How Do You Furnish a Calgary Backyard Suite? Beds That Fit 807 Sq Ft

Last updated November 2026 by the Forward Furniture team

Calgary homeowners build backyard suites for parents, for grown kids and for renters. Some sit on their own in the yard, and some sit on top of a garage. Either way, the City caps the size, so the bed has to share one small space with a kitchen, a bathroom and a living area.

This guide sums up the City rules that matter when you furnish a backyard suite, then does the floor space math with the real sizes of the beds we sell. Browse our Murphy beds or the freestanding Olivia cabinet bed as you read.

In this guide

• How big can a backyard suite be in Calgary?
• What else does the City require?
• Why a fold away bed suits a backyard suite
• How much floor does each bed take?
• Will a bed fit under a sloped garage suite ceiling?
• Can you anchor a wall bed in a new suite?
• Which bed is right for your suite?
• Where can you see one in Calgary?
• Questions

How Big Can a Backyard Suite Be in Calgary?

Section 352 of the City of Calgary Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 (read November 2, 2026) sets the limits. The maximum floor area of a backyard suite is 75.0 m2, which is about 807 sq ft. Stairways and internal landings up to 2.5 m2 do not count toward it.

A few more numbers from the same section:

• Relaxation: the Development Authority may relax the maximum floor area by up to 10%, which works out to about 888 sq ft.
• Height: the maximum height is 7.5 m. Near a shared side or rear lot line with a low density home it starts lower, at 5.0 m on a side line and 3.0 m on a rear line, and steps up from there.
• Outdoor space: the suite needs a private amenity space of at least 7.5 m2.

The City's backyard suites page says these suites are also called garden suites, carriage houses and laneway houses. Many are built on top of a garage. Most are far smaller than the 807 sq ft cap, which makes every square foot of floor count.

What Else Does the City Require for a Backyard Suite?

From the City's backyard suites page, here are the rules owners ask about most:

• Permits: a backyard suite always needs planning approval (a development permit) before your other permits. Then come the building permit and separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits.
• Which homes qualify: a lot with a single detached or semi detached home can have both a secondary suite and a backyard suite. Rowhouse and townhouse lots cannot have a backyard suite.
• Parking: a suite needs at least one parking stall, shown on your plans.
• Fire safety: there must be enough space between the house and the suite. If a garage is shared by the house and the suite, it needs at least a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
• Registry: registered suites are listed on the City website and get a numbered sticker.

In July 2026 council kept backyard suites as a discretionary use, so the development permit step stays, Global News reported. Rules change, so check with the City before you build. This guide is about furnishing the suite once it is approved, not legal advice.

Why Does a Fold Away Bed Suit a Backyard Suite?

Many backyard suites are one open room, like a studio. A normal bed sits in the middle of that room all day. A fold away bed gives the floor back when nobody is sleeping. There are three kinds:

• Vertical wall bed: stands on end in a tall cabinet and folds down from the head. It needs the most ceiling height.
• Horizontal wall bed: lies on its side and folds down from the long edge. It is wide and low, so it suits a sloped ceiling or a spot under a window.
• Cabinet bed: a chest about waist high that opens into a bed. It needs no wall mounting, so it can move to the main house later.

Every type has trade offs. Our guide to the disadvantages of a Murphy bed covers them honestly.

How Much Floor Does Each Bed Take in an 807 Sq Ft Suite?

We worked out the floor space of each queen bed we sell, closed and open, from the maker's width, depth and open reach on our product pages. Then we compared it with the 807 sq ft City maximum.

Floor = width times depth closed, or width times reach from the wall when open, from the maker's specs on our product pages. 807 sq ft is the 75 m2 maximum in Calgary Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, section 352.

What the numbers say:

• Closed, every bed takes about 10 to 12 sq ft. That is under 2% of an 807 sq ft suite.
• A queen mattress alone covers 33.3 sq ft (60 by 80 inches), before the frame. Folding the bed away frees about 21 to 24 sq ft every day.
• The Heidi Grey is the slimmest closed, at 9.8 sq ft, but horizontal beds need about 85 inches of wall.
• Open, the cabinet beds need the least floor: about 36.0 sq ft for the Olivia, against 44.2 sq ft for the Key West vertical queen.

