Walkout Basements: Pros, Cons and 6 Basement Types Compared

Homes with walkout basements suit a particular type of buyer, especially when there’s a large yard to enjoy. A walkout basement is a lower level with a full-size door that opens straight onto the backyard, with no stairs to climb. In many cases, this housing type sits on a lot that slopes downward from front to back, so the rear basement wall is exposed to the outside while the front and sides stay buried.

That exposed wall leaves room for a patio door and full-size windows, so the lower floor gets daylight and its own way in and out. Here are the most important considerations for potential buyers to keep in mind when thinking about buying a walkout home.

• Comparing listings? Our guide to the best direction for a house to face explains how orientation affects sun on the deck and patio. Also see these homes with basement suites for sale.

Walkout Basements: Quick Facts

• A walkout basement has a ground-level door that opens directly onto the yard, usually on a lot that slopes down toward the rear property line.
• A walk-up basement also has its own door, but you reach the yard by walking up outdoor stairs from a below-grade entrance.
• A lookout basement is set higher up, or not as deep into the soil, as a standard basement, which allows bigger windows, but you still go through the main house to get outside.
• In Alberta, a walkout basement still counts as below grade; its area can be shown separately in a listing, but its square footage technically isn’t part of the home’s official “size.”
• The outside door makes a walkout basement a great option for a suite, but the space still has to meet the City of Calgary’s suite rules.

What Is a Walkout Basement?

A walkout basement has at least one wall exposed above ground, with a door in that wall that opens onto the yard at basement floor level. Most walkouts have:

• a patio door and full-size windows on the exposed wall;
• a raised main-floor deck above, often with a patio underneath.

The slope of the lot from the front property line to the back does most of the work, which is why walkouts come with particular lots rather than particular floor plans.

You might also have come across partial walkout basements and daylight basements. Less common, a partial walkout usually has only part of the back wall exposed, so the door may open onto a few steps instead of being level with the soil. Daylight basement is a looser term for any lower floor with full-size windows on at least one side, with or without a door. Neither term has a standard definition, so examine the photos and floor plans for any particular listing very carefully.

Walkout Basement

Pros: No other basement type gets as much daylight, and the ground-level door makes the lower floor feel like part of the house instead of a space underneath it. It works well as a family room, guest suite or home office. The door also helps if you plan a suite later, because the City of Calgary requires each suite to have its own entrance. ^[1]

Cons: Most communities have only a limited number of walkout lots, and builders typically charge a premium for them. Additionally, a sloped yard may leave less flat lawn, while the exposed foundation and patio door give water and heat more ways through. A third consideration is that with the lower floor open to the yard, you often give up some privacy – especially when backing out onto public pathways or park spaces, but the trade-off of looking directly into the back of another house is often something homebuyers are willing to take on.

Walk-Up Basement

Pros: A walk-up gives the basement its own door on a lot without enough slope for a walkout. It is a common way to give a basement suite a private entrance, and most of the yard stays level. Additionally, walk-up basements offer superior privacy with fewer exposed windows and see-through points. Many basement suites in Calgary have this type of entranceway.

Cons: A walk-up basement stairwell takes up yard space, must be kept clear of snow and ice all winter, and needs a working drain at the bottom so water doesn’t pool against the door. It still lets in less light than a walkout, and adding one later takes a building permit and an engineered stair foundation (see below).

Lookout Basement

Pros: A lookout basement is set less deep into the ground than a standard one, so it usually has larger windows that let natural light brighten the lower floor and make bedroom egress rules easier to meet.

Cons: There is no door to the yard, and because the house sits higher, there will likely be more stairs to climb up to any doors or decks. Lookout is more of a marketing term than a defined standard, so check the actual window sizes.

Bi-Level Lower Level

Pros: In a bi-level, the front door opens onto a landing between two floors, and the lower floor sits partly below grade with large windows. Homeowners often develop them with bedrooms, a family room, or a separate suite.

Cons: Bi-levels are among the home styles with below-grade lower levels, so the official size, or square footage of the property, can look smaller than it actually is. The split entry also puts stairs right inside the front door, which may not suit aging in place.

Standard Full Basement

Pros: A standard basement is usually the cheapest type to build. The yard stays flat, with plenty of room for storage, a gym or a media room. A standard basement is typically about 8 feet or 9 feet below the main-floor grade.

