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Chetwynd permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

Do I need a permit for a deck, shed, carport, or garage in Chetwynd?

Chetwynd, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

In Chetwynd a shed or other accessory building under 10 m² needs no building permit if it is sited as zoning requires; larger ones do. A deck needs a permit if its surface is 0.6 m or more above the ground. Garages and carports are not named separately; check with the Building Inspector.

Key facts

ShedsA shed or other accessory building under 10 m² in building area does not need a building permit if it is sited as the Zoning Bylaw requires. Larger ones do. The District's guide says accessory structures greater than 9.29 m² (100 sq. ft.) need a permit.Sources differ: The bylaw says under 10 m²; the guide says over 9.29 m² (100 sq. ft.), so sheds between 9.29 and 10 m² are covered differently by the two. The bylaw wins. Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012 is read from the consolidated copy (to Bylaw 1028, Oct. 5, 2015) on the District's bylaw page; the Building Inspection page links an older 'combined' copy with the same wording on these points. Later amendments, if any, were not found.Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, s. 3.8(b); Building Permit Guide, October 2024, Guide, "When do I Need a Building Permit?" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
accessory buildings less than 10 square metres in building area on the condition that the building is sited in accordance with the Zoning Bylaw
To build an accessory structure greater than 9.29 m2 (100 sq. ft.);
DecksA deck needs a building permit if its surface is 0.6 m (600 mm) or more above the ground at any point; lower deck additions are exempt if sited as the Zoning Bylaw requires. The District's guide says decks over 10 m² (110 sq. ft.) and/or over 600 mm (24 in) above grade.Sources differ: The guide adds a 10 m² size test that the bylaw text does not have. The bylaw wins. The 'Deck Instructions' PDF on the Building Inspection page is a City of Grande Prairie (Alberta) document and was not used. Uncovered decks and sundecks must be at least 1.5 m (5 ft) from the parcel line and meet fence height limits (Zoning s. 4.5, 4.6). Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012 is read from the consolidated copy (to Bylaw 1028, Oct. 5, 2015) on the District's bylaw page; the Building Inspection page links an older 'combined' copy with the same wording on these points. Later amendments, if any, were not found.Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, s. 3.8(g); Building Permit Guide, October 2024, Guide, "When do I Need a Building Permit?" · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
deck additions, except a deck where the difference in elevation between the deck surface and the ground surface at any point is 0.6 metres or more and on the condition that the deck is sited in accordance with the Zoning Bylaw
To build decks over 10 m2 (110 sq. ft.) and / or over 600 mm (24”) above
Garages and carportsGarages and carports are not named separately. The Building Bylaw exempts only accessory buildings under 10 m²; the Zoning Bylaw defines a garage as 'a detached accessory building or a portion of a principal building'. An attached garage is part of the principal building.Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, s. 3.8(b); Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023, with Amendment 1162 and maps, Definitions, GARAGE; Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023, with Amendment 1162 and maps, s. 4.11(2)(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
accessory buildings less than 10 square metres in building area
GARAGE means a detached accessory building or a portion of a principal building which is above grade
Where an accessory building or structure is attached to the principal building, it will be considered part
Zoning limitsR1 zone: up to 3 accessory buildings, together at most 70 m² (parcels under 700 m²) or 90 m² (over 700 m²); height up to 5.0 m (16 ft); parcel coverage 35%. Setbacks: 1.5 m (5 ft) from interior side and rear lines (1.0 m if a lane is provided; 2.0 m for a garage or carport opening onto a lane), 3.0 m from the exterior side line; not nearer the front than the rear wall of the house.Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023, with Amendment 1162 and maps, s. 10.3, Table 10 (R1); Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023, with Amendment 1162 and maps, s. 4.11(3) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Maximum number of accessory buildings 3 per parcel
Maximum building and structure height
b. Accessory building 5.0 m (16 ft)
Maximum parcel coverage (all buildings) 35%
Accessory buildings or structures must have a minimum setback of 1.0 m (3 ft) from the rear parcel line where a lane is provided.
Carports or garages opening onto a lane must have a minimum setback of 2.0 m (7 ft) from the rear or side parcel line.
Accessory buildings or structures must not be located any nearer to the front parcel line than the rear
wall of the principal building.
Accessory buildings or structures must have a minimum setback of 1.5 m (5 ft) from the rear parcel line
where no lane is provided and be located no closer than 3.0 m (10 ft) to any building, including those on
BylawBuilding Bylaw No. 973, 2012 (s. 3.8, permit exemptions) and Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023 (s. 4.11 and the zone tables).Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028, Title; Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023, with Amendment 1162 and maps, Title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the “Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012.
1. This Bylaw may be cited as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023”.

How it works

The District of Chetwynd's Building Bylaw No. 973 (s. 3.8) exempts an accessory building under 10 m² in building area if it is sited as the Zoning Bylaw No. 1150 requires. Larger ones need a permit. A deck needs a permit if its surface is 0.6 m (600 mm) or more above the ground at any point; lower deck additions are exempt if sited as zoning requires.

Garages and carports are not named separately. The Zoning Bylaw defines a garage as a detached accessory building or part of the principal building, so an attached garage is part of the house. No official page states a permit rule for them, so ask the Building Inspector.

Steps

  1. Check your zone and the size limits below.
  2. Call the Building Inspector on 250-401-4100 to confirm whether you need a permit.
  3. If you do, follow the building-permit steps.

Good to know

  • The District's guide says accessory structures over 9.29 m² (100 sq. ft.) need a permit, and decks over 10 m² (110 sq. ft.) and/or over 600 mm (24 in) above grade. These differ slightly from the bylaw, which governs. Confirm for sizes near the limits.
  • R1 zone: up to 3 accessory buildings, together at most 70 m² (parcels under 700 m²) or 90 m² (over 700 m²); height up to 5.0 m (16 ft); parcel coverage 35%.
  • R1 setbacks: 1.5 m (5 ft) from interior side and rear lines (1.0 m if a lane is provided; 2.0 m for a garage or carport opening onto a lane), 3.0 m from the exterior side line, and not nearer the front than the rear wall of the house.
  • Uncovered decks must be at least 1.5 m (5 ft) from the parcel line and meet fence height limits.
  • Other zones have their own limits. The posted zoning copy may be out of date.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Hudson's Hope · Tumbler Ridge · Fort St. John · Taylor · Dawson Creek · Pouce Coupe

Deck and shed permit thresholds in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Building Bylaw No. 973, 2012, consolidated to Bylaw 1028 (PDF), District of Chetwynd (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Zoning Bylaw No. 1150, 2023, with Amendment 1162 and maps (PDF), District of Chetwynd (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Building Permit Guide, October 2024 (PDF), District of Chetwynd (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. How answers are checked.