---
title: Gibsons permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages
question: "Do I need a permit for a deck, shed, carport, or garage in Gibsons?"
place: Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/gibsons
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Gibsons
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/deck-shed-garage-permit/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/deck-shed-garage-permit.json"
---

# Gibsons permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

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

**Short answer:** In Gibsons an accessory building under 10 m² (108 sq. ft.) needs no building permit, but a larger shed, garage or carport does. The bylaw sets no deck threshold, so ask the Building Department before you build one. Zoning rules apply to every accessory building.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Gibsons, https://www.gibsons.ca)  
**Cost:** No fee if no permit is needed. Otherwise see the building-permit-fees answer.  
**How long:** No official page states a processing time. An application expires six months after it is complete if no permit has been issued (Building Bylaw s. 10.19).  
**Where:**
- Phone: Building Department, 604-886-2274
- Email: Building Department, building@gibsons.ca
- Online: Cloudpermit (online applications), https://gibsons.ca/business/building-department/building-permits/

## Key facts

- **Sheds:** An accessory building with a floor area under 10 m² (108 sq. ft.) is outside the Building Bylaw, so needs no building permit; the Town still asks for a plan showing its location. Larger buildings fall under the bylaw. (Sources differ: The Town's guide says 'one accessory building not more than 10 square meters'; the bylaw says 'less than 10 square metres'. Bylaw used. Exempt buildings must still meet zoning setbacks (guide).)
  - Source: [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/, s. 3.3(b)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/)
  - Official wording: "an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres"
  - Source: [Building Inspection, Building Without Permits](https://gibsons.ca/business/building-department/building-inspection/)
  - Official wording: "An accessory building, with less than 10 sq. metres (108 sq. ft.) in floor area, may not require a building permit, but a plan should be submitted showing its site location."
  - Source: [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/, s. 5.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/)
  - Official wording: "A permit is required if work regulated under this bylaw is to be undertaken."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Decks:** None set. Gibsons' Building Bylaw 1284 sets no deck threshold for a building permit.
- **Garages and carports:** Not named in the Building Bylaw. A garage or carport needs a building permit unless it is an accessory building under 10 m² of floor area (s. 3.3(b)); anything larger falls under the bylaw. Zoning siting rules apply in either case.
  - Source: [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/, s. 3.3(b)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/)
  - Official wording: "an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres"
  - Source: [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/, s. 5.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/)
  - Official wording: "A permit is required if work regulated under this bylaw is to be undertaken."
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 1284, 2020, s. 3.3, 5.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89642/)
  - Official wording: "an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres" … "A permit is required if work regulated under this bylaw is to be undertaken."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Zoning limits:** Accessory buildings: no more than 3 per lot (except AG); maximum 4 m high; together under 56 m² of the lot in RL-1 and RL-2, or 10% of the lot in other zones; at least 1.5 m from the rear lot line and elsewhere no closer than the principal building's setbacks; no dwelling units inside.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.6.2](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "the maximum number of Accessory Building, and Structures permitted on a Lot is a total of 3."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.6.3](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Buildings have a maximum Building Height of 4 m."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.6.4](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "must not together cover more than 56 m2 of any Lot, and in all other zones must not together cover more than 10% of any Lot."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.6.5](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "no closer to a Rear Lot Line than 1.5 m"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.6.1](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Buildings must not contain Dwelling Units."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Building Bylaw No. 1284, 2020 (s. 3.3) and Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025 (s. 3.6)
  - Source: [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/, title](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/)
  - Official wording: "BUILDING BYLAW NO. 1284, 2020"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, s. 3.6](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)
  - Official wording: "3.6. Accessory Buildings & Features"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Building Bylaw 1284](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89642/) does not apply to an accessory building with a floor area under 10 m² (108 sq. ft.), so a small shed needs no building permit. The Town still asks for a plan showing where it will sit. Larger buildings fall under the bylaw and need a permit.

A garage or carport is not named in the bylaw. It needs a building permit unless it is an accessory building under 10 m².

For decks, no official page or bylaw states a height or size threshold. The Town's guide only exempts patios less than two feet off the ground, and the bylaw requires a permit for regulated work. Ask the Building Department before building a deck.

## Steps

1. Check the size of the building against the 10 m² line.
2. Check the [Zoning Bylaw 1342](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) limits below, which apply with or without a permit.
3. If a permit is needed, apply online through Cloudpermit.

## Good to know

- Zoning limits on accessory buildings (s. 3.6): no more than 3 per lot (except AG); maximum 4 m high; together under 56 m² of the lot in RL-1 and RL-2, or 10% of the lot in other zones; at least 1.5 m from the rear lot line and elsewhere no closer than the principal building's setbacks; no dwelling units inside.
- A garage or carport attached to, or within 1.5 m of, the principal building must meet the principal building's setbacks. Steep-slope garage rules also apply (s. 3.6.7).
- The Town's guide says "not more than 10 square meters", while the bylaw says "less than 10 square metres". Confirm if yours is exactly 10 m².

## Official forms and pages

- [Building Bylaw No. 1284, 2020 (adopted copy)](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89642/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/)

## Related questions

- [Gibsons building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/building-permit.md)
- [Gibsons building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Gibsons fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/fence-rules.md)
- [Gibsons zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/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)
- [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Sechelt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [District of North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [North Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## Sources

- [Building Bylaw No. 1284, 2020, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89642/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1342, 2025, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/89468/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building Inspection, Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/business/building-department/building-inspection/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Building Permit Application Guide, July 2024 (PDF), Town of Gibsons](https://gibsons.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2024-07-Building-permit-guide-1.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/](https://gibsons.civicweb.net/document/85212/) (read 2026-11-06)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 5 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Gibsons. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/deck-shed-garage-permit/_