Lions Bay is a steep, tightly packed village on Howe Sound, and its shed rules reflect that. A storage shed of up to 10 m² can go up without a building permit, but zoning still controls where it sits and how tall it is. In the single-detached residential zone (RS-1), accessory buildings are limited to 3.65 metres in height on a flat roof, 77 m² in total, and two buildings per lot.
Quick answer: do you need a permit for a shed in Lions Bay?
- No permit is needed for an accessory building of 10 m² (about 108 square feet) or less used only for storage, if it doesn’t create a hazard (Building Bylaw 234, section 10(h)).
- The shed must still meet the zoning setbacks and site coverage rules, and any development permit requirements.
- A shed larger than 10 m², or one used for anything besides storage, needs a building permit.
| Bylaws | Zoning and Development Bylaw 520, 2017 (consolidated through Bylaws 548 and 549); Building Bylaw 234, 1994 (consolidated for Bylaw 524); Fees Bylaw 497, 2016 (consolidated through Bylaw 665) |
|---|---|
| Zones covered | RS-1 Residential Single Detached (section 7). The Brunswick Beach Overlay Area and RM-1 differ (see below). |
| Building permit threshold | Not greater than 10 m² (107 square feet in the bylaw) of building area, storage only: no permit (Building Bylaw 234, section 10(h)). |
| Conditions of the exemption | Storage purposes only; must not create a hazard; built to Building Code standards; must comply with zoning siting and site coverage and any development permit requirements (section 10(h)). |
| How area is measured | Building Bylaw 234 says “building area” without defining it. Zoning parcel coverage uses the horizontal area within the outermost walls (Zoning Bylaw section 2.1). |
| Max total accessory area | 77 m² (829 square feet) combined floor area; no more than 2 accessory buildings or structures (clauses 7.10.1 and 7.10.3). Parcel coverage 30% (7.4.3); floor area ratio 0.35 (7.4.2). |
| Max height | 3.65 m (12 feet), or 4.65 m (15 feet) where the roof slope is 3 in 12 or more (clause 7.10.2). Height runs from average grade to the highest point of the roof (section 2.1). |
| Rear setback | 7.5 m (25 feet) for any building or structure (clause 7.5.1). |
| Interior side setback | 2.4 m (8 feet) (clause 7.5.2). |
| Exterior side setback | Not confirmed as a separate figure. Clause 7.5.2 gives 2.4 m (8 feet) from “a side parcel line”. |
| Front yard | The 7.5 m (25 feet) front setback applies to every building and structure (clause 7.5.1). No separate front-yard shed ban was found. |
| Separation from house | Not confirmed. An accessory building joined to the house by heated space at least 860 mm wide and 3.5 m² in area counts as part of the house (4.5.3 and 4.5.4). A shed can’t be a dwelling or have kitchen facilities (4.5.5 and 4.5.6). |
| Other zones | Brunswick Beach Overlay Area (7.6.2): 4.5 m front or rear on the sea side, the lesser of 7.5 m or 20% of parcel depth (minimum 4.5 m) at other front lines, 7.5 m other rear lines, 1.5 m interior side, 3.0 m exterior side. RM-1 (8.5): 4.9 m height, 7.5 m front and exterior side, 2.4 m side and rear. |
| Permit fee | Fees Bylaw 497: $150 application processing fee plus a value-based building permit fee (minimum $150). The fee table in the PDF is hard to read, so exact tiers for a small building aren’t confirmed. No permit or fee is needed for a storage shed of 10 m² or less. |
| Site plan without a permit | Not confirmed. Siting and coverage rules still apply, but no submission process is described. |
What the BC Building Code says
The BC Building Code 2024 (BCBC), Division A, clause 1.1.1.1(2)(e), says the Code doesn’t apply to accessory buildings under 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, that provincial rule is the default, but a city can be stricter, and the permit-free size on this page comes from Lions Bay’s own Building Bylaw 234, which sets a similar 10 m² limit and adds a storage-only condition.
Rules that apply even without a building permit
- Zoning still applies to every shed: setbacks, height, total accessory area, parcel coverage and the two-building limit.
- Electrical work, such as running power to a shed, is regulated separately by Technical Safety BC.
- An accessory building can’t be used as a dwelling unit or have kitchen facilities (clauses 4.5.5 and 4.5.6). A shed used as a bedroom or a regular office is no longer a storage shed and needs a permit.
- Utility easements and rights-of-way on the title can block a shed location, whatever the setbacks say.
What isn’t confirmed
- The exact building permit fee for a small accessory building. The fee table in the Village’s Fees Bylaw is garbled in the PDF.
- A separate exterior side setback. Only a single side-line figure of 2.4 m was found.
- How far a shed must be from the house.
- The setback to a lane.
- How the Village measures “building area” for the 10 m² exemption.
- Whether a development permit area (such as a steep slope or hazard area) applies to a particular lot. That wasn’t reviewed.
- Whether a site plan or zoning check is needed when no permit is required.
Who to contact
Village of Lions Bay: 604 921 9333. Official documents used for this page:
- Lions Bay Zoning and Development Bylaw 520 (PDF)
- Lions Bay Building Bylaw 234 (PDF)
- Lions Bay Fees Bylaw 497 (PDF)
Frequently asked questions
Does a shed in Lions Bay need a building permit?
Not if it’s 10 m² (about 108 square feet) or less, used only for storage, doesn’t create a hazard and meets zoning. Larger sheds need a permit.
How far does a shed have to be from the property line in Lions Bay?
In RS-1, any building or structure needs 7.5 m (25 feet) from the front and rear parcel lines and 2.4 m (8 feet) from a side parcel line.
How tall can a shed be in Lions Bay?
An accessory building can be 3.65 m (12 feet) tall, or 4.65 m (15 feet) if the roof slope is 3 in 12 or steeper.
How many sheds can a Lions Bay lot have?
No more than two accessory buildings or structures per lot, with a combined floor area of 77 m² (829 square feet) at most.
For the provincial picture, 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 them with the Village of Lions Bay before building.