Port Alberni’s own Building Inspection Guide says a storage shed under 10 m² (107 square feet) doesn’t need a building permit, though it must still meet zoning. The zoning figures on this page (5.5 m height, 1.0 m rear and side setbacks, 90 m² total area) come from the May 2024 draft package for Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, not the adopted bylaw, so they are marked not confirmed. A few details, including the Building Bylaw clause behind the 10 m² rule, couldn’t be confirmed and are listed below.
Quick answer: do you need a permit for a shed in Port Alberni?
- A storage shed under 10 m² (107 square feet) doesn’t need a building permit, according to the City’s Building Inspection Guide.
- Anything bigger, or anything with plumbing, needs a permit before work starts.
- Even a permit-free shed must meet zoning height and setback rules; the zoning figures here come from a May 2024 draft and are not confirmed.
| Bylaws | Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (adopted 10 June 2024; accessory buildings s.6.10; R zone s.5.10). Building Bylaw No. 5077 (exemption clause number not confirmed). |
|---|---|
| Permit threshold | No permit for buildings (for example a storage shed) less than 10 m² (107 square feet), per the Building Inspection Guide. |
| How area is measured | The Guide doesn’t say. Zoning defines gross floor area as the total of all floors measured from the outer wall. |
| Conditions that remove an exemption | The Guide says a permit is needed to install or alter plumbing within a building. An accessory building can’t be used as a dwelling (s.6.10.2). |
| Site plan or zoning check without a permit | No permit is needed, but the structure must comply with zoning setbacks and height (Building Inspection Guide). A site plan requirement is not confirmed. |
| Max total accessory area | 90 m² combined in R, RR and RM zones (s.6.10.5). Also no more than two-thirds of the rear yard width or 50% of the lot area behind the house (s.6.10.7). R zone coverage is 60% (s.5.10.2). The draft prints “807.3 ft²” beside 90 m², but 90 m² is about 969 square feet, so that printed figure looks wrong. These zoning figures come from the May 2024 draft package, not the adopted bylaw. |
| Max height | 5.5 m (18 feet) and one storey (s.6.10.5). Building height is measured from the roof peak to the average height of the outside corners at grade. |
| Rear setback | 1.0 m (3.3 feet) from the rear lot line (s.6.10.3). |
| Interior side setback | 1.0 m (3.3 feet) from a side lot line (s.6.10.3). |
| Exterior (corner) side setback | An accessory building behind the house follows the house’s side-yard setback, which is 3 m (9.8 feet) on the flanking street (s.6.10.9 and s.5.10.3(a)(i)). |
| Front yard | Section 6.10.3 allows accessory buildings in required rear and side yards. No express front-yard ban was found, so this is not confirmed. |
| Separation from house | Not confirmed. No figure found in s.6.10. |
| Zones covered | R, RR and RM zones (s.6.10.5). The A and FD zones allow 90 m² and 4.5 m (s.6.10.6). P, C, M and W zones differ (s.6.10.10 to 6.10.11). |
| Building permit fee | None for a permit-free shed. If a permit is needed: $100 base plus $7 per $1,000 of value (Building Bylaw 5077, Appendix A), with a plan-check deposit of at least $100. |
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. In Port Alberni the 10 m² permit figure comes from the City’s own Building Inspection Guide and happens to match the provincial default, while the height, area and setback figures come from Zoning Bylaw No. 5105 and the fee from Building Bylaw 5077’s fee schedule, and the City may apply stricter rules where it chooses.
Rules that apply even without a building permit
- Zoning: height, total area, rear-yard coverage and setbacks apply to every shed.
- Electrical: wiring is regulated by Technical Safety BC. See Technical Safety BC.
- Use as an office or bedroom: an accessory building can’t be used as a dwelling, and living or working space can bring permit requirements.
- Easements and rights-of-way: check the land title for utility easements, and keep the corner-lot sight triangle clear (s.6.5).
What isn’t confirmed
- The Building Bylaw 5077 clause and wording behind the 10 m² rule. The bylaw PDF couldn’t be read, so the figure rests on the City’s Guide.
- How the 10 m² is measured, and which hazard, plumbing or electrical conditions remove the exemption.
- Whether the adopted zoning bylaw section 6.10 matches the May 2024 draft package that was read for the height, setback and total area figures. The City’s website asked for a CAPTCHA, so the adopted text couldn’t be read.
- Whether sheds are banned from the front yard, any required distance from the house, and whether flat and pitched roofs are treated differently.
Who to contact
City of Port Alberni, Building Permitting and Inspections: 250-720-2835. Official documents used: Building Inspection Guide, Zoning Bylaw No. 5105 Text and Building Bylaw 5077 Fees.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a shed under 10 m² in Port Alberni?
No, according to the City’s Building Inspection Guide, but the shed must still follow zoning setbacks and height limits.
How tall can a shed be?
Not confirmed. The May 2024 draft package shows 5.5 m (18 feet) and one storey in the R, RR and RM zones, but the adopted bylaw wasn’t readable.
How far from the property line must a shed be?
Not confirmed. The May 2024 draft package shows 1.0 m (3.3 feet) from rear and side lot lines, with the house’s side-yard setback on a corner lot, but the adopted bylaw wasn’t readable.
How much shed area is allowed on a lot?
Not confirmed. The May 2024 draft package shows 90 m² (about 969 square feet) combined, and no more than two-thirds of the rear yard width or half of the lot area behind the house, but the adopted bylaw wasn’t readable.
For the provincial picture, see Maximum Shed Size Without a Permit in BC and Shed Rules by City.
The figures on this page are a general guide checked 26 October 2026; confirm them with the City of Port Alberni before building.