# BWG Sheds > BWG Sheds designs and supplies engineered steel sheds, garages, workshops and farm buildings in Queensland: custom shed design, help with council and building approval, DIY steel shed kits delivered to site, and supply-and-install by a QBCC-licensed builder. Australian (en-AU) steel shed design, approval-assistance, kit supply and supply-and-install business in Queensland. Facts match the website; last reviewed 2026-09-25. Full text: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/llms-full.txt. ## Key facts - Business: BWG Sheds, a trading name of Builtwise Group Pty Ltd (ABN 73 675 775 096, ACN 675 775 096) - QBCC licence 15445275 (Builder – Open); supply-and-install work is done under this licence - Phone: 07 5466 5858 (+61754665858); Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm - Head office: 258 Rochedale Road, Rochedale QLD 4123 - Branch office: 2 Harm Drive, Crowley Vale QLD 4342 - No other offices or branches; serviced towns are served from these two offices - Email: none published (use the phone or the quote form) - Quote requests: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote (five steps: site, shed type, size and options, timing, contact) - Online 3D shed designer: https://csb.myjob.mysys.com.au/lockyersheds (the visitor designs the shed in 3D and sends it; BWG Sheds prices that design and gives a timeframe) - Services: Custom shed design; Council and building approval assistance; DIY steel shed and garage kits; Supply and install - Shed types: Residential sheds; Garages; Workshop sheds; Farm sheds; Agricultural sheds; Commercial sheds; Industrial sheds; Carports - Service regions (Queensland only): Toowoomba & Darling Downs; Lockyer Valley & Somerset; Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan & Redlands; Scenic Rim; Gold Coast; Sunshine Coast & Noosa; Moreton Bay; Gympie & Cooloola; Hervey Bay & Wide Bay; Gladstone Region - Towns serviced: Toowoomba, Highfields, Oakey, Crows Nest, Pittsworth, Clifton, Millmerran, Dalby, Jandowae, Warwick, Gatton, Laidley, Esk, Kilcoy, Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan & Beenleigh, Jimboomba, Redland Bay, Beaudesert, Tamborine Mountain, Canungra, Boonah, Rathdowney, Southport, Nerang, Coomera, Pimpama, Ormeau, Burleigh Heads, Coolangatta, Noosa Heads, Tewantin, Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran, Eumundi, Nambour, Yandina, Coolum Beach, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Caloundra, Kawana Waters, Beerwah, Landsborough, Glass House Mountains, Maleny, Montville, Mapleton, Kenilworth, Caboolture, Morayfield, Bribie Island (Bongaree), Woodford, Gympie, Tin Can Bay, Rainbow Beach, Cooloola Cove, Kilkivan, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Tiaro, Howard, Burrum Heads, Toogoom, Torbanlea, Childers, Woodgate, Biggenden, Gladstone, Tannum Sands, Boyne Island, Calliope, Benaraby, Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy, Miriam Vale, Rosedale, Baffle Creek, Mount Larcom, Yarwun, Ambrose, Bororen, Raglan, Mount Morgan - Not serviced / not listed: Goondiwindi, Stanthorpe, Chinchilla, Roma, Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Kingscliff, Cabarita Beach, Byron Bay, Ballina, Mundubbera, Bundaberg, Rockhampton - Prices: quoted per project; the site publishes no prices - Building approval is issued by a building certifier; councils decide planning matters. BWG Sheds prepares and coordinates documents; it is not an approving authority - All images are AI-generated concept images, not photographs of completed BWG Sheds projects - The site publishes no ratings, reviews, testimonials, project counts, warranties or years-in-business claims ## Services - [Custom shed design](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/shed-design): BWG Sheds designs steel sheds, garages, workshops and farm buildings to suit the property and the job the shed has to do. - [Council and building approval assistance](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/council-approval-assistance): Most sheds larger than a garden shed need building approval in Queensland. - [DIY steel shed and garage kits](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/diy-shed-kits): BWG Sheds supplies steel shed, garage and farm shed kits for owners who want to build it themselves or use their own builder. - [Supply and install](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/supply-and-install): If you'd rather not build it yourself, BWG Sheds can supply and install your shed. - [Garage kits](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/shed-kits/garage-kits) - [Farm shed kits](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/shed-kits/farm-shed-kits) - [Workshop and backyard shed kits](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/shed-kits/workshop-shed-kits) ## Shed types - [Residential sheds](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/residential-sheds): A residential shed from BWG Sheds is a steel building for a house block or acreage: storage, a hobby or home workshop, a man cave or she shed, or somewhere dry for bikes, mowers and the boat. - [Garages](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/garages): BWG Sheds designs and supplies steel garages for houses and acreage: single and double garages, extra-height bays for a caravan or boat, and garage-workshop combinations. - [Workshop sheds](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/workshop-sheds): A workshop shed is built to be worked in, not just to store things: clear floor space, a door big enough for what you work on, natural light, ventilation and room for benches and power. - [Farm sheds](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/farm-sheds): BWG Sheds designs and supplies farm sheds for machinery, equipment, vehicles, fuel, feed and general storage: open-bay, enclosed or a mix of both. - [Agricultural