Building permit for a pergola.
A pergola with no roof can be exempt from a building permit in Victoria if it stays inside the height, area and position limits. With a solid roof it is no longer a pergola, and this exemption no longer applies.
When a pergola does not need a permit
Schedule 3 of the Building Regulations 2018 exempts a pergola from a building permit when all of these apply.
- It is no more than 3.6 m high.
- Its floor area is 20 m² or less.
- If it belongs to a house, it sits no more than 2.5 m forward of the front wall of the house.
- If it belongs to any other building, it sits no further forward than that building's front wall.
Schedule 3 exempts a pergola only from Parts 3 to 19 of the Regulations, so an exempt pergola still has to comply with the Building Code of Australia.
A roof changes the answer
The regulations define a pergola as an open structure with no roof. It can carry an open weave covering that lets water through, such as shade cloth.
Fit polycarbonate, steel sheeting or any other solid roof and it is no longer a pergola. Attached to the house, it is a verandah, which needs a permit at any size. Freestanding, it is treated like a carport or shed. See building permits for verandahs.
Other approvals
- A planning permit may be needed even when a building permit is not, for example under a heritage overlay.
- Building over an easement may need the consent of the authority that owns it.
Request a quote
Request a quote online, or email what you have to info@cortekgroup.com.au, and we will quote a fixed fee for your building permit. For the permit itself we will need:
- The certificate of title and plan of subdivision, with any covenants or section 173 agreements
- Drawings issued for construction
- The engineer's drawings, computations and design certificate
- The planning permit and endorsed plans, if the project needs one
- If a builder is doing the work, the contract extract and, where it applies, the domestic building insurance certificate
- If you are an owner-builder, your certificate of consent from the BPC, where one is required
- A bushfire assessment, if the site is in a bushfire prone area
The full list is in our checklist for verandahs, carports, decks, sheds and garages.