---
title: Mission permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages
question: "Do I need a permit for a deck, shed, carport, or garage?"
place: Mission, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/mission
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Mission
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/deck-shed-garage-permit/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/deck-shed-garage-permit.json"
---

# Mission permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

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

**Short answer:** In the City of Mission, adding or increasing a deck needs a building permit, as do detached garages, carports and other accessory buildings over 15 m² (161.4 ft²). The bylaw exempts a single-storey accessory building of 15 m² or less, but the City's page says pool houses need a permit at any size.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Mission, https://www.mission.ca)  
**Cost:** Application fee $177 (non-refundable) for an accessory building; the permit fee is $177 up to $5,000 of construction value plus $13.50 per $1,000 (or part) from $5,000 to $50,000, with lower rates above. Schedule A, effective January 1, 2026.  
**How long:** The City states no fixed time. The application joins a queue for code review once accepted and the application fee is paid; the City posts current wait times on its website.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Inspection Services, 604-820-3726
- Email: Inspection Services, iservices@mission.ca
- In person: Inspection Services (Building Inspection), Welton Common Building, 7337 Welton Street, Mission, BC V2V 3X1 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Sheds:** No permit for a single-storey accessory building (or unmodified shipping container) serving a one- or two-family home if its floor area is 15 m² (161.4 ft²) or less (Building Bylaw s. 7.19(a)). Larger ones need a permit. The City page also says pool houses (sheds) need a permit regardless of size.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 3590-2003 (PDF, consolidated), sections 7.19 and Schedule A, s. 7.19(a)](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-3590-2003pdf-1)
  - Official wording: "No Permit is required:" … "does not exceed 15 square meters (161.4 square feet) in"
  - Source: [Building Permits, Building Permits page](https://www.mission.ca/building-permits)
  - Official wording: "Detached accessory buildings and structures greater than 15m2 (161.4ft2), such as:" … "Accessory buildings less than 15m2 (161.4ft2), unless they create a hazard" … "Pool houses (sheds) regardless of size"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Decks:** The City lists 'adding or increasing a deck' as work that needs a building permit, and detached deck structures over 15 m² also need one. No minimum deck height is given.
  - Source: [Building Permits, Building Permits page](https://www.mission.ca/building-permits)
  - Official wording: "Adding or increasing a deck" … "Deck structures"
  - Source: [Residential Decks Submission Checklist, Residential Decks submission checklist](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/residential-decks-submission-checklist)
  - Official wording: "RESIDENTIAL DECKS" … "2 sets of design plans (Site plan, foundation plan, floor plan, sections, and details)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Garages and carports:** A detached garage or carport over 15 m² (161.4 ft²) needs a building permit, and so does converting a carport into a garage or living space. A single-storey accessory building of 15 m² or less serving a one- or two-family home needs none.
  - Source: [Building Permits, Building Permits page](https://www.mission.ca/building-permits)
  - Official wording: "Converting a carport into a garage or living space" … "Detached accessory buildings and structures greater than 15m2 (161.4ft2), such as:"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 3590-2003 (PDF, consolidated), sections 7.19 and Schedule A, s. 7.19(a)](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-3590-2003pdf-1)
  - Official wording: "does not exceed 15 square meters (161.4 square feet) in"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Zoning limits:** Setbacks, height and lot coverage for accessory buildings are set zone by zone in the Zoning Bylaw. Accessory buildings or structures that do not need a building permit are exempt from interior side and rear yard setbacks. An accessory building joined to the house by a continuous foundation, walls and roof is treated as part of the house.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 5949-2020, s. 104 H](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/5949-2020-zoning-bylaw-completepdf)
  - Official wording: "All Accessory Buildings or Structures, not requiring a building permit, are exempted from Yard (Interior" … "Side) and Yard (Rear) setbacks." … "it shall be considered a part of the" … "Principal Building and shall comply in all respects with the requirements for the Principal Use regulations within"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Building Bylaw 3590-2003 (s. 7.19); Zoning Bylaw 5949-2020 (s. 104 H and the regulations for each zone)
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 3590-2003 (PDF, consolidated), sections 7.19 and Schedule A, s. 7.19](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-3590-2003pdf-1)
  - Official wording: "No Permit is required:"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 5949-2020, s. 104 H](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/5949-2020-zoning-bylaw-completepdf)
  - Official wording: "H. Accessory Building and Structure Regulations"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The City of Mission's [Building Bylaw 3590-2003](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-3590-2003pdf-1) requires a permit for most structures. The exemption (s. 7.19) covers a single-storey accessory building, or an unmodified shipping container, serving a one- or two-family home, if its floor area is 15 m² (161.4 ft²) or less. Zoning rules on setbacks, height and lot coverage still apply even when no permit is needed.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zoning, setbacks, height and lot coverage with Development Planning (604-820-3748) or the City's WebMap before you design.
2. Download the Accessory Building or Residential Decks checklist and gather the forms, plans, survey and title search.
3. Start with a Pre-Submission Review, then pay the non-refundable application fee when the application is accepted.
4. Pay the permit fee before the permit issues, then book inspections online.

## Good to know

- Decks: the City lists "adding or increasing a deck" as needing a building permit, and detached deck structures over 15 m² also need one. No minimum deck height is stated.
- Garages and carports: a detached garage or carport over 15 m² needs a permit, and so does converting a carport into a garage or living space.
- Pool houses: the City's page says a pool house (shed) needs a permit regardless of size, but the bylaw exempts accessory buildings of 15 m² or less. Confirm with Inspection Services.
- Accessory-building setbacks, height and lot coverage are set zone by zone in the Zoning Bylaw. Buildings that need no permit are exempt from interior side and rear yard setbacks. A building joined to the house by a continuous foundation, walls and roof is treated as part of the house.
- Sealed sprinkler plans are needed if the floor area is over 100 m² or over 50% of the principal building's floor area, whichever is less.
- Starting work before the permit issues increases the fee by 100%, or $250 if that is greater.
- Electrical and gas permits come from Technical Safety BC (1-866-566-7233), not the City.

## What you'll need

- Building Permit Application and Owner's Undertaking forms
- Title search printed within 30 days and copies of covenants and easements
- Design plans; accessory buildings also need a sealed topographic survey and a sealed stormwater plan; decks need 2 sets of design plans

## Official forms and pages

- [Accessory Building submission checklist (PDF)](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/accessory-building-submission-checklist)
- [Residential Decks submission checklist (PDF)](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/residential-decks-submission-checklist)
- [Building Permit Checklists](https://www.mission.ca/planning-building-business/checklists)

## Related questions

- [Mission building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/building-permit.md)
- [Mission building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Mission fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/fence-rules.md)
- [Mission zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/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)
- [Abbotsford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/abbotsford/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Township of Langley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Maple Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/maple-ridge/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Langley City](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Pitt Meadows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pitt-meadows/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Chilliwack](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chilliwack/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## Sources

- [Building Permits, City of Mission](https://www.mission.ca/building-permits) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Building Bylaw 3590-2003 (PDF, consolidated), sections 7.19 and Schedule A](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/building-bylaw-3590-2003pdf-1) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw 5949-2020 (PDF), s. 104 H](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/5949-2020-zoning-bylaw-completepdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Accessory Building Submission Checklist (PDF), City of Mission](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/accessory-building-submission-checklist) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Residential Decks Submission Checklist (PDF), City of Mission](https://www.mission.ca/media/file/residential-decks-submission-checklist) (read 2026-11-05)
- [WebMap, City of Mission](https://www.mission.ca/webmap) (read 2026-11-05)

_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 City of Mission. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mission/deck-shed-garage-permit/_