Short answer: if it's 10m² or less and under 3m high, generally no. Here's exactly how the rule works, the exceptions that catch people out, and a quick checker for your own numbers.
Under Schedule 3 of the Victorian Building Regulations 2018, a freestanding, lightweight garden shed is generally exempt from needing a building permit if it meets all of these:
Total floor area of the shed, not the block it sits on.
Measured to the highest point of the structure.
If the shed sits within 1m of any property boundary, the height limit drops to 2.4m.
This is general information, not planning advice — always confirm with your local council before building, especially if your property carries an overlay (see below).
Enter your planned dimensions for a quick read on whether you're likely in exempt territory.
Heritage, Bushfire Management, Flood and similar overlays can require a planning permit even for an exempt-size shed. Check your council's planning scheme map.
If you do need a planning permit for a small shed, VicSmart is the fast-track process — councils must decide within 10 business days.
Exemptions only cover storage/workshop use. Anything you'd live or sleep in needs full Class 1a building approval regardless of size.
Generally no, if it's a freestanding, lightweight shed of 10m² or less and no more than 3m high (2.4m if it's within 1m of a boundary). This exemption is under Schedule 3 of the Victorian Building Regulations 2018. Bigger or taller than that, and you'll need a building permit.
You can still need a planning permit even for an exempt-size shed if your property carries a Heritage Overlay, Bushfire Management Overlay, Flood Overlay, or similar. Check your property's overlays on your council's planning scheme map, or ask us — we deal with this across Victoria regularly.
VicSmart is Victoria's streamlined planning permit track for straightforward applications, including small sheds affected by an overlay. Councils are required to decide VicSmart applications within 10 business days, much faster than a standard planning permit.
No. Permit exemptions are for storage/workshop use only. Any habitable structure needs full Class 1a building approval regardless of size.
We'll tell you upfront whether your chosen size is likely exempt or likely to need a permit, and point you in the right direction — but always confirm with your local council before you build, since overlays and local rules vary by property.
Whether it's exempt or not, we'll build it in 3D and give you a fixed installed price on the spot.
Build My Shed in 3D