sheds](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/agricultural-sheds): Agricultural sheds from BWG Sheds cover the working buildings of a rural property: hay and feed sheds, open-sided shelters, stables and yards cover, and produce or packing sheds. - [Commercial sheds](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/commercial-sheds): BWG Sheds designs, supplies and builds commercial steel sheds for businesses that need a workshop, storage or operating space: trade depots, service workshops, storage for stock and equipment, and small business premises. - [Industrial sheds](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/industrial-sheds): Industrial sheds are larger steel buildings for manufacturing, heavy storage, depots and operations yards, typically clear-span portal frames with high roller doors. - [Carports](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/carports): A steel carport from BWG Sheds keeps sun, hail and sap off vehicles, caravans and boats without the cost of a fully enclosed garage. ## Service areas - [Toowoomba & Darling Downs](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs): Toowoomba Regional Council, Western Downs Regional Council, Southern Downs Regional Council - [Lockyer Valley & Somerset](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset): Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council - [Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan & Redlands](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan): Brisbane City Council, Ipswich City Council, Logan City Council, Redland City Council - [Scenic Rim](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/scenic-rim): Scenic Rim Regional Council - [Gold Coast](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast): City of Gold Coast - [Sunshine Coast & Noosa](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa): Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa Shire Council - [Moreton Bay](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/moreton-bay): City of Moreton Bay - [Gympie & Cooloola](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gympie-cooloola): Gympie Regional Council - [Hervey Bay & Wide Bay](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/hervey-bay-wide-bay): Fraser Coast Regional Council, Bundaberg Regional Council, North Burnett Regional Council - [Gladstone Region](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone): Gladstone Regional Council, Bundaberg Regional Council, Rockhampton Regional Council - [Sheds in Toowoomba](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/toowoomba) - [Sheds in Highfields](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/highfields) - [Sheds in Gatton](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset/gatton) - [Sheds in Laidley](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset/laidley) - [Sheds in Warwick](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/warwick) - [Sheds in Dalby](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/dalby) - [Sheds in Ipswich](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/ipswich) - [Sheds in Brisbane](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/brisbane) - [Sheds in Logan & Beenleigh](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/logan-beenleigh) - [Sheds in Redland Bay](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/redland-bay) - [Sheds in Beaudesert](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/scenic-rim/beaudesert) - [Sheds in Jimboomba](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/jimboomba) - [Sheds in Coomera](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast/coomera) - [Sheds in Pimpama](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast/pimpama) - [Sheds in Southport](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast/southport) - [Sheds in Maroochydore](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/maroochydore) - [Sheds in Caloundra](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/caloundra) - [Sheds in Noosa Heads](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/noosa-heads) - [Sheds in Nambour](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/nambour) - [Sheds in Caboolture](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/moreton-bay/caboolture) - [Sheds in Morayfield](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/moreton-bay/morayfield) - [Sheds in Gympie](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gympie-cooloola/gympie) - [Sheds in Maryborough](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/hervey-bay-wide-bay/maryborough) - [Sheds in Tannum Sands](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/tannum-sands) - [Sheds in Boyne Island](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/boyne-island) - [Sheds in Calliope](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/calliope) - [Sheds in Agnes Water](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/agnes-water) - [Farm sheds for Toowoomba properties](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/toowoomba/farm-sheds) - [Steel garages in Toowoomba](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/toowoomba/garages) - [Farm and packing sheds around Gatton](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset/gatton/farm-sheds) - [Farm and machinery sheds around Dalby](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/dalby/farm-sheds) - [Hay and machinery sheds around Warwick](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/warwick/farm-sheds) - [Steel garages for Ipswich homes](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/ipswich/garages) - [Steel garages for Brisbane blocks](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/brisbane/garages) - [Farm sheds around Beaudesert](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/scenic-rim/beaudesert/farm-sheds) ## Guides (answer-first) - [Do I need council approval for a shed in Queensland?