New Build in Calgary: GST, Rebates and Warranty

How much GST is on a new home, and what comes back?

Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so a new home carries only the 5% GST. Two federal rebates can reduce it. The first-time home buyers' GST rebate, in law since Bill C-4 received Royal Assent on March 12, 2026, returns up to $50,000: all the GST on a new home up to $1 million, phasing down to nothing at $1.5 million, for agreements signed from March 20, 2025 and before 2031. Source: Department of Finance Canada, Bill C-4 receives Royal Assent (first-time home buyers' GST rebate in law), effective March 12, 2026. Checked November 1, 2026. Source: Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST Memorandum 19-3-10: First-time home buyers' GST/HST rebate, effective May 27, 2025. Checked November 1, 2026. The older GST new housing rebate returns 36% of the GST up to $6,300, in full up to $350,000 and phasing out at $450,000. Source: Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST new housing rebate. Checked November 1, 2026.

Rebates at common prices

We assume you can't stack both rebates on the same GST, so the calculator applies the larger. Most Alberta builders credit rebates in the price and claim them for you; check the purchase agreement's GST clause.

Can a new build get a 30-year amortization?

Since December 15, 2024, insured mortgages can amortize over 30 years for any first-time buyer and for any newly built home, with a 0.20-point premium surcharge. Source: CMHC, 30-year amortization for first-time buyers and new builds. Checked November 1, 2026. On a $600,000 new home with $35,000 down, 30 years instead of 25 lowers the payment from $3,129 to $2,840 a month, at the cost of more interest over time.

New build or resale at the same price: which costs less?

A first-time buyer choosing between a $650,000 new home (GST included in the price, rebate assigned to the builder) and a $650,000 resale, both with the minimum down payment over 30 years. We use an upkeep reserve of 0.5% a year for the new home, which has Alberta's warranty, and 1% for the resale; both are examples.

The payment is the same; the difference is upkeep in the early years, about $271 a month in this example, plus the inspection you can usually skip on a new home. Against that, new communities often carry higher assessments for the same size of house, and you'll pay for landscaping, blinds and a fence that a resale usually includes.

How does GST change the cash to close at each price?

Where the builder quotes a price before GST, the 5% is charged at closing and any rebate comes off it. With the minimum down payment and a March 1, 2027 possession:

For a repeat buyer, GST on a new home above $450,000 is real cash: $30,000 on a $600,000 home. Most Alberta builders quote GST-included prices, which folds it into the mortgage instead, but check: a "plus GST" price on a new townhouse can add more to closing day than the down payment.

What does 30 years cost compared with 25?

Thirty years lowers the payment by a little over 10% but adds tens of thousands in interest, assuming today's rate holds at every renewal. It makes most sense when the lower payment is what gets you approved, and when you plan to prepay once the first years of a new home's costs settle down.

New build or resale over five years?

Adding the cash to close and five years of all-in monthly costs for the same $650,000 first-time purchase (GST-included new build with a 0.5% upkeep reserve, resale with 1%; both examples):

On these assumptions the new build costs about $16,250 less over five years, almost all of it from the lower upkeep a warranty-covered home needs at first. Two things can erase that: a new home's first-year extras (blinds, landscaping, a fence, appliances if they aren't included) and a higher assessment, since new communities often assess higher per square foot. A resale in an established community can also come with a finished basement or garage that a new build prices separately. Put both listings into the calculator with your own upkeep estimate before deciding.

What does Alberta's new home warranty cover?

Every new home in Alberta permitted after February 1, 2014 must carry warranty coverage of at least one year on materials and labour, two years on delivery and distribution systems, five years on the building envelope and ten years on the structure, with at least $265,000 of coverage for a house and $130,000 for a condo unit. Source: Government of Alberta, New home warranty overview (1-2-5-10 years), effective February 1, 2014. Checked November 1, 2026. That is one reason the upkeep line in our calculator can be set lower for a new build in its first years.

How does it work on a real example?

What do the terms in this guide mean?