North Saanich controls backyard sheds through two bylaws. Zoning Bylaw No. 1255 sets size, height and placement, and Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 1150 decides when a building permit is needed. A basic one-storey storage shed under 10 square metres (108 square feet) can skip the building permit if it has no services and creates no hazard, but it still has to meet the zoning setbacks. The figures below come from the district’s own bylaws and permit package.
Quick answer: do you need a permit for a shed in North Saanich?
- No building permit is required for a one-storey shed under 10 m² (108 square feet) that is accessory to a single dwelling, has no services and creates no hazard.
- Larger sheds, or any shed with electrical, plumbing or heating, need a building permit.
- Zoning setbacks apply to every shed, with or without a permit. The 7.6 m (25 feet) rear setback is unusually large.
| Zoning bylaw | District of North Saanich Zoning Bylaw No. 1255 (consolidated February 2023) |
|---|---|
| Building bylaw | Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 1150 (consolidated March 2019), cl. 1.2(a) |
| Permit-free size | Under 10 m² (108 square feet), one storey (cl. 1.2(a)(i)) |
| Conditions that remove the exemption | Must be accessory to a single dwelling, have no electrical, plumbing, heating or similar services, and not create a hazard (cl. 1.2(a)(ii) to (iv)) |
| How area is measured | Not confirmed. The bylaw says only “in area”. |
| Max total accessory area | R-1: 100 m² (1,076 square feet), cl. 502.1.4(a). R-2: 125 m² (1,345 square feet), cl. 502.2.4(a). R-3: 150 m² (1,615 square feet), cl. 502.3.4(a). Up to three buildings under 10 m² are not counted. |
| Lot coverage | R-1: 25% of the lot for all buildings (cl. 502.1.2(a)) |
| Max height | 5.6 m (18.4 feet) for an accessory building in R-1, R-2 and R-3 (cl. 502.1.4(b), 502.2.4(b), 502.3.4(b)). The bylaw gives one figure and does not separate flat and pitched roofs. A guest cottage is allowed 7.6 m (cl. 204.1.4), and the RS-1 small-lot zone allows accessory buildings up to 7.6 m (cl. 502.4.4(c)); neither is a shed rule for R-1 to R-3. |
| Rear setback | 7.6 m (25 feet), cl. 502.1.4(d)(ii) |
| Interior side setback | 3 m (9.8 feet), or 1.5 m (4.9 feet) if under 14 m² (151 square feet), cl. 502.1.4(d)(iii) |
| Exterior side setback | 7.6 m (25 feet), cl. 502.1.4(d)(iv) |
| Front yard | 7.6 m (25 feet) front setback, cl. 502.1.4(d)(i) |
| Distance from house | 3 m (9.8 feet) from any other building or structure, cl. 502.1.4(f) |
| Use limits | No dwelling unit or habitation in an accessory building, except where a guest cottage or similar use is allowed (cl. 202.2) |
| Zones covered | R-1, R-2 and R-3 single-family zones (cl. 502.1 to 502.3). The RA-1 rural agricultural zone (cl. 501.1.4) uses 5.6 m height and 7.6 m setbacks on all sides. The RS-1 small-lot zone has its own accessory rules (cl. 502.4.4): 65 m² maximum size, 7.6 m height, 7.6 m front and rear setbacks, and 3 m side setbacks. |
| Building permit fee | Plan processing fee of 0.625% of declared value (minimum $100, maximum $2,000), credited to the permit fee. Permit fee is 1.25% of construction value (Bylaw 1150, Schedule A, cl. 2.1). The fee doubles if work starts without a permit. |
What the BC Building Code says
BC Building Code 2024, Division A, 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. “Hazard” isn’t defined, so the local building official decides, and where a city’s own documents are silent the provincial rule is the default, though the city may be stricter. On this page, the 10 m² permit figure comes from North Saanich’s own Building and Plumbing Bylaw No. 1150, not from the provincial default, and the size, height and setback figures come from the district’s Zoning Bylaw No. 1255.
Rules that apply even without a building permit
- Zoning: setbacks, height, spacing and coverage limits apply to every shed, permit or not.
- Electrical: wiring a shed needs an electrical permit from Technical Safety BC, and a shed with services also loses the building permit exemption.
- Use: a shed can’t be used as a bedroom or dwelling (Zoning Bylaw cl. 202.2), and an office or other regular use should be checked with the district first.
- Easements and covenants: a shed can’t sit on a right-of-way or easement, and covenants on title can limit where it goes.
What isn’t confirmed
- How area is measured for the 10 m² permit test (floor area, footprint or roof overhang).
- Whether a site plan or zoning check is needed for a shed that doesn’t need a permit.
- The permit package says “greater than 10 m²” while Bylaw 1150 cl. 1.2(a)(i) says “less than 10 m²”. This page follows the bylaw (exactly 10 m² is not exempt); the District can confirm how it applies the line.
- Whether the 2023 zoning and 2019 building bylaw copies have been amended since.
- How the height is measured, and any lane setback. The bylaw sets one height figure and no separate flat-roof or pitched-roof limit, and no lane setback was found.
Who to contact
District of North Saanich, Planning and Community Services: 250-655-5454. Official documents used for this page:
Frequently asked questions
Can a shed under 10 m² go anywhere in North Saanich?
No. Skipping the building permit doesn’t skip zoning. In R-1 to R-3 zones the shed still needs a 7.6 m (25 feet) rear setback, a side setback of 3 m (or 1.5 m if under 14 m²) and 3 m of space from other buildings.
How tall can a shed be?
Accessory buildings in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 zones are limited to 5.6 m (18.4 feet). The bylaw doesn’t set different limits for flat and pitched roofs. A guest cottage (7.6 m) and the RS-1 small-lot zone (7.6 m) have different limits.
Does adding power make a shed need a permit?
Yes. The building permit exemption applies only to sheds without electrical, plumbing, heating or similar services, and the wiring itself needs a Technical Safety BC permit.
How much does a shed building permit cost?
The bylaw fee is 1.25% of construction value, and the application form lists a plan processing fee of 0.625% (minimum $100, maximum $2,000) that is credited to the permit fee. Starting without a permit doubles the fee.
For the provincial rule and other cities, 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 District of North Saanich before building.