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Whistler permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

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

Whistler, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

In Whistler a shed under 10 m² with no electrical, fuel-burning or plumbing needs no building permit, and neither does a detached deck under 600 mm above ground with no walls or roof. Larger sheds, other decks, garages and carports need a permit.

Key facts

ShedsNo building permit for an accessory building under 10 m² floor area with no electrical, fuel-burning or plumbing facilities (the web page adds it must meet setbacks and create no hazard). Larger sheds, or any with those services, need a permit.Building Regulation Bylaw No. 2482, 2025 (PDF, consolidated October 20, 2026), s. 5.4(b); Building and Development Permits, In most cases, a permit is NOT required for · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10m2 that does not contain
electrical, fuel-burning or plumbing facilities;
A single-story accessory building no greater than 10 m2 in building area providing it does not create a hazard
DecksNo building permit for a deck or patio less than 600 mm above the ground that is not attached to a building and has no walls or roof. Other decks need a permit.Building Regulation Bylaw No. 2482, 2025 (PDF, consolidated October 20, 2026), s. 5.4(h) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
decks or patios which are less than 600mm from the ground or finished Grade,
which are not attached to a Building and have no walls or roofs;
Garages and carportsNo exemption for garages or carports: only accessory buildings under 10 m² without electrical, fuel-burning or plumbing are exempt, so a garage or carport needs a building permit.Building and Development Permits, Is my project allowed?; Building Regulation Bylaw No. 2482, 2025 (PDF, consolidated October 20, 2026), s. 5.4(b) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
While all construction projects require a building permit,
an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10m2 that does not contain
Zoning limitsAuxiliary buildings: up to 70 m² per detached dwelling in RS, RT, RTA and TB zones, 5 m high, 3 m from side and rear lines. In RS1: site coverage 35 per cent, front setback 7.6 m; garages and carports may be 5 m from the front line. Decks up to 1 m high may sit 1 m from side lines, 2 m from front and rear.Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015 (PDF, consolidated August 8, 2026), Part 5, s. 3(1), (4), (5); Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015 (PDF, consolidated August 8, 2026), Part 5, s. 7(1)(d) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
70 square metres for detached dwelling or bed and breakfast use in the RS, RT,
The maximum permitted height of an auxiliary building is 5 metres.
from a side or rear parcel line.
The maximum permitted site coverage is 35 percent.
The minimum permitted front setback is 7.6 metres.
may be set back a minimum of 5 metres from the front parcel line
landscape features including planters, stairs, walkways, decks and decorative
is greater than 1 metre in height above any point of the level of finished ground,
and that all such features are set back at least 1 metre from any side parcel line
BylawBuilding Regulation Bylaw No. 2482, 2025; Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015Building Regulation Bylaw No. 2482, 2025 (PDF, consolidated October 20, 2026), s. 1.1; Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015 (PDF, consolidated August 8, 2026), title page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
This bylaw may be cited as "Building Regulation Bylaw No. 2482, 2025" (Bylaw).
ZONING AND PARKING BYLAW NO. 303, 2015

How it works

Whistler's Building Regulation Bylaw No. 2482 (s. 5.4) exempts only a few small structures. Everything else needs a building permit from the Resort Municipality.

  • Shed: no permit for an accessory building under 10 m² with no electrical, fuel-burning or plumbing. The Municipality's page adds that it must meet setbacks and create no hazard. Larger sheds, or any with those services, need a permit.
  • Deck: no permit for a deck or patio less than 600 mm above the ground that is not attached to a building and has no walls or roof. Other decks need a permit.
  • Garage or carport: no exemption, so a permit is needed.

Zoning rules apply even when no permit is needed.

Steps

  1. Check your zone's rules (see zoning-lookup).
  2. If a permit is needed, follow the building-permit steps.
  3. Ask the Building Department (604-935-8150) if you are unsure.

Good to know

  • Under Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, Part 5, an auxiliary building may be up to 70 m² per detached dwelling in RS, RT, RTA and TB zones, 5 m high, and 3 m from side and rear lot lines.
  • In the RS1 zone, site coverage is 35 per cent and the front setback is 7.6 m; garages and carports may be 5 m from the front line.
  • Decks up to 1 m high may sit 1 m from side lines and 2 m from front and rear lines.
  • Auxiliary building floor area is 90 m² where it holds a suite in RS1, RS2, RS3, RI1 or RSE1, and 56 m² in Multiple Residential, Tourist Accommodation, Tourist Pension and Rural Resource zones. Each zone has its own coverage and setbacks.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Pemberton · Squamish · Lions Bay · Anmore · District of North Vancouver · Bowen Island

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

Sources

  1. Building Regulation Bylaw No. 2482, 2025 (PDF, consolidated October 20, 2026) (read 2026-11-06)
  2. Zoning and Parking Bylaw No. 303, 2015 (PDF, consolidated August 8, 2026) (read 2026-11-06)
  3. Building and Development Permits, Resort Municipality of Whistler (read 2026-11-06)

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.