Do You Need Council Approval For Your Shed?

Even though building regulations have changed in recent years and constructing a shed or other type of freestanding outbuilding is now a more streamlined process involving far less red tape, in order to be on the safe side of the law, your starting position should be to seek planning permission before starting to build any type of shed on your property.

The process may be as simple as a quick phone call to your local council to confirm that your backyard shed is exempt from requiring a building permit or it may be a more complex route involving some paperwork and planning to ensure regulatory compliance, but the bottom line with any construction project is that it is always better to be safe than sorry.  If you are in any doubt whatsoever about the requirements or restrictions, it’s best to chat to your local council to make sure you’ve got everything covered.

Requirements with regards to shed design and placement differ between the states and territories.

Although there have been some countrywide reforms which have simplified the shed approval process – and which in some cases, have led to the removal of the requirement for a building permit entirely – there are plenty of factors that need to be considered.  What’s more, council requirements can change periodically so you need to keep an eye open for any developments.

For example, in Western Australia, you currently don’t need a building licence if your freestanding garden shed (used for domestic purposes) has a footprint of less than 10m², extends less than 2.4m above natural ground level and where the floor or deck isn’t more than 500mm above the natural level of the ground.

But even though it’s possible to erect a small shed without acquiring a building licence, the construction still has to comply with a number of other factors including setback limits, fire safety requirements and vehicular sight lines and has to be built in such a way that it is structurally sound and appropriately restrained so that it can’t be lifted by wind gusts.  Strict guidelines also have to be followed for the containment and removal of stormwater.

It’s also a good idea to chat to your neighbours about your plans especially if the proposed location for the shed is close to a shared side or rear boundary or if the building will include reflective material.

Depending on individual councils, sheds built in rural areas may also be subject to regulations and restrictions and even though your building is planned for an isolated area on a farm, you will still need to check whether or not it requires a building permit.    There may be restrictions in place with regards to ridge heights or floor space, conservation or heritage areas, land that is prone to inundation and proximity to roads and waterways.

So, how do you go about ascertaining whether or not you require a building permit for your shed and whether your proposed construction complies with all council regulations?

One of the easiest ways of making absolutely sure that your shed is fully compliant is to enlist the services of a professional shed manufacturer such as Action Sheds.  You’ll get the benefit of their many years of experience in designing and installing sheds in Perth as well as their expertise and understanding of all local, state and national regulations which ensure that all of their constructions are 100% compliant.

Action Sheds can manage the entire approvals process on your behalf, taking care of any paperwork and ensuring that all submissions and approvals are triple-checked for complete peace-of-mind.    What’s more, all of their sheds carry the ShedSafe certification so you have total confidence that your building meets the highest industry benchmarks for quality of construction.

For any advice on council approvals for your shed or for more information on custom-designed sheds in Perth, please contact us on 1300 778 628.