Will a Murphy Bed Fit a Calgary Basement Suite? What to Measure

Last updated October 2026 by the Forward Furniture team

Basement suites are common in Calgary homes, and a lot of them are small: one bedroom, a living room that doubles as a guest room, and a ceiling that sits lower than the floors upstairs. A bed that folds away makes that space work much harder.

The catch is height. Most wall beds people picture are tall vertical cabinets, and those need more ceiling than many basements have. This guide does the math with the City's numbers and the real sizes of the beds we sell, so you know what fits before you order. Browse our Murphy beds or the freestanding Olivia cabinet bed as you read.

In this guide

• Can you put a Murphy bed in a basement suite?
• How low can a Calgary basement suite ceiling be?
• Will a vertical wall bed fit?
• Which beds fit a low ceiling?
• How much floor space does each bed need?
• What about the bedroom window?
• Which bed is right for your suite?
• Where can you see one in Calgary?
• Questions

Can You Put a Murphy Bed in a Basement Suite?

Yes. A fold away bed is one of the best fits for a basement suite, because the room usually has to do two jobs. In the day it is a living room, office or gym. At night it sleeps a tenant, a family member or a guest.

There are three kinds of fold away bed, and they need very different ceilings:

• Vertical wall bed: the bed stands on end in a tall cabinet and folds down from the head. It needs the most height.
• Horizontal wall bed: the bed lies on its side and folds down from the long edge. It is wide and low.
• Cabinet bed: a chest about waist high that opens into a bed. It needs no wall mounting at all.

How Low Can a Calgary Basement Suite Ceiling Be?

The City of Calgary page on adding a new secondary suite sets these heights for a basement suite:

• Ceiling: at least 1.95 m from floor to ceiling, which is about 76.8 inches.
• Under ducts and beams: the ceiling can drop to 1.85 m, about 72.8 inches, where a bulkhead is needed.
• Doors inside the suite: can be as low as 1.89 m, about 74.4 inches.

Plenty of basements are taller than that, so measure yours. Measure from the finished floor to the lowest point on the wall where the bed will go, and check for a bulkhead along that wall. A bulkhead is the boxed in part of the ceiling that hides ducts or a beam, and it is often the lowest spot in the room.

Will a Vertical Murphy Bed Fit Under a 1.95 m Ceiling?

No, not a queen or a full. A vertical wall bed has to clear the ceiling as it swings, so the maker lists a minimum ceiling height. Here is what the vertical beds we sell need, from the maker's specs on our product pages:

• Key West queen: 88.1 inches tall closed, needs a 92.1 inch ceiling. The full needs 87 inches.
• Nebula queen: needs a 91.1 inch ceiling. The full needs 85.8 inches.

Compare that with the City minimum of about 76.8 inches. Even the full size Nebula needs about 9 more inches than a minimum height suite has. A vertical wall bed only makes sense in a basement with a ceiling over 7 feet, so measure before you shop. Our guide to Murphy bed dimensions lists the space each size needs.

Which Beds Fit a Low Basement Ceiling?

Horizontal wall beds and cabinet beds both fit under the lowest ceiling Calgary allows, with room to spare.

Horizontal Murphy beds

A horizontal bed is about as tall as the mattress is wide. Closed heights for the queens we carry, from the maker's specs:

• Claremont queen: 64.2 inches tall. The full is 58.4 inches.
• Heidi Grey queen: about 64.9 inches tall.
• Pur Horizontal queen: 66.6 inches tall.

All three sit at least 6 inches under a 1.85 m bulkhead. Because they are low, they also fit under a window or along a short wall. They still mount to the wall: the Heidi full and queen go into at least two wood studs. In a basement with a concrete wall, plan the anchoring before the bed arrives.

Cabinet beds

A cabinet bed is the lowest option. The Olivia queen is 40 inches tall closed and the Stow Queen is 42.5 inches. Neither needs a wall: they stand on their own like a dresser. That suits a suite where you cannot drill into the foundation wall, or a renter who will move the bed later.

Want to compare the two styles side by side? Read cabinet bed vs Murphy bed.

How Much Floor Space Does Each Bed Need Open?

