Williams Lake permits for decks, sheds, carports and garages
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.
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).Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019 (consolidated PDF), s. 3.3(b); Building Inspection, A Permit is Required For · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingan accessory building with a floor area of less than 10 square metres; Detached accessory buildings over 10 metres squared (100 square feet) |
|---|---|
| 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.Building Inspection, Do I Need a Building Permit? · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingDecks more than 600 millimetres (two feet) above grade Patios 600 millimetres (two feet) or less above grade |
| 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025, s. 2.4.1, s. 3.3.2; Building Inspection, A Permit is Required For · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingExamples 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. Enclosing a carport, porch or sundeck New homes and buildings |
| 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.Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025, s. 4A.2, 4C.2, 3.3.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording4A 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 |
| Bylaw | City of Williams Lake Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019; City of Williams Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019 (consolidated PDF), s. 1; Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025, title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThis Bylaw may be cited as the “City of Williams Lake Building Bylaw No. 2274, City of Williams Lake | December 2025 |
How it works
The City of Williams Lake requires a building permit under Building Bylaw 2274 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
- Check the size and setback rules for your zone in Zoning Bylaw 2430.
- Apply to Building Inspection by email or at City Hall (see the building permit answer).
- 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
The same question in other places
100 Mile House · Quesnel · Clinton · Cache Creek · Clearwater · Lillooet
Deck and shed permit thresholds in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Building Inspection, City of Williams Lake (read 2026-11-05)
- Building Bylaw No. 2274, 2019 (consolidated PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Zoning Bylaw No. 2430, 2025 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2196 (PDF) (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. How answers are checked.