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-council-approval-queensland): In Queensland only a very small shed skips building approval: a plan area of 10 m² or less (overhangs included), no side longer than 5 m, no more than 2.4 m high with a mean height of 2.1 m or less, and not in wind Region C. - [Do farm sheds need building approval in Queensland?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/farm-shed-approval-queensland): Not always. - [Do I need approval for a shed in the Toowoomba Region?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/toowoomba-shed-approval): In the Toowoomba Region a shed needs no building approval only if it is under 10 m², no more than 2.4 m high, no side is longer than 5 m and the mean height of any wall on a boundary is under 2.1 m. - [Do I need approval for a shed in Brisbane?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/brisbane-shed-approval): In Brisbane a shed needs no building approval only if it has a plan area of 10 m² or less, is no more than 2.4 m high with a mean height of 2.1 m or less, has no side longer than 5 m and does not affect other structures or a pool fence. - [What size shed do I need?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/what-size-shed-do-i-need): Start from the biggest thing going inside. - [Shed kit, supply-and-install or custom design: which suits you?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-kit-vs-custom-shed): A DIY kit costs you time and responsibility instead of labour: you organise the slab, the approval, the crew and the safety, and an owner-builder permit is needed above $11,000 including GST. - [What affects the cost of a shed in Queensland?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-cost-queensland): There is no honest single price for a shed, because the same floor area can cost very different amounts depending on the site's wind rating, the span and wall height, the doors, the slab your soil needs, the cladding, the delivery distance, approval costs and whether you build it yourself. - [Shed wind ratings in Queensland: regions, classes and why they matter](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-wind-ratings-queensland): Your shed's wind rating comes from the site, not the brochure. - [COLORBOND® or ZINCALUME® steel for a shed near the Queensland coast?](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/colorbond-vs-zincalume-coastal-queensland): It depends on how close the shed is to breaking surf or salt water, and walls need more distance than roofs. - [Building a shed kit yourself in Queensland: the owner-builder guide](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/owner-builder-shed-kit-queensland): Yes, you can build a garage, carport or residential shed kit yourself on your own land. - [Shed slabs and footings in Queensland: site classes and preparation](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-slab-footings-queensland): The slab and footings are designed for the ground and the wind. - [Bushfire and flood overlays: what they mean for your shed](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-bushfire-flood-overlays): It can. ## Contact - Phone: 07 5466 5858 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm) - Head office: 258 Rochedale Road, Rochedale QLD 4123 - Branch office: 2 Harm Drive, Crowley Vale QLD 4342 - [Request a quote](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote) · [Contact page](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/contact) · [3D shed designer](https://csb.myjob.mysys.com.au/lockyersheds) ## Optional - [About](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/about) · [FAQs](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/faqs) · [Resources](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/resources) · [Sitemap](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sitemap.xml) · [Full text](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/llms-full.txt) · [Agent guidance](https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/agents.md) --- ## Licence statement BWG Sheds is a trading name of Builtwise Group Pty Ltd (ABN 73 675 775 096, ACN 675 775 096), licensed under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991, QBCC licence 15445275. ## FAQ Q: Do I need approval for a shed? A: In Queensland, usually yes. A shed avoids building approval only if its plan area is 10 m² or less, it is no more than 2.4 m high (mean height 2.1 m) and no side exceeds 5 m, and that exemption does not apply in the cyclonic Wind Region C. On farming land, a Class 10 building more than 200 m from every road and boundary is exempt. Council planning rules can apply separately. Q: Can BWG Sheds help with council approval? A: Yes. We prepare the site plan, drawings, engineering and specifications, and coordinate the application with a building certifier and, where its planning scheme requires it, your council. The certifier and council make the decisions. Q: Do you supply DIY shed kits? A: Yes. Steel shed, garage, workshop and farm shed kits are designed to your size and options, engineered for your site, and delivered in our Queensland service areas with assembly plans and phone support. Q: Can you build the shed for me? A: Yes. We supply and install sheds under Builtwise Group Pty Ltd's QBCC licence 15445275 (Builder – Open). Q: Can I customise the shed? A: Yes. Span, length, eave height, roof pitch, bay spacing, doors, windows, open bays, awnings, insulation and colours are chosen for your project. Q: What size shed should I choose? A: Work from the largest thing going inside, then add clearance and working space. For garages, the Queensland Housing Code minimum for a double is 5.5 m by 6 m internally; most owners want more. Our sizing