Cons: Small windows leave the space relying on artificial light. Any bedroom down there needs a proper egress window, which can mean cutting a larger opening in the foundation and adding a bigger window well.

Partial Basement or Crawl Space

Pros: Often found in older homes in Calgary, partial basements or crawl spaces keep the mechanical systems within reach and cost less to build for homebuilders, but are rarely found in new infills and suburban builds.

Cons: You get little or no finished space below the main floor, which can make maintenance awkward and isn’t ideal for maximizing your living space; hence, why this type of basement or below-grade space is increasingly uncommon in modern home builds.

Does a Walkout Basement Count as Square Footage in Alberta?

Not in the home’s official size. Alberta listings follow the Real Estate Council of Alberta’s (RECA) Residential Measurement Standard (RMS). ^[2] If any part of a home’s lower level is below grade, then the whole level is below grade; both walkout and walk-up basements are examples.

Real estate agents can still measure below-grade space and advertise it separately from the official size. A disclosure statement is required if that area does not meet the minimum ceiling height of 2.13 m (7 feet). Therefore, two bungalow homes, for example, with the same listed size can offer very different living space. Make sure to compare:

• the above-grade size, which is the headline number;
• the below-grade developed area, if the listing shows it separately;
• the lower-floor photos, ceiling heights and any height disclosure.

Is a Walkout Basement Worth It?

It usually is if you will live in the lower floor or rent it out. Daylight and a ground-level door make the space far more usable, and below-grade levels typically add value to a property, even though they are left out of the official MLS® listing size.

The premium price you’ll pay for walkout basement homes varies with the neighbourhood, how the lower floor was finished, and the lot itself, so it’s important to check sold comparables when browsing such properties:

• recent sales of similar homes in the same community, with and without a walkout;
• how the lower floor in each was finished, and whether it is a legal suite that offers an income-generating opportunity
• signs of water or wear at the patio door and exposed wall; water pooling during warmer seasons could also

A damp walkout with a tired patio door can be worth less than a dry standard basement, and if you mainly need storage, a flatter lot with less elevation changes may be the better buy.

Can a Walkout Basement Become a Legal Suite in Calgary?

Often, yes, homeowners will make a walkout basement a suite because the outside door is already there, but there are more requirements to be in compliance with the city’s bylaws. Every basement secondary suite needs: ^[3]

• an egress window in each bedroom, with an unobstructed opening of at least 0.35 m² and no dimension under 380 mm;
• its own bathroom and its own cooking facilities;
• an entrance you can reach from outside without passing through the main home (a shared stairwell is allowed if each unit has a private entrance).

The City’s rules for adding a suite also set a minimum ceiling height of 1.95 m in a basement suite, or 1.85 m under ducts and beams, and require a smoke-tight separation from the main home and a separate heating and ventilation system. ^[4] You need a building permit and an electrical permit, plus a development permit if suites are discretionary in your land use district. A home can have only one secondary suite, and a property cannot have both a secondary suite and a backyard suite.

If a home already has a suite, check the City’s Secondary Suite Registry map to see whether it is registered. Also, the City’s Secondary Suite Amnesty Program ends December 31, 2026. Therefore, owners who legalize a suite through it before then can avoid development permit charges and registration fees, and suites built before March 12, 2018 may also qualify for reduced building code requirements.

Drainage and Grading on a Walkout Lot

A walkout lot slopes on purpose, so its drainage deserves a closer look than a flat lot. Here are the basics: ^[7]

• The ground should slope away from the foundation at a minimum of 4%, which works out to a 4.8 centimetre (1.89 inch) drop within the first 1.2 metres (3.94 feet).
• Grassed and landscaped areas should slope at least 2% so runoff water keeps flowing in the direction you want it to.
• Slopes should not be steeper than 33%, or 1 metre of drop over 3 metres. Where the grade changes more than that, retaining walls are required and may need an engineered design, while maximum slopes next to buildings should be set in consultation with a professional engineer.
• Downspouts and sump pump hoses should discharge away from the house and neighbouring lots, and foundation drainage must not go into the sanitary sewer.

