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If you’re planning on building a shed on the Gold Coast you may be wondering, do I need Council approval? The short answer is it depends.
In general, if your shed meets certain criteria, you will not need Council approval. Each of the key criteria is discussed below:
1. The City of Gold Coast Council has restrictions on the amount of class 10 structures (including sheds) you can build in the City without an approval from Council. The table below depicts the square meterage required before Council approval is needed:
| Site Area | Class 10 buildings/s combined floor area of more than |
| Under 800m2 | 36m2 |
| 801m2 – 2,000m2 | 54m2 |
| 2,001m2 – 4,000m2 | 72m2 |
| 4,001m2 – 8,000m2 | 108m2 |
| 8,001m2 – 40,000m2 | 150m2 |
| Over 40,001m2 | Exempt – No Council approval required |
If you exceed any of the thresholds described below a Council approval is required. It is important to note that the thresholds are cumulative of all class 10 structures.
2. The maximum height a shed can reach is 4.5m or a mean height of 3.5m. If you have a shed that exceeds 4.5m from natural ground level or the average height is greater than 3.5m you will need a council approval.
3. The shed must meet the relevant setback requirements of the Zone Code. The setbacks vary from zone to zone within the City. You will need to check with your town planner or building certifier to check what the setback requirements are of the relevant zone.
4. It is important to note that a shed must be used for domestic purposes only within the city (if associated with a house). Should you want to run a business out of the shed you likely require a planning approval.
The Council operates as a referral agency for any Shed applications. The Council application is known as Referral Agency Assessment Application within the Gold Coast. The name of such an application varies depending on the council area you are located.
Should your shed not satisfy any of the requirements above or if you are unsure if your shed requires a Council approval contact Align Planning to discuss. Align will review your plans at no cost to determine if a Council approval is required.