---
title: Barriere permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages
question: "Do I need a permit for a deck, shed, carport, or garage in Barriere?"
place: Barriere, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/barriere
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Barriere
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/deck-shed-garage-permit/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/deck-shed-garage-permit.json"
---

# Barriere permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

**Question:** Do I need a permit for a deck, shed, carport, or garage in Barriere?

**Short answer:** In Barriere a shed or garage needs a District building permit if it is over 20 m² (215 sq. ft.). A sundeck needs one too, unless it is unroofed, beside a one- or two-family home and 600 mm (24 in) or less above the ground. The guide does not mention carports.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Barriere, https://www.barriere.ca)  
**Cost:** Based on the value of the work. See the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** The District does not state a processing time. Ask the Building Inspector.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Building Inspector (Tuesday to Friday, by appointment), 250-214-3508
- Email: Building Inspection, inspection@barriere.ca
- In person: District Office, 4936 Barriere Town Road, Barriere, BC V0E 1E0 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Sheds:** A building permit is needed for an accessory building such as a shed or garage greater than 20 m² (215 sq. ft.). Single-storey accessory buildings under 20 m² are outside the building bylaw. A storage container counts as an accessory building and cannot be stacked.
  - Source: [Guide to Building Permits and application package](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=7bb846f5-3abe-404e-afbd-52c1727e3d21)
  - Official wording: "Construct a new accessory building" … "such as a garage or storage shed" … "greater than 20 square metres (215" … "containers (C-Cans) are considered an accessory building, cannot be stacked,"
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 128, s. 1.3.2.2](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=211d9f63-a68b-4b0d-ad78-53d0fa10838b)
  - Official wording: "Single-storey accessory buildings less than 20 m² (215 ft²) in building area;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Decks:** A sundeck needs a building permit, as does roofing over or enclosing a deck. An unroofed deck beside a one- or two-family home does not if its surface is 600 mm (24 in) or less above the adjacent ground.
  - Source: [Guide to Building Permits and application package](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=7bb846f5-3abe-404e-afbd-52c1727e3d21)
  - Official wording: "Construct a sundeck;" … "Enclose a porch or roof over a"
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 128, s. 1.3.2.3](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=211d9f63-a68b-4b0d-ad78-53d0fa10838b)
  - Official wording: "Unroofed decks attached to or adjacent to single and two-family" … "dwellings if the deck surface is 600 mm (24 in) or less above the adjacent ground level."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Garages and carports:** A garage is an accessory building: a permit is needed when it is greater than 20 m² (215 sq. ft.). Carports are not mentioned in the guide or the bylaw.
  - Source: [Guide to Building Permits and application package](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=7bb846f5-3abe-404e-afbd-52c1727e3d21)
  - Official wording: "such as a garage or storage shed" … "greater than 20 square metres (215"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Zoning limits:** Accessory buildings: 65 m² maximum floor area unless the parcel is 4,000 m² or larger; front and exterior side setbacks as for the house. In the R zone: rear setback 1.5 m, height 5 m, lot coverage 25% (40% with community water and wastewater). Storage containers: 3 m high unless peaked roof.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), s. 3.5 and R zone ss. 6.3 to 6.5](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "The maximum floor area of an accessory building is 65 square metres except where" … "the parcel size is 4,000 square metres or greater." … "Accessory buildings must meet minimum setback requirements for the principal use" … "in relation to front and exterior side lot lines" … "Rear - 6 metres, except in the case of accessory buildings where it shall be 1.5" … "5 metres for any accessory building." … "The maximum height for a storage container used as an accessory" … "shall be 3 metres, unless provided with a" … "the maximum lot coverage shall be 40 percent."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Building Regulations Bylaw No. 128 (permits); Zoning Bylaw No. 111, s. 3.5 and the zone divisions (limits)
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 128, title](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=211d9f63-a68b-4b0d-ad78-53d0fa10838b)
  - Official wording: "District of Barriere Building Regulations"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258), s. 3.5](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)
  - Official wording: "3.5 ACCESSORY BUILDINGS AND USES"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under the District of Barriere's [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 128](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=211d9f63-a68b-4b0d-ad78-53d0fa10838b), a shed or garage is an accessory building. Single-storey accessory buildings under 20 m² are outside the bylaw, and the District's guide says a permit is needed for one greater than 20 m² (215 sq. ft.). A storage container counts as an accessory building and cannot be stacked.

A sundeck needs a building permit, as does roofing over or enclosing a deck. An unroofed deck beside a one- or two-family home does not need one if its surface is 600 mm (24 in) or less above the adjacent ground. Additions to an existing building need a permit. Carports are not mentioned in the guide or the bylaw, so ask the Building Inspector.

## Steps

1. Check your zone and the zoning limits below with the District Office.
2. Call the Building Inspector (250-214-3508) to confirm whether your building needs a permit.
3. If it does, follow the steps in the building-permit answer.

## Good to know

- Zoning rules apply even to buildings that need no permit. Under [Zoning Bylaw No. 111](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242), an accessory building may be up to 65 m² unless the parcel is 4,000 m² or larger, with front and exterior side setbacks as for the house.
- In the R zone, the rear setback is 1.5 m, the height limit is 5 m, and lot coverage is 25% (40% with community water and wastewater). SH and CR zones also have 25% lot coverage and a 1.5 m rear setback for accessory buildings. Storage containers are limited to 3 m high unless they have a peaked roof.
- An accessory building may not be built before the principal building.

## Official forms and pages

- [Building Inspection and Development Permits, District of Barriere](https://www.barriere.ca/p/building-inspection-development-permits)
- [Guide to Building Permits and application package (PDF)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=7bb846f5-3abe-404e-afbd-52c1727e3d21)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242)

## Related questions

- [Barriere building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/building-permit.md)
- [Barriere building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Barriere fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/fence-rules.md)
- [Barriere zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Deck and shed permit thresholds in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Sun Peaks](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sun-peaks/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Chase](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chase/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Clearwater](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Kamloops](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Sicamous](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sicamous/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Cache Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cache-creek/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## Sources

- [Guide to Building Permits and application package, District of Barriere (PDF)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=7bb846f5-3abe-404e-afbd-52c1727e3d21) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 128 (PDF)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=211d9f63-a68b-4b0d-ad78-53d0fa10838b) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 111 (PDF, consolidated through Bylaw 258)](https://www.barriere.ca/Home/DownloadDocument?docId=8d686cb9-21b4-4e4c-8125-7c8a0c7d6242) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Barriere. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/deck-shed-garage-permit/_