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

# Houston permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

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

**Short answer:** In Houston, constructing or demolishing an accessory structure over 10 m² (108 sq ft), such as a shed, garage or carport, needs a building permit. Porches, balconies and enclosing a sundeck also need one. The pages do not state a deck height rule or say what applies at 10 m² or less.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Houston, https://houston.ca)  
**Cost:** See the building-permit-fees answer; the fee schedule prices garages at $34 per sq ft and carports at $22.50 per sq ft for permit value.  
**How long:** Typically 2 to 4 weeks for a building permit.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Community Development Department, 250-845-2238
- Email: Community Development email, ecdev@houston.ca
- In person: Municipal Office, 3367 12th Street, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Sheds:** Constructing or demolishing an accessory structure over 10 m² (108 sq ft) needs a building permit.
  - Source: [Building Permits and Inspections, Building Permits and Inspections page, "Accessory Buildings & Structures"](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/)
  - Official wording: "Constructing or demolishing an accessory structure over 10 square"
  - Source: [Building Permit Application Guide, "When is a Building Permit Required?"](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149531/)
  - Official wording: "Constructing or demolishing an accessory structure over 10" … "square metres (108 square feet)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Decks:** A porch or balcony, and enclosing a sundeck or porch, need a building permit. The District's pages state no deck height threshold.
  - Source: [Building Permits and Inspections, Building Permits and Inspections page, "Exterior Renovations & Additions"](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/)
  - Official wording: "A porch or balcony" … "Enclosing a sundeck or porch"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Garages and carports:** Accessory structures over 10 m² (108 sq ft) need a building permit, and so does converting a garage to living space. The fee schedule prices garages at $34 per sq ft and carports at $22.50 per sq ft for the permit value.
  - Source: [Building Permits and Inspections, Building Permits and Inspections page](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/)
  - Official wording: "Constructing or demolishing an accessory structure over 10 square" … "Change of use (i.e., converting a garage into a living space)"
  - Source: [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023, Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees, Schedule B-2, item 3](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)
  - Official wording: "Garage per square foot 34.00" … "Carport per square foot 22.50"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Zoning limits:** Neighbourhood Residential (R1): accessory buildings up to 5.1 m high; setbacks 5.0 m front, 1.5 m interior side and rear, 3.0 m exterior side; lot coverage 45%. Rural Residential (A2): up to 6.4 m high, 200 m² per building. Other zones differ.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, s. 9.1(4) and (6) (R1)](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "(c) Maximum Lot Coverage 45%" … "(6) Accessory Buildings and Structures (a) Maximum Height 5.1 m" … "ii. Interior Side Lot Line 1.5 m"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, s. 10.2(6) (A2)](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "(b) Maximum Height 6.4 m" … "No single building will be greater than 200.0 m²"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (permits) and Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (accessory building limits).
  - Source: [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005, s. 22.0](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/)
  - Official wording: "District of Houston Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026, s. 1.1](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw will be cited as “Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026.”"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The District of Houston requires a building permit to construct or demolish an accessory structure over 10 m² (108 sq ft). Converting a garage to living space also needs one. A porch or balcony, and enclosing a sundeck or porch, need a building permit. The District's pages state no deck height threshold, and they do not say what applies to structures of 10 m² or less.

Separately, the [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/) limits where and how large accessory buildings can be. An accessory building over 10 m² is allowed only where a principal use is established or being established on the lot.

## Steps

1. Look up your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Check the zone limits below.
3. Call 250-845-2238 to confirm whether your project needs a permit.
4. If it does, follow the building-permit steps.

## Good to know

- Neighbourhood Residential (R1): accessory buildings up to 5.1 m high; setbacks 5.0 m front, 1.5 m interior side and rear, 3.0 m exterior side; lot coverage 45%.
- Rural Residential (A2): up to 6.4 m high and 200 m² per building; together up to 20% of the lot area to a maximum of 450 m²; setbacks 10.0 m front, 5.0 m rear and interior side, 5.0 m exterior side.
- Other zones differ (R2, for example, allows accessory buildings of 55.0 m² maximum and 4.0 m high). Check Zoning Bylaw Parts 9 to 11 for your zone.
- Lot coverage counts accessory structures of 10 m² or more.
- The fee schedule lists a sundeck value, which suggests permits are issued for decks, but we found no height or size cut-off.

## Official forms and pages

- [Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/)
- [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023 (PDF), Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/)

## Related questions

- [Houston building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit.md)
- [Houston building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Houston zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Houston fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/fence-rules.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)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Burns Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## Sources

- [Building Permits and Inspections, District of Houston](https://houston.ca/community/planning-and-development/permits-and-inspections/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Permit Application Guide (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149531/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1225, 2026 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/149520/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw No. 1182, 2023 (PDF), Comprehensive Fees & Charges Bylaw, Schedule B-2 Building Permit Fees](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145026/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Regulations Bylaw No. 906, 2005 (PDF), District of Houston](https://houston.civicweb.net/document/145127/) (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 Houston. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/deck-shed-garage-permit/_