Council and building approvals for sheds, garages and carports
Lockyer Sheds prepares and manages the approval paperwork for sheds, garages and carports in Queensland: site plans, drawings, engineering documentation and application forms, lodged with a building certifier and, where needed, with council for a referral or planning approval. We deal with requests for information and keep you updated. The approval decision itself is made by the certifier or council.
Who this is for
- Home owners adding a shed, garage, carport or garaport
- Rural owners unsure whether a farm shed is exempt
- Buyers of a Lockyer Sheds kit who need documents for their own approval
- Businesses planning a workshop or industrial shed that may need planning approval
Who actually approves a shed in Queensland
In Queensland, a building approval is issued by a building certifier. Certifiers can work privately or for a council, and all of them must be licensed with the QBCC. They assess the application, decide whether to approve it, and inspect the work.
Council comes in for two separate reasons. If a shed does not meet the Queensland Development Code's standard siting rules, for example it sits inside a boundary clearance beyond the permitted limits, the certifier needs a referral response from council before approving it. And if the planning scheme regulates the building because of its zone, height, use or an overlay, a separate planning approval from council may be needed, and the certifier cannot issue the building approval until it is granted.
When a shed may not need building approval
The Building Regulation 2021 lets some very small Class 10 buildings go ahead without building approval: a plan area of no more than 10 m², a height of no more than 2.4 m, a mean height of no more than 2.1 m and no side longer than 5 m, outside a tropical cyclone wind region. A separate rural exemption covers Class 10 buildings on land used for farming where no part of the building is within 200 m of a road or the property boundary.
Exempt does not mean unregulated. The building still has to comply with the relevant codes, and the planning scheme can still apply. We check your situation and tell you what we think applies, but the certifier and council have the final say.
Siting rules for sheds and garages
On lots of 450 m² or more, the Queensland Development Code allows a Class 10a building such as a shed or garage within the side and rear boundary clearance only if the part within the clearance is no more than 4.5 m high with a mean height of no more than 3.5 m, the total length of buildings within the clearance is no more than 9 m along any one boundary, and it is at least 1.5 m from a required habitable-room window next door. Councils can replace these defaults with their own standards.
The new Queensland Housing Code commenced on 1 September 2026 and will replace these siting parts of the code. During its transition period to 1 September 2029 it applies in a council area only once that council's planning scheme adopts it, so which rules apply depends on where you are.
How our approval service works
1. Assessment: you tell us the site address, the size and use of the building and where it will go. We check the zone, overlays and siting rules for the lot and tell you which approvals are likely to be needed.
2. Documents: we prepare the site plan, drawings, engineering documentation and forms, and review them with you before anything is lodged.
3. Lodgement: the building application goes to a licensed building certifier, and any referral or planning application to the council.
4. Information requests: we respond to questions from the certifier or council and keep you told of progress.
5. Decision: once the approval is issued, you receive the decision notice and its conditions, and the build or kit delivery can be scheduled.
What we need from you
The site address and lot on plan, a rough sketch or aerial image showing where the shed will go and its distance to boundaries, the intended use, and any existing approvals or covenants you know of. If you are in an estate, check whether it has its own design guidelines.
Things to know
- Building certifiers
- Building certifiers assess applications, issue building approvals and inspect work. They must be licensed with the QBCC and must not design the building or carry out the work.
- Planning is separate
- Height, setbacks or character controlled by a planning scheme may need a planning permit from council, and the certifier must wait for it before issuing the building approval.
- Small-shed exemption
- Class 10 buildings up to 10 m² plan area, 2.4 m high, 2.1 m mean height and no side over 5 m can be exempt from building approval outside Wind Region C. Overhangs count in the plan area.
- Rural exemption
- On land used for agricultural, floricultural, horticultural or pastoral purposes, a Class 10 building with no part within 200 m of a road or a boundary of the land is accepted development under Schedule 2 of the Building Regulation 2021.
- Farm buildings where people work
- Larger farm buildings used as workplaces can be Class 7 or 8 and fall under QDC MP 3.7, Queensland's farm building code.
Why use us for this
Documents prepared for you
Site plan, drawings, engineering documentation and forms, reviewed with you before lodgement.
The right path first time
Siting, overlays and planning triggers are checked up front, so the application goes to the right place.
Questions handled
We respond to information requests from the certifier or council and keep you updated.
Linked to your shed
The approval documents come from the same design and engineering as the shed you are buying.
What the service covers
Included
- A check of the lot's zone, overlays and siting rules
- Advice on which approvals are likely to be needed
- Site plan, drawings and engineering documentation for the application
- Lodgement with a licensed building certifier
- Council referral or planning application where required
- Responses to information requests and progress updates
Not included, or needs someone else
- The approval decision, which is made by the building certifier or council.
- Certifier, council and application fees, which are paid by the owner.
- Surveys, soil tests, flood or bushfire reports if the site needs them, unless listed in the quote.
- Approvals in NSW, where a different system applies; we can supply kit documentation for your NSW certifier.
Where it's available
| What | Queensland | New South Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Council approval paperwork | Yes | Ask us |
Building work is carried out in Queensland only, under QBCC licence 15445275. Remote Queensland towns are by arrangement. See our service areas.
Approvals: common questions
Do I need council approval for a shed in Queensland?
Most sheds need a building approval, which in Queensland is issued by a licensed building certifier. Council is involved when the shed needs a siting referral or a planning approval. We check your lot and tell you which applies.
What size shed can I build without approval in Queensland?
Under the Building Regulation 2021, a Class 10 building of no more than 10 m² plan area, 2.4 m high, 2.1 m mean height and no side over 5 m can be exempt from building approval outside Wind Region C. It must still comply with the codes, and the planning scheme can still apply.
Do farm sheds need approval?
Not always. A Class 10 building on farming land with no part within 200 m of a road or boundary is accepted development under Schedule 2 of the Building Regulation 2021, so it does not need a building approval. Other farm sheds need approval, and larger farm buildings where people work can be Class 7 or 8.
Can you guarantee my shed will be approved?
No. The decision is made by the building certifier or council. What we do is check the site, prepare complete documents and respond to requests, which gives the application the best footing.
Can my shed be closer than 1.5 m to the boundary?
Possibly. The Queensland Development Code allows sheds and garages within the side and rear clearance within height and length limits, and councils can set their own rules. Outside those limits the certifier needs a referral from council.
How long does approval take?
It depends on whether the shed needs only a building approval or also a referral or planning approval, and on how quickly information requests are answered. We give you an expected timeframe once we have assessed the lot.
Check what your shed needs
Send the site address, where the shed will go and its size. We will tell you which approvals are likely to apply and quote the paperwork with your shed.
Call 07 5466 5858Related
Products and services
Industries
Sources
- Building Regulation 2021 (Qld), Schedules 1 and 2
- Business Queensland – When building approval is not needed
- Business Queensland – Building certifiers
- QBCC – Role and responsibilities of a certifier
- Business Queensland – Planning schemes and building work
- Queensland Development Code MP 1.2 – Design and siting standard for lots 450 m² and over
- Business Queensland – Queensland Development Code
- Business Queensland – QDC MP 3.7 Farm buildings