Council Approvals in Northern Territory

If you intend on erecting a garden shed in the Northern Territory, you will usually need a building permit unless your garden shed meets the criteria for exemptions from building approval.

You will not need a building approval / permit if your shed is on a large or rural property and the shed does not have plumbing, electrical or drainage services, and meets either of the following criteria:

• * the roof area is less than 12 square metres, the building height is less than 2.1m, and it is located at least 40m from any boundary
• * the roof area is less than 30 square metres, the height is less than 2.4m, and it is located at least 70m from any boundary.

Please note:

* We strongly recommend you discuss the proposed location of the garden shed with your neighbour(s) should you intend on locating the shed up to the side or rear boundary, or intend to use reflective material.

Getting building approval in NT

Should you not meet the criteria for exemption, you can get building approval from either of the following:

• * an approved self-certifying manufacturer or;
• * a registered NT building certifier.

You may want to engage a building certifier if the product you are installing falls under one or more of the below points:

• * is not approved for self-certification,
• * if you want to build it yourself,
• * you are having other work done and want to include the installation in the same building permit as your other work.

For more information, please contact your local council, or click here for more information via the nt.gov.au website.

Please note, there are no exemptions for constructing a carport, so you will need to get building approval before building a carport in the Northern Territory.