Acreage and rural realtors around Calgary

Guide

Buying or selling an acreage: what to ask your realtor

An acreage is a house, a water system, a sewage system and a piece of land, all in one sale. Here's a plain-language list of what to look into and ask about, with the official places to check.

1. Choosing a realtor
2. Water: the well
3. Sewage: the septic system
4. Land use, zoning and buildings
5. Title, access and what's nearby

Choosing a realtor

• Real estate agents in Alberta must be licensed by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA). Check a realtor's licence and brokerage before you sign anything. RECA ProCheck: Real Estate Council of Alberta licensee search
• Ask for a written service agreement that spells out what the realtor will do for you and how they're paid. RECA's consumer pages explain what to expect. RECA: finding a licensee
• Ask about their rural experience: recent acreage sales in your county, and who they call with well, septic and survey questions.

Water: the well

• Most acreages get their water from a private well. Look up the well's drilling report (depth, yield test and water level when it was drilled) in the province's database. Alberta Water Well Information Database
• Ask for a water quality test and a flow test as conditions of your offer, so you know the well gives enough safe water for the household and any animals. Alberta's Working Well program explains well care and testing. Alberta: Working Well program for private well owners
• Hauled water and a cistern instead of a well? Ask how often the owner fills it, what it costs and who delivers.

Sewage: the septic system

• Ask what kind of private sewage system the property has (a tank with a field, a mound or an open discharge), how old it is, and when the tank was last pumped.
• Consider an inspection of the system by a qualified professional as a condition of your offer. The province sets the standards for private sewage systems. Alberta: private sewage codes and standards

Land use, zoning and buildings

• Every property has a land use district (zoning) under the county's land use bylaw, which sets what you can build and what you can use the land for, including keeping animals. Read the rules for the district before you buy. Rocky View County: Land Use Bylaw; Foothills County: Land Use Bylaw.
• Ask whether the shop, barn and other buildings had permits, and whether there's a current Real Property Report with the county's compliance letter or stamp. Foothills County: letters of compliance or zoning
• Planning to subdivide, add a suite or run a business from home? Ask the county's planning department first, rather than going by what the neighbours have.

Title, access and what's nearby

• Have your lawyer review the land title for easements, rights-of-way, caveats and utility or pipeline agreements. Alberta: land titles
• Check for abandoned oil and gas wells on or near the parcel. The Alberta Energy Regulator's Abandoned Well Map shows them, and landowners planning to build near one must check it first. Alberta Energy Regulator: abandoned wells and surface development, FAQ (PDF)
• Ask who maintains and plows the road, whether the driveway approach is approved, and what internet and cell service are like at the house.

General information only, not legal, financial or tax advice. Talk to a real estate lawyer, your county and qualified inspectors before you buy or sell. Sources checked October 8, 2026.