Height is only half of it. Basement rooms are often narrow, so check how far the bed reaches into the room when it is open:

• Vertical queen: the Key West reaches 92.9 inches from the wall.
• Horizontal queen: the Heidi is 68.5 inches deep open, the Claremont 69.4 and the Pur Horizontal 70.2.
• Cabinet bed: leave about 83 inches of clear floor in front of the Olivia queen. The Stow Queen is 81.5 inches long open.

A horizontal bed needs the least floor depth, which helps in a narrow room. It needs more wall width, though: about 85 inches for a queen. Add room to walk past the open bed. Our Pur page suggests about 30 to 36 inches of clearance around an open wall bed.

What About the Bedroom Window?

In a legal Calgary suite, every bedroom needs a window you can escape through. The City page on existing secondary suites lists the rules:

• An opening of at least 0.35 square metres (3.8 square feet).
• No side of the opening smaller than 380 mm (15 inches).
• It must open without keys or tools, and a casement window must swing a full 90 degrees.
• A window well needs 550 mm (21.5 inches) of clear space in front of an existing window, or 760 mm (30 inches) for a new one.

Do not let the bed block that window. A horizontal wall bed or a cabinet bed can sit under a basement window, but leave a clear path to it with the bed open, and do not put a tall vertical cabinet in front of it. If you are legalizing a suite, the City can tell you what it will check. The same City page covers the suite registry.

Which Bed Is Right for Your Basement Suite?

Sizes are the maker's specs on our product pages. The 1.95 m (76.8 inch) figure is the City of Calgary basement suite minimum. Prices are live from our catalogue on the day this page was built.

A simple way to choose:

• The bed is used every night and you want your own mattress: a horizontal wall bed.
• You cannot drill into the wall, you rent, or you may move the bed: a cabinet bed.
• Your basement ceiling is over about 7 feet 8 inches and you want the bed to disappear: a vertical wall bed can work.

Thinking of using it every night? Our common questions about Murphy beds covers daily use.

Beds That Fit a Low Basement Ceiling

Olivia Cabinet Bed
Preorder, charged in full at checkout: see the current price

Freestanding hardwood cabinet bed with a tri-fold queen mattress included. 40 inches tall closed.

Claremont Horizontal Murphy Bed
From $2,119.99

Folds down sideways. Queen is 64.2 inches tall closed.

Heidi Grey Horizontal Murphy Bed
From $1,424.99

Folds down sideways, with straps to hold the mattress.

Stow Queen Cabinet Bed
$2,417.99

Acacia wood chest, 42.5 inches tall, with a 6 inch tri-fold gel memory foam mattress.

Where Can You See One in Calgary?

The Olivia cabinet bed is on the floor at our Calgary store at 6125 12 St SE, Unit 2, open every day from 11 to 5:30. You can open and close it yourself and see how low it sits next to a real wall. Bring your ceiling height and the width of your wall, and we can help you pick a size.

Pickup is free at the store, every bed comes with at least our 3-year warranty, and you can add free 5-year in-home protection. See everything we carry in the city on our Calgary furniture store page.

Basement Suite Murphy Beds: Questions

Can you put a Murphy bed in a basement?

Yes. Measure the ceiling first. A vertical queen wall bed needs about 91 to 92 inches, so most basement suites need a horizontal wall bed or a cabinet bed instead.

What is the minimum ceiling height for a basement suite in Calgary?

The City of Calgary sets 1.95 m, about 76.8 inches, for a basement suite. It can drop to 1.85 m where ducts and beams need a bulkhead.

How much depth does a Murphy bed need?

A vertical queen like the Key West reaches 92.9 inches from the wall when open. A horizontal queen needs about 68 to 70 inches. Add room to walk past it.

What are the downsides of a Murphy bed?

A wall bed has to be anchored into studs, which is harder on a concrete basement wall, and a vertical one needs a tall ceiling. A cabinet bed avoids both but uses a folding mattress.

Is it cheaper to build or buy a Murphy bed?

Building can cost less in parts, but it takes tools, a lift kit and time. Our guide on how to make a cabinet bed walks through the steps and when buying makes more sense.

Thinking of building one? Read how to make a cabinet bed first.

Find a Fold Away Bed That Fits Your Suite