As a general rule, all farm sheds are subject to some sort of council approval.
There are two main types of permits for farm sheds; a planning permit, and a building permit. These are explained below.
By the way, if you would rather watch our video on this topic, click the play button below, otherwise, jump below and keep reading!
Planning Permit
A planning permit (known as a development approval in NSW and SA) is an approval issued by the local council to allow the development of a rural shed on your property.
In most cases in Victoria, a planning permit is not required to construct a shed on farmland. Generally, a planning permit is only required if there are particular overlays on the property (such as Aboriginal Heritage or Land Subject to Inundation etc.) or if the location of the shed does not comply with the required setbacks listed below:
- 20m off a local council road
- 100m off a main road (Highway)
- 5m off a property boundary
- 100m away from a dwelling in a different ownership
- 100m away from a waterway
Planning permits are the time-consuming ones, on some occasions they can take up to 3 months to be processed.
Building Permit
A building permit (known as a construction certificate in NSW and SA) is a document issued by a Registered Building Surveyor to signify that the plans and documentation for a proposed building work meet the requirements of the Building Code of Australia.
A building permit is required for almost every farm shed in Victoria, and the permit must be approved before any works commence on site.
To apply for a building permit, you must either be a Registered Building Practitioner or apply for the permit as an ‘owner builder’.
Going as an ‘owner builder’ for your permit is mostly a difficult and time-consuming process, it requires you attend safety courses and obtain several insurances. Being an ‘owner builder’ means that you will have to take responsibility for the construction of the shed and ensure that the works meet all building regulations and standards. Some of the obligations of being an ‘owner builder’ last for six and a half years after the completion of the building!
Building permits are usually processed quite quickly by Building Surveyors and can be stamped off within 2 weeks.
We hope this article has been helpful for you to work out if your farm shed will require council permits!
As Registered Building Practitioners, we can take apply for the permits for your shed on your behalf. And if you would like to know more about permit applications and what else we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to call us.
You might also find these articles useful:
- How Much Do Farm Shed Permits Cost?
- What Happens If You Build A Farm Shed Without Permits?
- What Are The Fire Design Requirements For Farm Sheds?
For more articles and farm shed resources browse our Learning Hub.
