The District of Central Saanich says a small shed of 10 square metres (108 square feet) or less doesn’t need a building permit if it poses no hazard and its roof overhangs are no more than 0.6 m. Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, adopted in 2026, then limits total accessory building area by lot size inside the Urban Containment Boundary and sets a 3.5 m height cap. The District’s older shed guide and the new bylaw don’t fully agree on some setbacks and size tiers, and this page notes where.
Quick answer: do you need a permit for a shed in Central Saanich?
- No building permit is needed for a shed of 10 m² (108 square feet) or less that poses no hazard and has overhangs of 0.6 m or less, per the District’s guide.
- Zoning applies to every shed: 3.5 m high, and total accessory area of 10, 35 or 50 m² depending on lot size.
- Setbacks for sheds over 10 m² differ between the District’s guide and the new zoning bylaw, so confirm them before building.
| Bylaws | Zoning Bylaw No. 2270, 2026, s.4.1 and zones 6.22 to 6.24 (R-C, R-N, R-NS). Building Bylaw No. 2014 (consolidated 23 October 2023), cl.5.2. District guide “Accessory Buildings in Residential (R-C and R-N) Zones” (August 2025). |
|---|---|
| Building permit threshold | Building Bylaw 2014 cl.5.2 defers to the Building Code Part 1 exemptions. The District guide: no permit if 10 m² (108 square feet) or less, no hazard and roof overhangs of 0.6 m (2 feet) or less. |
| How area is measured | Per the guide: between structural members, including attached decks. This isn’t in Bylaw 2014. |
| Conditions that remove the exemption | Per the guide: any hazard, overhangs over 0.6 m, or attaching the shed to another structure that pushes the total over 10 m². Any plumbing needs a plumbing permit. No residential use, kitchen, bath or shower, per the guide. |
| Zoning check without a permit | Yes. The guide and web page say every accessory building must meet the zoning bylaw, including setbacks and lot coverage. A site plan for exempt sheds: not confirmed. |
| Max total accessory area | Inside the Urban Containment Boundary, residential zones, s.4.1(2)(1): 10 m² on lots 300 to 500 m², 35 m² on 500 to 750 m², 50 m² over 750 m². The 2025 guide (R-N zones) shows different bands: 10 m² under 280 m², 35 m² up to 500 m² and 50 m² up to 1,000 m². The bylaw gives no figure for lots under 300 m². R-N and R-C lot coverage is 50%. |
| Max height (flat roof) | 3.5 m (11.5 feet), s.4.1(2)(2)(c), which reads “The maximum Height of Accessory Buildings is 3.5 m” but sits under the small-shed clause. The guide applies 3.5 m to all accessory buildings in R-C and R-N. A flat roof (pitch 1:12 or less) is measured to its highest point (Height definition). |
| Max height (pitched roof) | 3.5 m (11.5 feet), s.4.1(2)(2)(c). A sloped roof is measured to the highest average level between eaves and ridge. The guide says to the roof mid-point. |
| Rear setback | Sheds under 10 m² and under 3 m high: 1 m (eaves up to 0.3 m) or 1.5 m (eaves up to 0.6 m), s.4.1(2)(2); the guide shows 1.0 m for these. Larger sheds: the bylaw has no shed-specific rule, and the guide says 1.5 m (3.0 m with lane access), but the R-N rear yard is 7.0 m, s.6.23.4(2). That conflict is unresolved. |
| Interior side setback | Small sheds: same as the rear, s.4.1(2)(2). The guide says 1.5 m (5 feet). R-N house side yard is 1.5 m, s.6.23.4(3). |
| Exterior side setback | The guide says 4.5 m (15 feet) from a lot line next to a road. The exterior side yard is 4.5 m in R-C, R-N and R-NS, ss.6.22.4(4) and 6.23.4(4). |
| Front yard rule | The guide says 6.0 m (20 feet) from the front lot line. The R-N front yard is 6.0 m, s.6.23.4(1). No explicit front yard ban was found. |
| Separation from the house | Not confirmed for residential zones. The guide’s diagram shows “Building Separation” with no figure. In the Rural Agriculture zone it is 3 m, s.6.2.4(1)(5). |
| Lane setback | Guide only: 3.0 m if the lot has lane access. Not found in the bylaw. |
| Zones covered | s.4.1(2) applies inside the Urban Containment Boundary on residentially zoned land (R-C, R-N, R-NS). Rural zones such as RU-A differ (4.5 m height, 3 m separation). |
| Building permit fee | Not confirmed. The Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 2267 amendment is a scanned image with no readable text. |
What the BC Building Code says
BCBC 2024 Division A 1.1.1.1(2)(e) says the Code doesn’t apply to accessory buildings less than 10 m² in building area that don’t create a hazard, and “hazard” isn’t defined, so the local building official decides. Where a city’s own documents are silent, the provincial rule is the default, but the city may be stricter. On this page, the 10 m² permit figure comes from the District’s accessory building guide, which matches the provincial rule, while the size and height figures come from Zoning Bylaw No. 2270 and some setbacks come only from the guide.
