Building permit for a shed.
A garden shed of 10 m² or less can be exempt from a building permit in Victoria if it also meets the height and position limits. A larger shed needs one.
When a shed does not need a permit
Schedule 3 of the Building Regulations 2018 exempts a freestanding shed when all of these apply.
- Its floor area is 10 m² or less.
- It is no more than 3 m high, or 2.4 m high if it is within 1 m of a boundary.
- If it belongs to another building on the lot, it sits no further forward than that building's front wall.
- If it does not belong to another building on the lot, it is the only Class 10a building there, set back at least 9 m from the front street and 2 m from any side street.
- It is not built of masonry.
Even an exempt shed may need the consent of the authority that owns an easement it sits over, or of the water authority if it is within 1 m of its pipes or other works.
Larger sheds
A shed over 10 m², or one outside any other limit, needs a building permit. Kit shed suppliers usually provide engineering for the frame and footings, designed for the wind loads on your site, and we assess it as part of the application.
A large shed on a farm may be a farm shed or farm building under the National Construction Code, which changes the requirements. Tell us how it will be used.
Sheds on a boundary
A shed wall on or within 200 mm of a side or rear boundary has the same height and length limits as a garage wall. See building permits for garages.
Shipping containers
Placing a shipping container on land for storage is building work, and the container is treated as a Class 10a building. A 20-foot container is about 15 m², over the 10 m² limit, so it needs a building permit.
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.