Port Hardy’s Building Permit Guide says a storage shed under 10 m² (108 square feet) doesn’t need a building permit as long as it’s sited correctly. Anything bigger is a new accessory building and needs a permit. Under the zoning bylaw, a residential shed can be up to 6.0 m (19.7 feet) tall, and in the common R-1 zone it must sit at least 3.0 m (9.8 feet) from the rear and interior side lot lines.
Quick answer: do you need a permit for a shed in Port Hardy?
- Under 10 m² (108 square feet): no building permit, if the shed is sited correctly under the zoning bylaw.
- Over 10 m²: a building permit is needed, and construction can’t start until it’s issued.
- Any shed: it can’t be lived in, and plumbing in it needs its own permit.
| Bylaws | Zoning Bylaw No. 1010, 2013 (consolidated December 2025), s.3.9 and zone tables in Part 6. Building Code Administration and Enforcement Bylaw No. 11-2005, s.5(b). Fees: Bylaw No. 1187, 2026, Schedule I. |
|---|---|
| Permit threshold | Storage shed under 10 m² needs no permit “as long as it is sited correctly” (Building Permit Guide, September 2026). Bylaw 11-2005 s.5(b) only defers to the BC Building Code, so the 10 m² figure comes from the guide. |
| How area is measured | The guide doesn’t say. The zoning bylaw uses “gross floor area” for the accessory building total, s.3.9(c). |
| Other conditions | Installing or altering plumbing needs a permit (guide). Zoning s.3.2(e) bans using an accessory building as a dwelling. |
| Zoning check without a permit | The guide says homeowners should confirm the work meets the BC Building Code and zoning bylaws even when no permit is needed. |
| Max total area | All accessory buildings combined can’t exceed the gross floor area of the principal buildings on the same parcel, s.3.9(c). This is a cap tied to the size of the house, not a fixed number. Total parcel coverage: R-1 40%, R-1s 50%, RR-1 40%. |
| Max height, flat roof | 6.0 m (19.7 feet) for accessory buildings in residential zones, s.3.9(g). |
| Max height, pitched roof | 6.0 m (19.7 feet), s.3.9(g). The same limit applies to both roof types. |
| Rear setback | R-1: 3.0 m (9.8 feet), s.6.1(d) zone table, accessory use column. R-1s and R-2: 1.0 m (3.3 feet). RR-1: 2.0 m (6.6 feet), s.6.8(d). |
| Interior side setback | R-1: 3.0 m (9.8 feet), s.6.1(d). R-1s and R-2: 1.0 m (3.3 feet). RR-1: 2.0 m (6.6 feet). |
| Exterior side setback | 4.5 m (14.8 feet) in R-1, R-1s, R-2 and RR-1. |
| Front yard | No outright ban found, but the accessory front setback matches the house: 7.6 m (24.9 feet) in R-1, R-2 and RR-1, and 6.0 m (19.7 feet) in R-1s. A shed can’t sit in the required front yard. |
| Separation from house | “As required by the British Columbia Building Code,” s.3.9(b). The bylaw gives no distance. |
| Zones covered | R-1, R-1s, R-2 and RR-1 (Part 6). R-3 and the multi-unit zones weren’t checked. s.3.9 applies to all zones. |
| Permit fee | Bylaw 1187, 2026, Schedule I: $81 for construction value up to $1,000, plus $8 per extra $1,000 up to $100,000. |
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 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 district’s own documents are silent the provincial rule is the default, but the district may be stricter; on this page the 10 m² permit figure comes from the District’s Building Permit Guide, and the size, height and setback figures come from the zoning bylaw.
Rules that apply even without a building permit
- Zoning: height, setbacks, coverage and the size cap apply to every shed.
- Electrical: wiring a shed is regulated separately by Technical Safety BC.
- Use as an office or bedroom: this can make the building habitable, which needs a permit and isn’t allowed as a dwelling.
- Easements: sheds can’t be built over statutory rights-of-way or utility easements without approval.
What isn’t confirmed
- The 10 m² limit appears in the District’s permit guide but not in the building bylaw text, and the building bylaw copy read is a 2013 consolidation.
- How floor area is measured for the 10 m² test, and whether hazard, electrical or dwelling-use conditions remove the exemption.
- Whether a site plan is needed for a small shed without a permit.
- How the bylaw’s flat-roof and sloped-roof height diagrams change the measuring point, and the shed rules for the R-3 and multi-unit zones.
- Whether the District’s building department measures the 10 m² limit by floor area, since the guide gives no measuring rule. The R-1 accessory setbacks of 3.0 m (rear and interior side) were checked against the zone table in s.6.1(d) and are printed that way.
Who to contact
District of Port Hardy office: 250-949-6665 (number from the District’s Building Permit Guide). Official sources used:
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a shed under 10 m² in Port Hardy?
The District’s guide says no, as long as the shed is sited correctly. It still has to meet zoning setbacks and height.
How tall can a backyard shed be?
Up to 6.0 m (19.7 feet) in residential zones, under zoning s.3.9(g), unless a zone sets something different.
How far from the property line does a shed need to be?
It depends on the zone. In R-1 it’s 3.0 m (9.8 feet) from the rear and interior side lines and 4.5 m (14.8 feet) from an exterior side line. R-2 allows 1.0 m (3.3 feet) at the rear and interior side.
Can a shipping container be used as a shed?
Not as an accessory building in residential zones. Zoning s.3.9(e) says a metal storage container can’t be used as an accessory building except where the bylaw allows it.
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 them with the District of Port Hardy before building.