A family home that shrugs off the next flood
The owners lost their basement in 2013. They wanted a new home on the same lot, with nothing below grade that water could ruin.
At a glance
- Client goal: Flood-ready family home
- Move-in date: Before the new school year
- Site constraint: Narrow lot, mature elms both sides
Building deep on a narrow lot beside two old elms
The lot is 33 feet wide with century-old elms on both property lines. A full-depth basement meant shoring right up against their roots, and the neighbours stayed home through the whole build.
We hired an arborist before excavation, hand-dug around the root zones, and moved the mechanical room up to the main floor so nothing expensive sits below the flood line.
Flood-ready from the footings up
A waterproofed concrete basement, backflow valves on every drain, and electrical kept above the 2013 high-water mark. Upstairs, the owners picked finishes from one room of samples.
Key milestones
- Shoring complete / Week 5 / Both elms protected and signed off by the arborist
- Roof on / Week 22 / Dried in before the first October snow
- Keys handed over / August 2026 / Family moved in two weeks before school started
A dry basement, and both trees
The family moved in on schedule. Both elms came through construction healthy, and the basement has already sat through two spring melts without a drop.
By the numbers
- 3,850 / Square Feet Finished / Three storeys plus a walkout basement
- 2 Weeks Early / Move-in Date / Settled in before the school year
- 14 Months / Start to Keys / Including a full Calgary winter on site
Planning a custom home or infill?
If you have a lot, a sketch or just a list of must-haves, we can tell you what it will realistically cost and how long it will take. First conversations cover budget, timing and what your lot will allow.
