View Royal has a clear zoning rule for sheds but a less clear permit rule. The Town’s Zoning Bylaw 900 sets one set of accessory building limits for most residential lots: 4.5 m height, 1.2 m setbacks and no sheds in the front yard. For permits, the Town’s older guide says a building permit is required for accessory buildings exceeding 10 m² (108 square feet), and the current Building Bylaw doesn’t spell out a shed exemption.
Quick answer: do you need a permit for a shed in View Royal?
- The Town’s guide says a building permit is required for accessory buildings exceeding 10 m² (108 square feet).
- The Town hasn’t published a clear permit-free size for smaller sheds, so the building department should be asked first.
- Zoning limits apply to every shed: backyard only, 1.2 m (3.9 feet) from lot lines, 2.4 m (7.9 feet) from the house, and 4.5 m (14.8 feet) tall at most.
| Bylaws | Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 2014 (amendments to Bylaw 1160, 2026), s.4.6 and the R zones in s.8. Building Bylaw No. 1111, 2023, s.4.3. Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 958. |
|---|---|
| Permit threshold | Guide to Building Permits (2012): a permit is required for “Accessory buildings exceeding 10 m² or (107.6 ft²).” Building Bylaw 1111, s.4.3 only excludes buildings exempted by the BC Building Code, and has no 10 m² clause. |
| How area is measured | Not stated. |
| Use limits | Zoning s.4.6.7: a metal storage container can’t be used as an accessory building unless the bylaw says otherwise. Hazard, electrical and plumbing conditions for an exempt shed weren’t found. |
| Maximum total area | All accessory buildings combined: 60 m² (646 square feet) or 10% of the lot, whichever is smaller (s.4.6.6). Length or width of one building: 7.5 m (24.6 feet) at most (s.4.6.2(a)). |
| Maximum height | 4.5 m (14.8 feet) (s.4.6.8; also listed in R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C and R-2). Roofs with a pitch under 3:12 are measured to the top of the roof (s.3.9.5). How pitched roofs are measured appears only in a diagram. |
| Rear setback | 1.2 m (3.9 feet) (s.4.6.2(b); R zones list “All lot lines, minimum 1.2m”). |
| Interior side setback | 1.2 m (3.9 feet) (s.4.6.2(b)). |
| Exterior (corner) side setback | Sheds can’t be in the flanking yard at all (s.4.6.2(c)), and the 1.2 m (3.9 feet) setback applies to all lot lines (s.4.6.2(b)). |
| Front yard | Not allowed: an accessory building must “not be located within the front yard or flanking yard” (s.4.6.2(c)). The front yard runs from the front lot line to the face of the nearest exterior wall of the house (s.2). |
| Separation from the house | 2.4 m (7.9 feet) (s.4.6.3). A shed attached to the house, including by a breezeway, is treated as part of the house (s.4.6.5). |
| Zones covered | Section 4.6 applies “except as specified otherwise” in each zone. The R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C and R-2 zones (s.8.1 to 8.5) show 4.5 m height and 1.2 m siting. Rural zones allow up to 600 m² of accessory floor area. Other zones weren’t checked. |
| Permit fee (if needed) | Minimum $100; $100 for the first $1,000 plus 1.25% of the next $99,000; a non-refundable application fee of 25% of the permit fee (minimum $100) (Fees and Charges Bylaw 958, October 2025 consolidation). No separate shed fee is published. |
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. “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 a city may be stricter. On this page, the 10 m² permit figure comes from View Royal’s 2012 guide (Bylaw 1111 defers to the Code), while the height, setback, coverage and placement figures come from the Town’s Zoning Bylaw 900.
Rules that apply even without a building permit
- Zoning: Section 4.6 applies to every accessory building, whether or not a building permit is needed.
- Electrical: wiring a shed needs an electrical permit from Technical Safety BC. The Town’s permits page directs gas and electrical permits there.
- Use: using a shed as an office or bedroom raises separate Building Code and zoning questions.
- Easements and rights-of-way: sheds can’t be built over utility easements or covenants registered on title.
- Principal building first: no accessory building can be erected unless the house has been or will be built at the same time (Zoning s.4.6.1).
What isn’t confirmed
- The permit-free size isn’t confirmed. The 2012 guide says a permit is required for buildings “exceeding” 10 m², and the current Building Bylaw 1111 has no 10 m² clause.
- How the 10 m² is measured, and any hazard, electrical or plumbing conditions, aren’t stated.
- Whether a site plan is needed for a shed that doesn’t require a permit isn’t published.
- The height rule for pitched roofs appears only in a diagram, and lane setbacks weren’t found.
- Zones other than R-1 to R-2 and the rural zones weren’t checked.
Who to contact
Town of View Royal Building Services: 250-708-2256, or buildingpermits@viewroyal.ca. Town Hall: 250-479-6800. Official documents used:
Frequently asked questions
Can a shed go in the front yard in View Royal?
No. Zoning s.4.6.2(c) bars accessory buildings from the front yard and the flanking (street-side) yard.
How close to the property line can a shed be?
At least 1.2 m (3.9 feet) from all lot lines under s.4.6.2(b), and at least 2.4 m (7.9 feet) from the house.
How much total shed area is allowed?
All accessory buildings on a lot together can cover 60 m² (646 square feet) or 10% of the lot, whichever is smaller, and no single building can be longer or wider than 7.5 m (24.6 feet).
Can a metal shipping container be used as a shed?
Generally not. Section 4.6.7 says a metal storage container can’t be used as an accessory building unless the bylaw permits or specifies otherwise.
For the province-wide 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 Town of View Royal before building.