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

# Williams Lake permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages

**Question:** Do I need a permit for a deck, shed, carport, or garage?

**Short answer:** In Williams Lake you need a City building permit for a detached shed, garage or carport of 10 square metres (100 square feet) or more, and for a deck more than 600 mm (2 feet) above the ground. Enclosing a carport, porch or sundeck also needs one. A patio at or below 600 mm does not.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Williams Lake, https://www.williamslake.ca)  
**Cost:** Based on the value of the work; see the building permit fees answer. Accessory buildings over 25 square metres also pay a $150 security deposit.  
**Where:**
- Email: Building Inspection, building@williamslake.ca
- In person: City Hall, 450 Mart Street, Williams Lake, BC V2G 1N3 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Phone: Building Inspection, 250-392-8488

## Key facts

- **Sheds:** A shed or other detached accessory building needs a building permit at 10 m² (100 sq ft) floor area or more. Under 10 m² it does not, but zoning rules still apply. (Sources differ: City page says 'over 10 m²'; bylaw exempts 'less than 10 m²'. Value follows the bylaw. Accessory buildings over 25 m² also carry a $150 security deposit (Building Bylaw s. 10.8).)
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019 (consolidated PDF), s. 3.3(b)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39376)
  - Official wording: "an accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres;"
  - Source: [Building Inspection, A Permit is Required For](https://www.williamslake.ca/1067/Building-Inspection)
  - Official wording: "Detached accessory buildings over 10 metres squared (100 square feet)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Decks:** A deck needs a building permit when it is more than 600 mm (2 ft) above grade. A patio 600 mm or less above grade does not.
  - Source: [Building Inspection, Do I Need a Building Permit?](https://www.williamslake.ca/1067/Building-Inspection)
  - Official wording: "Decks more than 600 millimetres (two feet) above grade" … "Patios 600 millimetres (two feet) or less above grade"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Garages and carports:** A detached garage or carport is an accessory building (the zoning definition of garage includes a carport), so a permit is needed at 10 m² or more. Enclosing a carport needs a permit. An attached garage counts as part of the house.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025, s. 2.4.1, s. 3.3.2](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/178601)
  - Official wording: "Examples include covered decks, sunrooms, gazebos, sheds, detached" … "Accessory buildings attached to the principal Building shall be considered part of the principal building." … "GARAGE means an accessory building, portion of a principal building, designed and used primarily for the storage of vehicles and includes a carport."
  - Source: [Building Inspection, A Permit is Required For](https://www.williamslake.ca/1067/Building-Inspection)
  - Official wording: "Enclosing a carport, porch or sundeck" … "New homes and buildings"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Zoning limits:** In R-1 (small-scale residential): accessory buildings may cover 10% of the lot, be 6 m high (1.5 storeys), sit 1.5 m from side and rear lines and 4 m from the front, and be 1.2 m from other buildings. R-3 allows 15% coverage. Other zones differ.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025, s. 4A.2, 4C.2, 3.3.1](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/178601)
  - Official wording: "4A SMALL-SCALE RESIDENTIAL" … "Coverage 50% 10%" … "Maximum Height (m) 11 6" … "Storey 3 1.5" … "Side-Int 1.5 1.5" … "Front 4 4" … "Back 1.5 1.5" … "Minimum Building Separation (m) 2.5 1.2" … "Coverage 40% 15%" … "Accessory buildings and structures are permitted in all zones and shall comply"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** City of Williams Lake Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019; City of Williams Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019 (consolidated PDF), s. 1](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39376)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as the “City of Williams Lake Building Bylaw No. 2274,"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025, title](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/178601)
  - Official wording: "City of Williams Lake | December 2025"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The City of Williams Lake requires a building permit under [Building Bylaw 2274](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39376) for:

- **Sheds and other detached accessory buildings** of 10 m² (100 sq ft) floor area or more. Under 10 m² no building permit is needed, but zoning rules still apply.
- **Decks** more than 600 mm (2 ft) above grade. A patio 600 mm or less above grade does not need one.
- **Garages and carports.** The zoning definition of garage includes a carport. A detached garage or carport is an accessory building, so a permit is needed at 10 m² or more. Enclosing a carport needs a permit. An attached garage counts as part of the house.

## Steps

1. Check the size and setback rules for your zone in [Zoning Bylaw 2430](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/178601).
2. Apply to Building Inspection by email or at City Hall (see the building permit answer).
3. Request inspections online or in writing.

## Good to know

- The City's page says buildings "over" 10 m² need a permit; the bylaw exempts those "less than" 10 m². Follow the bylaw, so exactly 10 m² needs a permit. Confirm with Building Inspection if you are close.
- In the R-1 zone (small-scale residential), accessory buildings may cover 10% of the lot, be 6 m high (1.5 storeys), sit 1.5 m from side and rear lines and 4 m from the front, and be 1.2 m from other buildings. R-3 allows 15% coverage. Other zones differ.
- The zoning bylaw counts covered decks as accessory buildings.
- A bylaw notice for breaking the accessory building rules is $200 ($150 if paid early, $250 if late).
- The 600 mm deck threshold is on the City's page but not in the bylaw's exemption list, so confirm for a low deck.

## Official forms and pages

- [Building Inspection, City of Williams Lake](https://www.williamslake.ca/1067/Building-Inspection)
- [Building Permit Application Form](https://www.williamslake.ca/DocumentCenter/View/7139/Building-Permit-Application-Form-fill)

## Related questions

- [Williams Lake building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/building-permit.md)
- [Williams Lake building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/building-permit-fees.md)
- [Williams Lake fence rules: permits and height limits](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/fence-rules.md)
- [Williams Lake zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/zoning-lookup.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)
- [100 Mile House](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Quesnel](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/quesnel/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Clinton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clinton/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Cache Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cache-creek/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Clearwater](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)
- [Lillooet](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lillooet/deck-shed-garage-permit.md)

## Sources

- [Building Inspection, City of Williams Lake](https://www.williamslake.ca/1067/Building-Inspection) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019 (consolidated PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/39376) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025 (PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/178601) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196 (PDF)](https://williamslake.civicweb.net/document/61839) (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 Williams Lake. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/deck-shed-garage-permit/_