Shipping container shed & permit

[Arch Stanton]

I have recently moved into a new house on a 5 acre block. Eventually I'll get the big steel shed but at the moment I don't have the cash.

I have put a 20' shipping container on the site and painted it up in the same Colorbond color as the water tank. Looks OK. What I am now considering is putting another container in about 6m away from the first and putting a roof over the gap. Put some cement sheeting across the back, wooden gates across the front and crushed rock on the ground.

Now I really should be getting a permit for this but after looking at the council website I figured that is going to give me a headache.

Has anyone applied for a permit for something like this? Do I have to get an engineer to draw up fancy plans? I'd be interested to see if anyone has any experience of having a container shed being approved or disapproved.

[banjoping]

If you think it looks "ok" no doubt your neighbours think it looks horrendous. Find out what the shire requires before you get too far ahead of yourself.

[dabbler]

+1 for eveything said already by banjoping.

I used to live on 10ac surrounded by 10-20ac blocks all well tree-ed natural bushland. Unless hidden by lower scrub near watercourses, you could see neighbouring structures from all angles and all sorts of places in all sorts of directions. It was an area where most people complained amongst themselves at the local feed store rather than go to council.

Sister lives on 15ac and it's more horsey, more farm like and closer to civilization.You can see far and wide across many properties and even long term residents consider council first complaint point and gossip last.

Land ain't cheap and people will protect that investment.

[Arch Stanton]

If you think it looks "ok" no doubt your neighbours think it looks horrendous. Find out what the shire requires before you get too far ahead of yourself.

I'm very lucky that I have good neighbours and I wouldn't want them to be looking at an eyesaw every time they turned around. If they were concerned I wouldn't go ahead. They think the current container looks good.

I was thinking about this today at work. I was probably getting my headache because I didn't know how I was going to do it. My plan now is to workout how to put it all together then go and have a chat to the planning department.

[Big_Easy]

The need for a planning permit and/or building permit mostly relies on the zoning of your land...ie rural residential or rural.
If it's rural then (at least in Vic) any sort of 'shed' normally doesn't require a planning permit, and if its open on one side as you suggest, then I would say your neighbours are the biggest hassle...and it sounds like you've done the smart thing and spoken to them first...so I reckon you'd be sorted.
Just make sure that your roofing rafters are Very securely attached to the shipping containers, because if you do get inspected then this will be what they look at really..but I reckon it's a great way of getting a good shed that's lockable and your workspace in between will be a great place to work with automatic dust extraction!
Go for it I reckon

Big_Easy

[Arch Stanton]

I'm zoned rural and as you said you don't need a permit. However there is a but. They have an enironment overlay on the area and that means even the smallest shed you can buy needs a permit.

I'm now thinking of getting my design right, working out how to build it and then draw it all up. All I can do then is submit an application and see what they say.