Garden shed: does it need approval
A small non habitable outbuilding in the yard: a shed, a cabana, a gazebo or a greenhouse.
State by state
The position on an ordinary residential lot with no overlay. An overlay on your own lot can change it.
| State | Where it lands | Building approval | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | No approval | Not required | Codes SEPP 2008 cl 2.17-2.18read 2026-09-15 |
| VIC | No approval | Not required | VPP cl 32.08-5; Building Regulations 2018 (Vic) Sch 3 item 1read 2026-09-15 |
| QLD | No approval | Depends | Building Regulation 2021 (Qld) Sch 1 s 13read 2026-09-15 |
| WA | No approval | Not required | R-Codes Vol 1 (10 Apr 2026) cl 5.4.3 C3; Building Regulations 2012 (WA) Sch 4 cl 2 item 1; LPS Regulations 2015 (WA) Sch 2 cl 61(1) item 7(b)read 2026-09-15 |
| SA | No approval | Not required | PDI (General) Regulations 2017 (SA) Sch 4 cl 4(1)(a)read 2026-09-15 |
| TAS | No approval | Not required | Tasmanian Planning Scheme SPP cl 4.3.7; Directors Determination cl 1.3.1read 2026-09-15 |
| ACT | No approval | Not required | Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 (ACT) s 1.42; Building (General) Regulation 2008 sch 1 items 6 to 8read 2026-09-15 |
| NT | No approval | Depends | NT Building Note 114 types 1 and 2read 2026-09-15 |
Each row is read from the instrument named against it, on the date shown. Council controls sit on top of all of them.
What the job usually involves
A slab or a bearer floor, a kit or a built structure, and the tie downs. Non habitable is the condition that keeps it simple: put a bed, a bathroom or a kitchenette in it and it becomes a second dwelling, which is a different door entirely.
What it costs
Read off published projects that carry a price. There is no estimator on this page.
No data yet. Nobody publishes this job as a project with a price on it, so there is nothing honest to read a band off.
Check your own address
The overlays on your lot are what decide whether the row above actually applies to you.