Salmo permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

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

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

Short answer

In Salmo a shed of 9.3 m² (100 sq ft) or less needs a Development Permit but may not need a building permit. Anything larger needs both. A new garage or carport needs a building permit. Decks without a roof no more than 600 mm (2 ft) above grade are outside the Building Bylaw.

Key facts

Sheds	An accessory building of 9.3 m² (100 sq ft) or less needs a Development Permit but may not need a building permit. Any accessory building over 9.3 m² needs both a Development Permit and a Building Permit.Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 4.21(b), 4.29.1(b) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording Small accessory buildings up to 3.05m x 3.05m, 9.3m2 (10' x 10', 100ft2) require a Development Permit and are permitted on all lots & may not require a Building Permit. An accessory building larger than 9.3m2 (100ft2) requires a Development Permit & a Building Permit.
Decks	The Building Bylaw does not apply to decks without a roof that are no more than 600 mm (2 ft) above grade. Other decks fall under the general rule that building and altering structures needs a permit.Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618, s. 5.2.3, 8.1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording decks without roofs having a difference in elevation to grade not exceeding 600 millimeters (2ft.); building permit before constructing or altering a building or structure;
Garages and carports	A new garage or carport is a building needing a building permit; the fee table lists attached garages, detached garages and carports. An accessory building over 9.3 m² also needs a Development Permit.Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618, s. 8.1.1; Schedule A formula; Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 4.29.1(b) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording building permit before constructing or altering a building or structure; Attached garage $ 40.00 p.s.f. Detached garage $ 30.00 p.s.f. Carport $ 25.00 p.s.f. An accessory building larger than 9.3m2 (100ft2) requires a Development Permit & a Building Permit.
Zoning limits	R-1 accessory buildings: up to 4.5 m high (7 m with a Development Permit); 4.5 m from front or exterior side lot lines and 1.5 m from rear or interior side lines; not closer to the street than the house; 3 m from the house (1 m if under 20 m²). Coverage: lesser of 14% or 92.9 m² (s. 4.29.4(b) also says 10%).Sources differ: The next sentence of s. 4.29.4(b) says "The maximum site coverage for accessory buildings is 10%", which does not match the 14% figure. Height and other zones not summarized here.Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, s. 5.4.9(b), 4.29.4 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording No accessory building or structure may be located within: • 4.5m (14'9") of the front or exterior side lot lines, or • 1.5m (4'11") of the rear or interior side lot lines. An accessory building or structure may not be situated closer to the front lot line or the exterior side lot line than the principal building. The maximum site coverage for all accessory buildings on a lot in residential zones is the lesser of 14% or a footprint of 92.9m2 (1,000ft2). The minimum distance to the principal dwelling is 3m (9'10"), except if the gross floor area of the accessory building is less than 20m2 (215ft2), the minimum distance is 1m (3'3"). no accessory buildings or structures may exceed 4.5m The maximum site coverage for accessory buildings is 10%.
Bylaw	Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618; Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026.Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618, s. 1.1; Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026, Citation · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 Official wording This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as the "Building Bylaw (2010)" The Village of Salmo Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026

How it works

In the Village of Salmo, two bylaws apply: the Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618 for building permits and the Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 for where and how big.

Shed or other accessory building: 9.3 m² (100 sq ft) or less needs a Development Permit but may not need a building permit. Over 9.3 m² needs both.
Deck: the Building Bylaw does not apply to a deck without a roof that is no more than 600 mm (2 ft) above grade. Other decks fall under the general rule that building or altering a structure needs a permit.
Garage or carport: a new one is a building needing a building permit. An accessory building over 9.3 m² also needs a Development Permit.

Good to know

For R-1 accessory buildings the Zoning Bylaw sets: up to 4.5 m high (7 m with a Development Permit); 4.5 m from front or exterior side lot lines and 1.5 m from rear or interior side lines; not closer to the street than the house; 3 m from the house (1 m if under 20 m²).
Coverage: the bylaw says the lesser of 14% or 92.9 m², but the next sentence of s. 4.29.4(b) says the maximum is 10%. The two do not match, so confirm with the Village Office.
The Village says fewer inspections apply to structures under 10 square metres.
Other zones have their own limits. Call 250-357-9433 before you build.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Fruitvale · Montrose · Castlegar · Nelson · Trail · Warfield

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

Sources

Zoning Bylaw No. 773, 2026 (PDF), Village of Salmo (read 2026-11-08)
Building Bylaw (2010), Bylaw #618 (PDF), Village of Salmo (read 2026-11-08)
Building Inspections, Village of Salmo (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.