Do I need a building permit to close off the area under a porch to use it as a shed?

Question

Where I live a building permit is not required to build a shed under 150 sqft, but zoning regulation may require it to be built at least 15 feet away from the house. Instead, I would like to close off the area under an existing porch to use it as a shed. The area is adjacent to exterior wall of the house on one side, it has a half-height walls on two other sides and it is completely open on the side facing the backyard. I am thinking I would floor it by just laying concrete slabs, and close the open sides with marine grade plywood, with a door on the side facing the backyard. This would be completely invisible from the front, and it wouldn't really be permanent. Do I need a permit to do it? Would I even be able to obtain a permit?

Answer 1

If you don't run any mechanicals including electrical and plumbing and don't "pour " a foundation the odds are incredibly high that there is no permit need especial as you are only enclosing an open area for security reasons.

Answer 2

Well it doesn't cost any thing to ask.  Call the inspection department and find out. If you have to get a permit, it probably won't cost very much, maybe 25-30 dollars and then you get the advice of the building inspector and can ask any questions you want when they are at the site.

Answer 3

Every place is different, but I wouldn't bother asking about a permit for this. You're not building anything, you're merely closing in a space that's already there, no one will be living in it, it doesn't change the appearance of the house to any extent. If you have a super uptight neighbour who reports you, you're not going to get in big trouble for this if you did need a permit. They might make you take it down or build it to code but in most jurisdictions that's the worst it would be. Building inspectors have other things to do.

Answer 4

Call or visit your city's building and planning department and ask! Every city is different; you might have to meet different standards than your neighbours two blocks over.

I only say this because the vendors of my new house have had to pay well over $500 to get a zoning variance for the shed and deck they built because they didn't bother to get a permit. House sales are never "as is". Vendors are always required to ensure that the buildings on the property meet zoning regulations. They didn't bother getting a permit for the deck because somebody told them they didn't need it, it was a waste of money, only fussbudgets applied beforehand, etc. They needed it; the shed and the deck are only seven inches from the property line, and that's against the local zoning by-laws.

It would have cost them about one-third of that to apply for a variance beforehand, but because they waited until they sold it they ended up having to get their lawyer to do it.

Answer 5

Don't worry about a permit.  And it sounds more like a lean-to than a shed anyhow ;)

Answer 6

The rule of thumb is that if you're not changing the footprint of the original structure, then a permit is probably unnecessary.

BIM, it's called a "building" permit, not a fix-it-up permit. ;-)

TX Griff

Answer 7

i dont think you do cuz when my dad was building are shed i dont think he needed it