Legal basement suite kitchen in Midnapore, Calgary: before and after
November 2024 · Residential · Secondary suite · Midnapore, Calgary SE
Koop Electrical wired the kitchen of a new legal basement suite in Midnapore, southeast Calgary, in November 2024, taking a carpeted rec room with a single ceiling fixture to a full kitchen with an island, pot lights, pendant lights, a range circuit, dishwasher and microwave circuits, and the counter receptacles the code requires. Suite electrical with Koop Electrical starts at $4,500. Mitch and Joe did the work; the owner's review is below.
At a glance
Client: Matt, a homeowner in Midnapore, Calgary SE
Job type: Legal basement suite: kitchen electrical and the rest of the suite.
Date: November 2024
Scope: 14 pot lights and two pendants over the island on dimmers; dedicated circuits for the range, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and hood fan; counter receptacles at code spacing with GFCI protection near the sink; AFCI protection; interconnected smoke and CO alarms across both units; City of Calgary electrical permit and inspections
Cost: From $4,500 to $6,000
Electricians: Mitch and Joe
Before
A finished-in-the-1990s basement: carpet, textured ceiling, one track fixture in the middle of the room and a couple of receptacles along the wall. Fine for a TV room, nothing like what a self-contained suite needs.
What a legal suite kitchen needs
The City of Calgary legalizes a suite only when it is safe to live in on its own, and the kitchen carries most of the electrical rules. The range gets its own 40 amp circuit; the fridge, dishwasher, microwave and hood fan each get a dedicated circuit so nothing trips when dinner is on. Counter receptacles have to sit at set spacing so no appliance cord stretches, with GFCI protection near the sink. Living-area circuits get AFCI protection against arcing faults. And the suite and the main house need smoke and carbon monoxide alarms wired together, so an alarm downstairs sounds upstairs too. All of it is inspected before the suite goes on the City's registry.
What we did
Laid out the lighting with the owner: 14 pot lights across the kitchen and two pendants over the island, on dimmers.
Ran the dedicated appliance circuits: range, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and hood fan.
Installed the counter receptacles at code spacing, with GFCI protection near the sink and AFCI protection on the living circuits.
Interconnected the smoke and CO alarms between the suite and the main house.
Pulled the City of Calgary electrical permit and passed the rough-in and final inspections.
After
The kitchen in the photo: walnut cabinets, a white island under two black pendants, pot lights that light the counters evenly instead of one fixture in the middle of the room. The owner wrote: "Mitch and Joe were great, communicated throughout the project, provided great ideas and exceptional service."
Secondary suite electrical in Calgary
Koop Electrical brings suite electrical up to current code, including interconnected smoke and CO alarms, separate circuits, AFCI protection and furnace interlocks, and handles the City of Calgary permit and inspections. Suite electrical starts at $4,500; a full suite with its own panel or its own meter is quoted on site. Estimates are free: call 403-702-6053 or use the contact form.
Related projects: New 200 amp service and a second meter for a nanny suite in Okotoks · Secondary Suite Legalization (Services) · Can you wire a legal basement suite? (FAQ)
This job is one of our secondary suite legalization in Calgary. See every service with pricing on our Services page →
