Do I need council approval for a shed in NSW?
The NSW rules for garden sheds, cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, gazebos and greenhouses, cited to the clause, and a free check of your lot.
In NSW a garden shed needs no council approval if it is exempt development: no bigger than 20 m² (50 m² in zones RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4, RU6 and R5), no higher than 3 m, at least 900 mm from every boundary (5 m in those zones), behind the building line, and it meets every other standard below. A shed that misses any standard needs a complying development certificate or a development application.
Exempt if it meets every standard
From Codes SEPP Part 2, Division 1, Subdivision 9 (clauses 2.17 and 2.18), plus the general requirements in clause 1.16 (it must meet the Building Code of Australia and must not be on State Heritage Register land, among others).
| Floor area no more than 20 m², or 50 m² in zones RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4, RU6 and R5 | cl 2.18(1)(b) |
| No higher than 3 m above existing ground level | cl 2.18(1)(c) |
| At least 900 mm from each lot boundary, or 5 m in zones RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4, RU6 and R5 | cl 2.18(1)(d) |
| Behind the building line of any road frontage (not required in zones RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4 and RU6) | cl 2.18(1)(e) |
| Not a shipping container | cl 2.18(1)(f) |
| Roofwater disposed of without causing a nuisance to neighbours | cl 2.18(1)(g) |
| Metal parts in low-reflective, factory pre-coloured materials (residential zones) | cl 2.18(1)(h) |
| On bush fire prone land and less than 5 m from a dwelling: non-combustible material | cl 2.18(1)(i) |
| In a heritage conservation area: in the rear yard | cl 2.18(1)(j) |
| Does not block the entry, exit or fire safety measures of a building next to it | cl 2.18(1)(k) |
| A Class 10 building and not habitable (no one lives or sleeps in it) | cl 2.18(1)(l) |
| At least 1 m from any registered easement | cl 2.18(1)(m) |
| No more than 2 of these structures per lot | cl 2.18(2) |
Land where it is never exempt
| Not on or in a heritage item or a draft heritage item, on land in a foreshore area or in an environmentally sensitive area | Codes SEPP cl 2.17 |
If it does not meet the standards
A shed that misses a standard needs approval: a complying development certificate (CDC) from a council or private certifier where a housing code covers the lot (Housing Code cl 3.1 in zones R1, R2, R3, R4 and RU5; Rural Housing Code cl 3A.5 in zone R5 and on rural lots of 4,000 m² or more), or otherwise a development application (DA) to the council.
Other projects
Rules current to the version in force from 23 October 2026: State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 and State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021. Plain-English summaries; the legislation is the authority. The address check uses the NSW zoning, cadastre, heritage, bush fire prone land, acid sulfate soils and flood planning maps we hold, which can lag the council's. It is a guide, not a planning certificate or legal advice. Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 12 November 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au. © State of New South Wales. Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Common questions
Do I need council approval for a shed in NSW?
In NSW a garden shed needs no council approval if it is exempt development: no bigger than 20 m² (50 m² in zones RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4, RU6 and R5), no higher than 3 m, at least 900 mm from every boundary (5 m in those zones), behind the building line, and it meets every other standard below. A shed that misses any standard needs a complying development certificate or a development application.
What if it does not meet the standards?
A shed that misses a standard needs approval: a complying development certificate (CDC) from a council or private certifier where a housing code covers the lot (Housing Code cl 3.1 in zones R1, R2, R3, R4 and RU5; Rural Housing Code cl 3A.5 in zone R5 and on rural lots of 4,000 m² or more), or otherwise a development application (DA) to the council.
Where do these rules come from?
From the NSW Codes SEPP Part 2, Division 1, Subdivision 9 (clauses 2.17 and 2.18). The rules are statewide, so they are the same in every council area, but the lot's zone, size and planning overlays change which ones apply.