Leave room to walk past the open bed, and keep the path to the door clear when the bed is down. Our Murphy bed dimensions guide lists the space each size needs.

Will a Bed Fit Under a Sloped Garage Suite Ceiling?

A suite on top of a garage often has a sloped roof, and the height limits near lot lines can make the walls lower still. So measure the wall where the bed will stand, from the finished floor to the lowest point of the ceiling over the bed. Then compare it with these maker specs:

• Key West vertical queen: 88.1 inches tall closed and needs a 92.1 inch ceiling to swing down.
• Claremont horizontal queen: 64.2 inches tall closed.
• Pur Horizontal queen: 66.6 inches tall closed.
• Olivia queen cabinet bed: 40 inches tall, and the Stow Queen is 42.5 inches.

A vertical queen needs a full height wall of almost 7 feet 8 inches, which a sloped suite may only have in the middle of the room. A horizontal wall bed or a cabinet bed fits along a lower side wall. For low basement ceilings, see our guide to Murphy beds for Calgary basement suites.

Can You Anchor a Wall Bed in a New Backyard Suite?

Wall beds are fixed to the wall. The Heidi full and queen, for example, go into at least two wood studs, and the Key West must be anchored to the wall. A suite you are still building is the easiest place to plan for that:

• Pick the bed wall before the drywall goes up, and tell your builder where it is.
• Ask whether solid backing can go between the studs there.
• Keep outlets, switches and heat vents off that part of the wall.
• If you would rather not drill at all, choose a cabinet bed. It stands on the floor.

Which Bed Is Right for Your Backyard Suite?

Sizes and mattress limits are the maker's specs on our product pages. Prices are live from our catalogue on the day this page was built.

A simple way to choose:

• A tenant sleeps in it every night and wants a regular mattress: a horizontal wall bed.
• The ceiling slopes, or you may want the bed in the main house later: a cabinet bed.
• The suite is mostly for visiting family and you want the room back as an office or studio: either works. See our tips to host guests without a guest room.

Fold Away Beds for a Calgary Backyard Suite

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

Freestanding hardwood cabinet bed with a tri-fold queen mattress included. On the floor at our Calgary store.

Heidi Grey Horizontal Murphy Bed
From $1,424.99

Folds down sideways, the slimmest closed at 16.54 inches deep.

Claremont Horizontal Murphy Bed
From $2,119.99

Folds down sideways. Queen is 64.2 inches tall closed.

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 a Fold Away Bed 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. Open and close it yourself and see how little floor it takes. Setting up a spare room in the main house instead? Read how to furnish a guest room in Calgary.

Bring your suite plan, the wall width and the lowest ceiling height, and we can help you pick a size. Pickup is free at the store, and every bed comes with at least our 3-year warranty. See what else we carry on our Calgary furniture store page. Furnishing a suite in the Okanagan instead? Read our Kelowna secondary suite guide.

Calgary Backyard Suite Furniture: Questions

How big can a backyard suite be in Calgary?

Calgary Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 sets a maximum floor area of 75.0 m2, about 807 sq ft, not counting stairs and landings up to 2.5 m2. The City may relax it by up to 10%.

Do you need a permit for a backyard suite in Calgary?

Yes. A backyard suite always needs a development permit first, then a building permit and separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits.

Can you have a secondary suite and a backyard suite in Calgary?

Yes, on a lot with a single detached or semi detached home. Rowhouse and townhouse lots can have a secondary suite but not a backyard suite.

How tall can a backyard suite be in Calgary?

The bylaw sets a maximum height of 7.5 m, with lower limits close to a shared side or rear lot line with a low density home.

What bed takes the least floor space in a small suite?

Closed, every queen bed we compared takes about 10 to 12 sq ft. Open, a cabinet bed like the Olivia needs about 36 sq ft, less than a vertical queen wall bed at about 44 sq ft.

Still choosing between styles? Read cabinet bed vs Murphy bed.

Find a Fold Away Bed That Fits Your Suite