You don't always need to apply for a permit for a (new) outbuilding.
For wooden outbuildings such as a garden shed, wooden carport or pool house, planning permission is in many cases not required. Sometimes a notification obligation applies. We've outlined the rules for you.
To install a detached outbuilding in your garden, you don't need to apply for a permit or notify your municipality, provided that your outbuilding:
Does your pool house, wooden carport, garden shed, garden office … meet the above conditions? Then you are exempt and therefore don't need to submit a permit application. You can start the works straight away.
However, do the plans for your detached outbuilding deviate from the general rules described above? Then planning permission is still required.
Are you planning to extend your existing home with an extension such as a wooden conservatory, patio cover or timber carport of up to 40 m²? Then a notification to your municipality is sufficient. This means that, as the developer, you must complete and sign a standard notification form at least twenty days before the start of the works, as well as submit three photos of the location where the outbuilding will be placed, drawings of all façades and a site plan.
There are, of course, a few conditions the outbuilding must meet to be subject only to the notification obligation. For example, the maximum height of the outbuilding is limited to 4 metres. Furthermore, the extension must remain at least 3 metres from the plot boundary in the side garden and at least 2 metres from the plot boundary in the rear garden.
Unless you hear otherwise, you can begin the works for the extension of your wooden conservatory, wooden carport, covered patio, etc. after twenty days.
If the plans for your extension do not meet the above conditions, a notification is not sufficient and you must apply for planning permission.
An important exception to the general rules are the specific planning regulations, which each municipality can impose per development or region. These take absolute precedence over the generally applicable regulations.
Also make sure that your home is not located in an agricultural or non-zoned area and check whether it is not protected heritage. Different rules for attached and detached outbuildings apply to such homes.
As the developer, we advise you to always consult the municipality's planning department in advance. That way you won't be caught off guard by any surprises.
Want more information about permits for outbuildings? Feel free to contact us or take a look at www.ruimtelijkeordening.be
From pool house to extension: discover all our wooden outbuildings.