Renovation season is upon us and the city wants to help Calgarians start their home improvement projects off on the right foot.
The city is hosting two free information sessions on everything from deck-building to secondary suites on June 1 and June 7.
The sessions will give homeowners the opportunity to meet face-to-face with professionals and get guidance so their project goes smoothly.
Some of the topics covered include building decks and fences, permits, electrical work, basement renovations and constructing a secondary suite.
The city will also have building, electrical and plumbing inspectors as well as bylaw experts on hand to give advice.
“A lot of people don’t actually know where to start,” said Jennifer Crack, who’s coordinating the event. “We can sometimes identify those things for them.”
Professionals will also be on hand to provide tips when hiring a contractor.
“We always tell people to make sure that they have a city business licence,” said Crack “If somebody is asking for money up front on their licence, it will actually specify whether they have the authority to do that or not.”
Another benefit of a business licence is the city will conduct a police check on the contractor, she added.
Business licence inspectors will answer questions to help homeowners protect themselves.
“Planning is everything,” said Crack. “Paper is super cheap, construction isn’t.”
The presentations will be going on every half hour.
The home improvement sessions will take place Sat. June 1 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Vivo and Fri. June 7 from 2:30-5:30 p.m. at The Genesis Centre.