Rules that apply even without a building permit
- Zoning: the area, height and setback rules in Zoning Bylaw No. 2270 apply to every shed.
- Electrical: a shed with wiring needs an electrical permit from Technical Safety BC. Plumbing needs a District plumbing permit.
- Use: an accessory building can’t be used for sleeping or living, and the guide bars kitchens, baths and showers.
- Easements and utilities: the guide says a shed can’t sit on easements or septic fields, or block access to utilities or drainage.
What isn’t confirmed
- Which bylaw clause contains the 10 m² exemption. The building bylaw only points to the Building Code, and the 10 m² figure comes from the District’s guide.
- Which rear and side setbacks apply to sheds of 10 m² and over. The guide and the new zoning bylaw conflict, and the bylaw is likely the newer text.
- How far a shed must sit from the house in residential zones.
- Lane setbacks, which appear only in the guide.
- The building permit fee for a small accessory building.
- The bylaw prints the 3.5 m height cap as item (c) under the clause that begins “Accessory Buildings with a floor area less than 10 m² and a Height less than 3 m”. Read strictly, that could mean the cap belongs to small sheds only. The District’s guide states it for all accessory buildings in R-C and R-N zones, so this page shows 3.5 m for all, and the District can confirm the wording.
- Where the guide and the bylaw differ: the guide’s size bands are under 280 m², up to 500 m² and up to 1,000 m² (R-N), while the bylaw’s are 300 to 500 m², 500 to 750 m² and over 750 m², with no band for lots under 300 m². The guide gives one 1.5 m rear and side setback (3.0 m with lane access) for any shed, while the bylaw gives 1 m and 1.5 m only for sheds under 10 m² and under 3 m high.
Who to contact
District of Central Saanich building department: 250-544-4217, building@csaanich.ca. Main line: 250-652-4444.
- Central Saanich Zoning Bylaw No. 2270
- Central Saanich Building Bylaw No. 2014
- Central Saanich Accessory Buildings Guide
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a building permit for a shed in Central Saanich?
Not for a shed of 10 m² (108 square feet) or less that poses no hazard and has roof overhangs of 0.6 m (2 feet) or less, per the District’s guide. Larger accessory buildings generally need a permit.
How big can a shed be in Central Saanich?
Inside the Urban Containment Boundary, all accessory buildings combined are capped at 10 m² on lots of 300 to 500 m², 35 m² on lots of 500 to 750 m² and 50 m² on lots over 750 m² (s.4.1(2)(1)).
How close to the property line can a shed go?
A shed under 10 m² and under 3 m high can sit 1 m from a rear or side line (eaves up to 0.3 m) or 1.5 m with eaves up to 0.6 m. For larger sheds, the District’s guide and the zoning bylaw differ, so confirm first.
Can a shed go in the front yard in Central Saanich?
The guide sets a 6.0 m (20 feet) setback from the front lot line, and the R-N front yard is 6.0 m. No explicit front yard ban was found, so confirm the exact location with the District.
For province-wide context, see Maximum Shed Size Without a Permit in BC and Shed Rules by City.
These figures are a general guide checked 26 October 2026. Confirm with the District of Central Saanich before building.