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

# Vernon 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 Vernon, a shed under 10 m² and a deck within 600 mm of the ground all round need no building permit. A shed of 10 m² or more needs one, and so does a garage or carport. Zoning rules on size and placement apply either way.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Vernon, https://www.vernon.ca)  
**Cost:** Application fee $150 (simple building) or $250 (complex), plus permit fee and security deposit. See building-permit-fees.  
**How long:** The City's page does not state a review time.  
**Where:**
- Online: Apply online, https://ecommerce2.vernon.ca/TempestApps/eapply/prospero/dashboard/Template/Welcome.aspx?TemplateName=BUILDING%20PERMIT
- Phone: Building Permits, 250-550-3634
- In person: Community Services Building, 3001 32 Avenue, Vernon, BC V1T 2L8

## Key facts

- **Sheds:** A shed or other accessory building under 10 m² and creating no hazard needs no building permit (adding plumbing does). One of 10 m² or more needs a building permit.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 5900, s. 3.3(b)](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/bylaws/5900_building_bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres;"
  - Source: [Building Permit Application, Do I Need a Permit?](https://www.vernon.ca/homes-building/permits-applications/building-permit-application/building-permit-application)
  - Official wording: "Accessory buildings with an area less than 10 m² and that does not create a hazard." … "Adding plumbing to an accessory building will require a building permit."
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 5900, s. 4.1](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/bylaws/5900_building_bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "unless a building official has issued a valid and subsisting permit for the"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Decks:** No permit for a deck within 600 mm of grade around its entire perimeter, or for replacing a rotten deck structure with a similar product. Replacing a whole deck or changing its size needs a permit.
  - Source: [Building Permit Application, Do I Need a Permit?](https://www.vernon.ca/homes-building/permits-applications/building-permit-application/building-permit-application)
  - Official wording: "Decks that are within 600mm of grade around the entire deck." … "Replacing roofing, siding, or rotten deck structure for a similar product." … "Replacing a whole deck or changing its size will require a building permit."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Garages and carports:** No separate rule is stated. Only accessory buildings under 10 m² are exempt, so a garage or carport of 10 m² or more needs a building permit.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 5900, s. 3.3(b) and 10.4(k)](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/bylaws/5900_building_bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres;" … "except for garages, carports and garden structures located on land,"
  - Source: [Building Permit Application, Apply for](https://www.vernon.ca/homes-building/permits-applications/building-permit-application/building-permit-application)
  - Official wording: "- Institutional Buildings - Mixed-Use Buildings - Accessory Structures ## Before you Start Please review the Building Permit checklist to ensure you have all required information and documents."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Zoning limits:** In housing zones: no accessory building in a front yard (fences excepted, and unless it holds a permitted accessory dwelling or the lot is double-fronting); total accessory coverage no more than 14% of lot area or 100 m², whichever is less. In the MUS zone, accessory buildings are limited to 4.5 m high; setbacks depend on lot class.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 6000, Section 4 Development Regulations, s. 4.3.2 and 4.3.4](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/planning-building/zoning/bylaw6000/section-4-development-regulations.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No Accessory Buildings or Structures, except for fences, are allowed in a Front Yard" … "The total Lot coverage of Accessory Buildings or Structures shall not exceed 14% of" … "the Lot Area, or have a total footprint greater than 100 m2, whichever is less."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 6000, Section 9.1 MUS, s. 9.1.5-9.1.6](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/planning-building/zoning/bylaw6000/section-9_1-mus.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Accessory Building(s) 4.5 m"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Building Bylaw No. 5900 (s. 3.3 exemptions) and Zoning Bylaw No. 6000 (s. 4.3 Accessory Development)
  - Source: [Building Bylaw 5900, s. 3.3](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/bylaws/5900_building_bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw does not apply to"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 6000, Section 4 Development Regulations, s. 4.3](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/planning-building/zoning/bylaw6000/section-4-development-regulations.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Landscaping. 4.3 Accessory Development 4.3.1 No person shall erect or permit to be erected an antenna, satellite dish/receiver, radio or"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

[Building Bylaw 5900](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/bylaws/5900_building_bylaw.pdf) exempts a few small structures from a building permit. [Zoning Bylaw 6000](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/planning-building/zoning/bylaw6000/section-4-development-regulations.pdf) section 4.3 still controls where accessory buildings may go and how big they can be, even when no permit is needed.

## Good to know

- Shed or other accessory building: under 10 m² and creating no hazard, no permit (adding plumbing does need one). At 10 m² or more, a building permit is needed.
- Deck: no permit if it is within 600 mm of grade around its entire perimeter, or for replacing a rotten deck structure with a similar product. Replacing a whole deck or changing its size needs a permit. The 600 mm rule is stated on the City's page, not in the bylaw text.
- Garage or carport: no separate rule is stated. Only accessory buildings under 10 m² are exempt, so a garage or carport of 10 m² or more needs a building permit. Confirm with the Building counter.
- Housing zones: no accessory building in a front yard (fences excepted, unless it holds a permitted accessory dwelling or the lot is double-fronting). Total accessory building coverage is limited to 14% of the lot area or 100 m², whichever is less.
- In the MUS zone, accessory buildings are limited to 4.5 m high, and setbacks depend on lot class. Other zones have their own limits.
- Decks may project into setbacks by up to 0.6 m (1.0 m in a front or flanking side setback).
- Call 250-550-3634 before you start if you are unsure.

## Official forms and pages

- [Building Permit Application page](https://www.vernon.ca/homes-building/permits-applications/building-permit-application/building-permit-application)
- [Section 4 - Development Regulations, Zoning Bylaw 6000 (PDF)](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/planning-building/zoning/bylaw6000/section-4-development-regulations.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Vernon building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/building-permit.md)
- [Vernon building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Vernon fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/fence-rules.md)
- [Vernon secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/secondary-suite.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)
- [Coldstream](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Lake Country](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-country/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Spallumcheen](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Armstrong](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Lumby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Enderby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/enderby/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## Sources

- [Building Permit Application, City of Vernon](https://www.vernon.ca/homes-building/permits-applications/building-permit-application/building-permit-application) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw 6000, Section 4 Development Regulations (PDF)](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/planning-building/zoning/bylaw6000/section-4-development-regulations.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Building Bylaw 5900 (PDF)](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/bylaws/5900_building_bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw 6000, Section 9.1 MUS (PDF)](https://www.vernon.ca/sites/default/files/docs/planning-building/zoning/bylaw6000/section-9_1-mus.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Contact Us, City of Vernon](https://www.vernon.ca/government-services/contact-us) (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 Vernon. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/deck-shed-garage-permit/_