Given the difficult year that so many of us have had, more and more people have spent time at home, looking inwards and highlighting home improvements they wish to make. A popular choice for many homeowners is the addition of a carport on the outside of the home, which offers a number of benefits. Carports have both style and function and they will ensure cars are protected from the elements.
In terms of planning permission for carports and garages, there is a broad range of rules and regulations for homeowners. These vary wildly by state and so today we are going to focus solely on the garage and carport regulations in Victoria.
Do you need a permit to build a carport or garage?
The first point to bring up here is the issue around whether or not you need a permit to build a garage or a carport on your property. This is not something that you need to get a permit for, but only applies if you are building it in line with the regulations, which are as follows:
- The floor area is less than 10m2.
- The height is less than 3m or 2.4m within 1m of the boundary.
- It is attached to another building on the same property
- Is located behind the front wall of the main building
- Is not constructed of masonry
Assuming that you have met all of these points, then you can simply erect the garage or the carport and start to use it.
Boundary Issues
When it comes to building something like this on the boundary, you have to plan with care. Owing to the size of most people’s properties, planning a custom carport or a garage build will usually mean that the boundaries are affected. As mentioned above, if you are trying to build within a meter of the boundary, then you will need to get a permit. To be clear, this means there can be no aspect of the building which falls within that 1 meter limit. Even if the base of the construction is 2 meters from the boundary, but the roof overhangs by 1.5 meters, you should get permission before you start building your carport or garage.
Planning To Perfection
Getting a permit is not impossible by any stretch of the imagination, but unless you have open space on the other side of that boundary where you wish to build, it is highly likely that you will have some problems. This is exactly why it is so important to ensure you have planned perfectly and that you take great care when you are building, if you have limited space. It would be in your best interests to to plan the carport as far from the boundary to ensure that the garage or carport doesn’t encroach.
Custom carports and garages look great on a property and will really add something to the home. If you are in any doubt as to whether they will fit on your property or if you need a permit, the best course of action is to speak with your local authorities. This will also ensure you have the most up to date information.
