applicant has obtained an approved Development permit if required.
  2. Owner/Applicant submits completed permit application to the County of Newell.
  3. County Staff complete in office required information on the permit application including the fee and then forward the application and any required back up to Park Enterprises.
  4. Park Enterprises will then issue the permit which will include number of inspections and at what point of the project the applicant should arrange inspections.  The work must NOT be covered at the time of inspection.
  5. The Owner/Applicant can then start the work.
  6. The County of Newell will invoice the applicant for the cost of the permit.


A building permit requires a plans review completed by the Safety Codes Inspector which takes approximately one week if a complete and accurate application is submitted with all the required information.

The information required for most Building permits is the following:

  • Application
  • Site Plan
  • New Home Warranty for new residential builds
  • Energy code documentation for heated buildings
  • Floor Plan
  • Truss & Joist Layouts
  • Elevations
  • Foundation Details

A Private Septic permit requires a plans review to be completed by the Safety Codes Inspector which takes approximately one week if all the information has been provided.

The information required for a septic permit is the following:

Septic Field / Mound

  • Application
  • Soil Logs x 2
  • Soil evaluation from lab
  • B66 Certification from Tank Manufacturer
  • Pump manufacturer & model information
  • HI Level Alarm manufacturer & model information
  • Filter type
  • Site plan showing:
    • All setbacks, property lines, buildings, water source
    • Topography, slopes, grades, low lying areas
    • Test pit locations including GPS coordinates
  • System Design and details              

Open Discharge

  • Application
  • Peak daily volume cannot exceed 660 gal/day
  • Plans for system
    • Soil Log
    • Soil evaluation from lab
    • Site plan showing
      • Setbacks to property lines, buildings, water source
      • Topography
      • Test pit locations including GPS coordinates
    • System design and details including:
      • B66 Tank certification
      • Pump manufacturer & model information
      • Hi Level alarm manufacturer & model information
      • Filter type

Holding Tank

  • Application
  • Plans for tank including
    • B66 certificate
    • Hi Level alarm manufacturer & model information
    • Site plan showing setbacks and tank location

An Electrical, Plumbing and Gas permit does not require back up information or a plans review and can generally be issued within a couple days.  

It is important to complete all fields on the application to ensure that the inspection is complete, including number of fixtures for gas and plumbing, BTU number for plumbing, phase, voltage for electrical etc.