guide covers cars, caravans, boats and machinery. Q: Do you build farm sheds? A: Yes: machinery, equipment, hay and general farm sheds, open-bay or enclosed. Note that owner-builders can't build farm buildings in Queensland, and farm buildings valued over $27,500 must be built by a licensed contractor. Q: Do you service my area? A: We service South East Queensland, the Darling Downs, Wide Bay and the Gladstone region. The Service Areas page lists every region and town. If your town isn't listed, call us on 07 5466 5858 and we'll tell you straight. Q: Do you provide engineering? A: Yes. Every shed is engineered for its site: the wind region, terrain and shielding, and the ground it sits on. The engineering documentation goes with the approval application. Q: Do you deliver shed kits? A: Yes, to sites in our Queensland service areas. Delivery is quoted for your address, so tell us about site access when you ask for a quote. Q: Can I use my own builder? A: Yes. Many customers buy a kit and have their own builder or erector put it up. For work valued over $3,300, the person doing it generally needs the appropriate QBCC licence. Q: Can I add roller doors and windows? A: Yes. Roller doors, personal access doors, windows, skylights, open bays, awnings and insulation are all options. Q: What information do you need for a quote? A: The site postcode and suburb, the type of shed and what it's for, rough dimensions if you know them, doors and options, whether the site is ready, whether you want help with approval, and your timing. Photos of the site help. Q: Do you publish prices? A: No. Shed prices depend on size, wind rating, site, doors, delivery distance and whether you want a kit or supply and install, so we quote each project. Our cost guide explains what moves the price. ## Custom shed design URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/shed-design BWG Sheds designs steel sheds, garages, workshops and farm buildings to suit the property and the job the shed has to do. We start with what goes inside it, where it can sit on the block, how you get in and out, and what the site throws at it, then size the span, length, height, doors and openings. Your structure is engineered for its site before anything is ordered. ### What we work through with you A good design brief is mostly questions. What is the largest thing going in, now and in five years? Does it need to drive through, or reverse in? Will you work inside it, store hay in it, or park a caravan with the awning out? From those answers we set the clear span, the eave height, the bay spacing and the door sizes, then check them against the site: the slope, the access track, the distance to boundaries and other buildings, and anything on the council's mapping that affects where the shed can go. - Intended use and what has to fit inside, with clearances - Position on the property, access and turning space - Dimensions: span, length, eave height and roof pitch - Roller doors, personal access doors, windows, open bays and awnings - Ventilation, natural light, insulation and condensation control - Room to extend later: an extra bay or a lean-to ### Designed for the conditions on your block Queensland covers very different sites: exposed ridgelines on the Darling Downs, flood-mapped creek flats in the Lockyer Valley, salt-laden air on the coast, and a cyclonic wind region around Gladstone. The structure, the cladding and the fixings all respond to that. Wind loads are set by the site's wind region, terrain and shielding; footings by the soil. We design to the site, not to a generic catalogue rating, and the engineering is prepared for that address. ### Design first, then approval, then supply Once the design is settled, the same drawings feed the approval documentation and the kit order, so nothing gets redrawn and nothing is lost between steps. If approval is needed we can prepare the paperwork, and you choose whether we supply the kit only or supply and install. Q: Can a steel shed be customised? A: Yes. The span, length, eave height, roof pitch, bay spacing, door sizes and positions, windows, open bays, awnings, insulation and colours are all chosen for your project. Start with what has to fit inside and how you'll use it, and the dimensions follow. Q: What information do you need to design a shed? A: The site address, what the shed will be used for, the largest items going inside, rough dimensions if you have them, where on the block you'd like it, and any photos of the site. A site plan or survey helps if you have one. Q: Is the design engineered for my site? A: Yes. Wind load depends on the site's wind region, terrain and shielding, and footings depend on the soil, so the structure is engineered for the actual address rather than a generic rating. Q: Do I have to buy the shed from you if you design it? A: Talk to us about your project. Most customers carry the design through to a kit or a supply-and-install quote, because the drawings, approval documents and kit are prepared from the same design. Sources: https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/housing-provisions/2-structure/part-22-structural-provisions https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/1170-2-wind-regions-for-australia ## Council and building approval assistance URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/council-approval-assistance Most sheds larger than a garden shed need building approval in Queensland. BWG Sheds prepares the documentation an approval needs (site plan, drawings, engineering and specifications) and coordinates the application with a building certifier, and with your council where the planning scheme requires it. The certifier and the council make the decisions; we make sure they have what they need. ### When does a shed need approval in Queensland? Under the Building Regulation 2021, a Class 10 shed only avoids building approval if its plan area (including overhangs) is 10 m² or less, it is no higher than 2.4 m, its mean height is no more than 2.1 m, and no side is longer than 5 m. That exemption does not apply in the cyclonic Wind Region C. Even an exempt shed must still comply with the building codes. A separate rule covers farms: a Class 10 building on land used for agriculture, horticulture or pastoral purposes is exempt where no part of it is within 200 m of a road or a boundary. Most garages, workshops and farm sheds near a boundary or a road need approval. Building approval and planning approval are different things. Your council's planning scheme can require its own approval or referral (for example because of a flood or bushfire overlay, heritage or neighbourhood character) even when the building side is straightforward. