{"title":"Stewart permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages","question":"Do I need a permit for a deck, shed, carport, or garage?","slug":"deck-shed-garage-permit","place":{"path":"ca/bc/stewart","name":"Stewart","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"District of Stewart","url":"https://districtofstewart.com"},"short_answer":"In Stewart you need a building permit to build a new building, including a garage, or to enclose a carport or turn a garage into living space. The District does not say whether sheds or decks need one, so ask before you build.","aliases":["shed permit stewart","deck permit stewart bc","garage permit stewart","carport permit stewart"],"cost":"A permit review fee based on construction value; the rate is not stated in the readable text. See the building-permit-fees answer.","how_long":"The District does not state a processing time.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"District office","value":"705 Brightwell Street, Stewart, BC","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."},{"type":"phone","label":"District office","value":"250-636-2251"},{"type":"email","label":"Clerk","value":"clerk@districtofstewart.com"},{"type":"email","label":"CAO","value":"cao@districtofstewart.com"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Building Permits, District of Stewart","url":"https://districtofstewart.com/business-resources/developing-in-the-district/building-permits"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Stewart building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/building-permit/"},{"slug":"fence-rules","title":"Stewart fence rules: permits and height limits","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/fence-rules/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Stewart zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/hazelton","name":"Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/terrace","name":"Terrace","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/prince-rupert","name":"Prince Rupert","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-edward","name":"Port Edward","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kitimat","name":"Kitimat","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/deck-shed-garage-permit/"}],"topic":{"title":"Deck and shed permit thresholds in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},"facts":{"shed":{"label":"Sheds","value":"The Building Permits page does not name sheds. Zoning: accessory buildings (which include sheds) are not allowed in the front yard, must be at least 1.0 m from the principal building and from parcel lines, and one under 6.7 m² may be adjacent to a side or rear parcel line.","short":"Not stated for sheds","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","section":"s. 1.0 Accessory Building","quotes":["and includes","garages, carports, sheds, soft-sided structures, and greenhouses."]},{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","section":"s. 3.23, 3.24, 3.27","quotes":["Accessory buildings or structures are not permitted in the front yard in any zone.","Accessory buildings shall be located at least 1.0 m away from any principal building and 1.0 m","Where an accessory building or structure has a floor area of less than 6.7 m 2"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"deck":{"label":"Decks","value":"Not stated whether a deck needs a permit. Zoning allows an uncovered patio, sundeck or terrace in a side or rear yard that is not closer than 1.5 m to the parcel line, subject to fence height limits.","short":"Not stated","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","section":"s. 3.43 Projections","quotes":["an uncovered patio, sundeck, or terrace in a side or rear yard, subject to the fence height","that is not closer than 1.5 m to the parcel line;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"garage_carport":{"label":"Garages and carports","value":"A building permit is required to enclose a carport or change a garage to living space, and to construct a new building.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.com/business-resources/developing-in-the-district/building-permits","title":"Building Permits, District of Stewart","section":"Building Permits page","quotes":["enclose your carport or change your garage to living space.","construct a new building."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"zoning_limits":{"label":"Zoning limits","value":"R1 zone: accessory buildings total at most 50.0 m² and 5.0 m high; parcel coverage 33%. R2 zone: accessory building height 12.0 m and floor area 5% of the parcel area.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","section":"s. 5.2 (R1)","quotes":["Maximum floor area of all accessory buildings          50.0 m2","Maximum height of accessory buildings                  5.0 m","Maximum parcel coverage                                33%"]},{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","section":"s. 6.2 (R2)","quotes":["Maximum floor area for accessory buildings               5% of the parcel area"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014; Building Regulation Bylaw No. 843, 2010","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.com/business-resources/developing-in-the-district/building-permits","title":"Building Permits, District of Stewart","section":"Building Permits page","quotes":["Read Bylaw 843, 2010","Zoning Bylaw 881, 2014"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe District's [Building Permits page](https://districtofstewart.com/business-resources/developing-in-the-district/building-permits) says a permit is required to construct a new building and to enclose a carport or change a garage to living space. Garages and carports are accessory buildings under the [Zoning Bylaw No. 881](https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/).\n\nThe page does not name sheds or decks, and the Building Regulation Bylaw No. 843 is a scanned image. Whether a shed or deck needs a building permit is not stated in text we could read.\n\nZoning rules apply either way:\n\n- Accessory buildings, which include sheds, are not allowed in the front yard. They must be at least 1.0 m from the principal building and from parcel lines. One under 6.7 m² may sit next to a side or rear parcel line.\n- An uncovered patio, sundeck or terrace is allowed in a side or rear yard if it is not closer than 1.5 m to the parcel line, subject to fence height limits.\n- R1 zone: accessory buildings total at most 50.0 m² and 5.0 m high; parcel coverage 33%.\n- R2 zone: accessory building height 12.0 m and floor area 5% of the parcel area.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Find your zone (see the zoning-lookup answer) and check the limits above.\n2. Ask the District office whether your shed or deck needs a building permit.\n3. If a permit is needed, follow the building-permit answer.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Garages and carport conversions need a permit.\n- Limits for zones other than R1 and R2 were not summarized here; check the bylaw.","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.com/business-resources/developing-in-the-district/building-permits","title":"Building Permits, District of Stewart","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/deck-shed-garage-permit/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/deck-shed-garage-permit.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/deck-shed-garage-permit.json"}}