At any listing showing, walk to the back of the house and look for soil sloping toward the patio door, water stains or white residue on the lower walls, settled slabs and leaning retaining walls. For walk-out basement homes in the Elbow Valley area, for example, if the lot backs onto a creek or river, check the province’s flood awareness map and be prepared in case flooding is a risk.

What to Check Before You Buy a Walkout

Please note that this is general information, not legal or building code advice, so confirm permit and grading questions with The City of Calgary or with your respective contractor before proceeding with any project(s).

• The deck above the walkout. The City requires a building permit for an uncovered deck more than 0.6 m (2 ft) above grade at any point, which covers most decks over a walkout. ^[8] In developed areas, decks are normally capped at 1.5 m, but a deck above a walkout entry can go higher as long as it sits no more than 0.3 m above the main floor. Developing areas have no height cap, but the same 0.3 m rule applies. Ask whether it was permitted.
• Window wells. On the buried sides, the top of each window well should sit at least 10 cm (4 in) above the surrounding ground. ^[7]
• Basement radon. Health Canada’s radon guideline of 200 Bq/m³ applies to a finished basement or basement apartment. ^[9]
• Warranty on a newer home. Alberta’s new home warranty (ANHW) requires at least one year of coverage for labour and materials, two years for delivery and distribution systems, five years for the building envelope and 10 years for major structural components, including the foundation. ^[10] It applies to homes with building permits applied for on or after February 1, 2014, and it stays with the house on resale, so ask when your ANHW coverage started.
• A proper inspection. Have a home inspector give extra attention to the exposed foundation, the patio door’s seals and sill, the window wells, the deck framing and how the yard is graded.

Can You Add a Walkout to an Existing Home?

Only if the lot has enough slope, or the yard can be dug out and held back with retaining walls. A new basement entry requires a building permit, and a new door in an existing foundation wall and below-ground exterior stairs are among the changes that may need engineering. ^[11]

For a new door cut into a concrete foundation wall, the City requires a professional engineer’s structural review if any of these apply:

• the new opening is wider than 1.2 m (4 ft);
• all the openings in that wall, old and new, add up to more than 25% of the wall’s length;
• the solid wall left between an existing opening and the new one is narrower than either opening.

New exterior exit stairs, as in a walk-up, also need a shallow foundation designed by a registered professional engineer, because digging the stairwell cuts into the 1.2 m of ground cover that footings need for frost protection. ^[12] If you plan to add one after you buy, get a contractor’s quote and check permits before you remove conditions on a potential home purchase.

How to Choose the Right Basement Type

Start with how you will use the lower floor, and consider the following:

• A walkout basement suits a bright family room, guest space or future suite, if you can live with a sloped yard and a higher deck.
• A walk-up basement is the practical choice for a separate suite entrance on a flat lot.
• A lookout basement gives you more daylight when no walkout lot is available.
• A bi-level or standard basement keeps the cost down, and you can develop the space over time.

Looking for a Walkout Home in Calgary?

If you are weighing a walkout against other options, we can help you read the below-grade measurements, check a suite’s registration and ask the right questions about the deck and grading. You can also browse listings on our Calgary home search or see homes with basement suites for sale.

Contact your team of local Realtors® at RE/MAX House of Real Estate anytime, or send us a message, and read more about our team. We look forward to discussing your real estate goals!

Sources:

_{1 – https://www.calgary.ca/development/home-building/secondary-suites.html}

_{2 – https://www.reca.ca/wp-content/uploads/Residential-Measurement-Standard-Licensee-Guide-2.pdf}

_{3 – https://www.calgary.ca/emergencies/preparedness/secondary-suite-fires.html}

_{4 – https://www.calgary.ca/development/home-building/new-secondary-suite.html}

_{5 – https://secondarysuites.calgary.ca/}

_{6 – https://www.calgary.ca/development/home-building/secondary-suites.html}

_{7 – https://www.calgary.ca/water/stormwater/lot-grading-bylaw.html}

_{8 – https://www.calgary.ca/development/home-building/decks.html}

_{9 – https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/radon/government-canada-radon-guideline.html}

_{10 – https://www.alberta.ca/new-home-warranty-overview}

_{11 – https://www.calgary.ca/development/home-building/basements.html}

_{12- https://www.calgary.ca/development/home-building/new-secondary-suite.html}