Thread: NewDeck - No Permit

In sydney yes you would need approval... All councils are different..

In Sydney you can ring the council and ask town planning for a copy of there development exemtion for pergolas and decks.. most have them and it will set all the guidelines for what you can build without approval.. If you can comply with all of these your right to go if not you'll need plans and some level of application...

Don't listen to anyone with a broad statement of you wont need approval for that as they are talking out the wrong end

cheers utemad

In my council the rules are if you have solid roof eg. polycarb, clourbond etc. you need approval if it is shade cloth you don't

Thanks for your reply.

So at this stage, would I be wise to go and get a permit for what I have done so far?

Would the council accept it?

It will depend on the height of your deck (from natural ground at the boundary) and the distance from the boundary.

A quick call to Council's town planning department will clear it up ...... just use a neighbouring address so they cant locate you

The other problem you face is to get a permit, the footing holes need to be inspected to ensure they're large enough. Bit of a problem if they're already filled with concrete. And most, if not all, inspector won't just take your word for it.

polkin789,

I can only advise you on my own experience and yes I'm a Melbourne boy too.

I built a 4 x 6m deck (1m off the ground) in a courtyard about 1.5 from the neighbouring boundary with no permit.
Subsequently I then submitted plans for a pergola to cover it but used different footing holes for the pergola posts. So in effect they are two seperate structures.
I had no problem whatsoever with the approval of the pergola which is covered in polycarb. Bloke came out to inspect the footing then came back for final inspection......no problems.

Attachment 71854 Attachment 71855 Attachment 71856

That was my experience.

Cheers,
Dr - 307.

Surely the deck was already there when you bought the house?

Originally Posted by TJAY

Surely the deck was already there when you bought the house?

We've all built a few things that were already there when we bought the place.

Originally Posted by TJAY

Surely the deck was already there when you bought the house?

LOL TJAY - and it taken so long for it to be mentioned.

After reading some posts, I am just thinking to myself of an inspector rushing out to inspect that a hole for a deck is indeed 400*400*300 before "the pour" commences with a bag of readymix! If they are inspecting in some jurisdictions for a low level deck - its a precis of whats wrong with the world not whats right!

We had a place in canberra where I had built a four car carport attached to the house.

When we sold it the buyers wanted to take $2000 off the price as it was unapproved. Told em we would pull it down and keep the $2000 thanks.

They changed thier minds for some reason

If you are going to 'roof' it, you will need a permit.
If you are going to tie the supporting posts for the roofed area to the existing deck you will need to show that the existing footings [stump] can handle the uplift.

Originally Posted by Yonnee

The other problem you face is to get a permit, the footing holes need to be inspected to ensure they're large enough. Bit of a problem if they're already filled with concrete. And most, if not all, inspector won't just take your word for it.

a picture is worth a thousand words, some inspectors will be happy with pics that include some form of measurement for the width & depth of holes.

If you can find an inspector who'll put their 4r$e on the line for a photo, all well and good. Mine won't do it, even for me, and he's a family friend.