{"title":"Terrace 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/terrace","name":"Terrace","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":"City of Terrace","url":"https://www.terrace.ca"},"short_answer":"In Terrace, a shed or other accessory building under 10 square metres does not need a building permit. Larger sheds, garages and carports do. The Building Bylaw does not exempt decks, so a deck appears to need one. Zoning rules apply either way.","aliases":["shed permit terrace","garage permit","do I need a permit for a deck","carport permit","accessory building rules"],"cost":"When a permit is needed: $75 application fee plus $8 per $1,000 of work value and $1 per $1,000 for plan review.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"online","label":"CloudPermit","value":"https://ca.cloudpermit.com/terrace/"},{"type":"phone","label":"Building and Licensing","value":"250-615-4000"},{"type":"phone","label":"Development Services (zoning)","value":"250-615-4022"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Building Bylaw 2307 (PDF)","url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3959"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw 2069 (PDF)","url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/4249"},{"title":"TerraMap (find your zone)","url":"https://www.terrace.ca/business-development/maps-zoning/terramap"}],"related":[{"slug":"building-permit","title":"Terrace building permits: when you need one and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/building-permit/"},{"slug":"fence-rules","title":"Terrace fence rules: permits and height limits","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/fence-rules/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Terrace zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"secondary-suite","title":"Terrace secondary suite and carriage house rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/secondary-suite/"},{"slug":"building-permit-fees","title":"Terrace building permit fees","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/building-permit-fees/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/kitimat","name":"Kitimat","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/deck-shed-garage-permit/"},{"place":"ca/bc/hazelton","name":"Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/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/prince-rupert","name":"Prince Rupert","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/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":"A building permit is needed for a shed or other accessory building unless its floor area is less than 10 m².","short":"No if less than 10 m²","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3959","title":"Building Bylaw No. 2307-2024 (PDF), City of Terrace","section":"s. 3.4.2, 10.1.1","quotes":["an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres","constructing or altering a building or structure, unless exempt from the application of this Bylaw pursuant to Section 3.4;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"deck":{"label":"Decks","value":"The Building Bylaw sets no deck height or size threshold. A permit is required to construct a structure unless s. 3.4 exempts it, and decks are not named in those exemptions.","short":"Yes; no height or size threshold stated","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3959","title":"Building Bylaw No. 2307-2024 (PDF), City of Terrace","section":"s. 3.4, 9.3.2.d, 10.1.1","quotes":["constructing or altering a building or structure, unless exempt from the application of this Bylaw pursuant to Section 3.4;","structures, including retaining walls, steps, stairs and decks, and","a fence, a trellis, an arbour, or other similar landscaping or decorative structures."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"garage_carport":{"label":"Garages and carports","value":"A garage or carport is a building, so it needs a building permit unless it is an accessory building under 10 m². A garage or carport attached to the house is treated as part of the principal building.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3959","title":"Building Bylaw No. 2307-2024 (PDF), City of Terrace","section":"s. 3.4.2, 10.1.1","quotes":["an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres","constructing or altering a building or structure, unless exempt from the application of this Bylaw pursuant to Section 3.4;"]},{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/4249","title":"Zoning Consolidated Bylaw No. 2069-2014 (PDF, to Bylaw 2345-2026), City of Terrace","section":"s. 3.5.2","quotes":["Where accessory buildings or structures are permanently attached to the principal","building, they shall be considered part of the principal building and must comply in"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"zoning_limits":{"label":"Zoning limits","value":"No accessory building in a front yard; 1.5 m from the house or another accessory building. R1: up to 55 m² and 5.1 m high; setbacks 1.5 m rear, 1.2 m (parcels under 600 m²) or 1.5 m side, 2.0 m exterior side; coverage 50% or 45%. Other zones differ.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/4249","title":"Zoning Consolidated Bylaw No. 2069-2014 (PDF, to Bylaw 2345-2026), City of Terrace","section":"s. 3.5.3, 3.5.4; R1 s. 11.1.3","quotes":["No accessory building or structure will be located in a front yard.","A minimum setback of 1.5 m is required between an accessory building and a","buildings/structures 55 m2 55 m2 55 m2 without dwelling units","buildings/structures 5.1 m 5.1 m 5.1 m without dwelling units","d. rear parcel line 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m","buildings/structures 1 per parcel 1 per parcel 1 per parcel without dwelling units (30 m2 and larger)",".7 Maximum Parcel Coverage 50% 45% 45%","c. exterior side parcel line 2.0 m 2.0 m 2.0 m"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Building Bylaw No. 2307-2024 (permits) and Zoning Bylaw No. 2069-2014 (accessory buildings, s. 3.5 and zone regulations)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3959","title":"Building Bylaw No. 2307-2024 (PDF), City of Terrace","section":"Title page","quotes":["CITY OF TERRACE BYLAW NO. 2307-2024 \"A BYLAW FOR ADMINISTRATION OF THE BUILDING CODE AND REGULATION"]},{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/4249","title":"Zoning Consolidated Bylaw No. 2069-2014 (PDF, to Bylaw 2345-2026), City of Terrace","section":"Title page","quotes":["City of Terrace Zoning Bylaw No. 2069 - 2014","3.5 Accessory Buildings, Structures and Use"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\n[Building Bylaw 2307-2024](https://www.terrace.ca/media/3959) requires a permit to construct a building or structure unless s. 3.4 exempts it. It exempts an accessory building with a floor area under 10 m².\n\n- **Shed:** needs a permit unless it is under 10 m².\n- **Deck:** the bylaw sets no height or size threshold and does not name decks in its exemptions, so a permit appears to be required. This is a plain reading; no City page states a deck rule.\n- **Garage or carport:** needs a permit unless it is an accessory building under 10 m². One attached to the house is treated as part of the house.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Find your zone on TerraMap, or call Development Services (250-615-4022).\n2. Check the zoning limits for your zone.\n3. If a permit is needed, apply in CloudPermit. Confirm deck questions with Building and Licensing (250-615-4000).\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Zoning Bylaw 2069 applies to every accessory building, with or without a permit.\n- No accessory building may be in a front yard, and there must be 1.5 m between it and the house or another accessory building.\n- In R1: up to 55 m² and 5.1 m high; setbacks of 1.5 m at the rear, 1.2 m (parcels under 600 m²) or 1.5 m at the side, and 2.0 m on the exterior side; parcel coverage 50% or 45%. In AR1 and AR2 an accessory building may be up to 90 m² and 5.1 m high; in RS1, 55 m² and 5.1 m. Other zones differ.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/3959","title":"Building Bylaw No. 2307-2024 (PDF), City of Terrace","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/media/4249","title":"Zoning Consolidated Bylaw No. 2069-2014 (PDF, to Bylaw 2345-2026), City of Terrace","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/business-development/building-permits","title":"Building Permits, City of Terrace","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.terrace.ca/business-development/maps-zoning/terramap","title":"TerraMap, City of Terrace","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","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/terrace/deck-shed-garage-permit/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/deck-shed-garage-permit.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/deck-shed-garage-permit.json"}}