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. ### Siting: boundary clearances and the new Queensland Housing Code On residential lots, sheds usually have to sit 1.5 m from side and rear boundaries, with a limited allowance for Class 10a buildings within that clearance (height up to 4.5 m, mean height up to 3.5 m, and no more than 9 m in total length along any one boundary). A design that doesn't meet those acceptable solutions needs a referral to council. The Queensland Housing Code commenced on 1 September 2026 and replaces the old siting codes (QDC MP 1.1 and MP 1.2), but each council area moves across only once its planning scheme is updated, with a transition period to 1 September 2029. We check which rules apply at your address. ### What we do, and what we don't We prepare and assemble the documents, coordinate the application with a certifier, respond to requests for further information about the shed design, and keep you updated. We are not the approving authority, we can't guarantee an outcome, and we don't provide legal or town-planning advice about uses of land. Q: Do I need council approval for a shed in Queensland? A: Usually yes, unless it is very small. A shed needs no building approval only if its plan area is 10 m² or less, it is no more than 2.4 m high (mean height 2.1 m) and no side exceeds 5 m, and that exemption does not apply in Wind Region C. Farm sheds more than 200 m from any road or boundary on agricultural land are also exempt. Council planning rules can apply separately. Q: Who approves a shed: the council or a certifier? A: In Queensland, building approval is issued by a licensed building certifier, either private or employed by a council. The council decides planning matters and referrals, such as a shed inside the boundary clearance or in an overlay area. Q: Can BWG Sheds lodge the approval for me? A: We prepare the documentation and coordinate the application with a building certifier, and with your council where its planning scheme requires it. You stay the applicant/owner, and the certifier and council make the decisions. Q: Can I get approval for a shed I build myself? A: Yes. Owner-builders can build a residential shed, garage or carport, but a project valued over $11,000 (including GST) needs a QBCC owner-builder permit, and owner-builders cannot build farm or industrial buildings. Farm buildings up to $27,500 in value are not building work under the QBCC rules. Sources: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126 https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/when-not-needed https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/building-certifiers https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/news/role-responsibilities-certifier https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/4009/sp-12-design-siting-standard-lots-over-450m2-230702.pdf https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/laws-codes-standards/queensland-development-code https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/planning-schemes https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/owner-build/apply-owner-builder-permit https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/dz/node/661 ## DIY steel shed and garage kits URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/diy-shed-kits BWG Sheds supplies steel shed, garage and farm shed kits for owners who want to build it themselves or use their own builder. Each kit is designed to your chosen size and options, engineered for your site, and delivered to your property in our Queensland service areas, with assembly plans and phone support during the build. ### What a BWG Sheds kit is A kit is the building, supplied: the steel frame, purlins and girts, cladding, flashings, fixings and your chosen doors and options, engineered for the address it's going to. You or your builder prepare the site and slab and put it together. Frame components are pre-punched for bolt-together assembly, and the kit comes with assembly plans. If you get stuck during the build, you can phone us. ### Options you can add Kits are configured to the project rather than picked off a shelf. - Roller doors and personal access doors - Windows and skylights - Insulation and condensation control - Open bays, awnings and lean-tos - Wall and roof colour choices ### What you organise A kit leaves some things with you: the slab or footings, any approval (unless you use our approval assistance), site preparation, lifting equipment, a capable crew, and safe work at height. A shed project over $11,000 in value that you build yourself needs a QBCC owner-builder permit, and owner-builders can't build farm or industrial buildings, so check which route suits your project before you order. Q: Can BWG Sheds supply a DIY shed kit? A: Yes. We supply steel shed, garage and farm shed kits designed to your size and options, engineered for your site and delivered to your property in our Queensland service areas. Q: Do you deliver shed kits? A: Yes, to sites within our Queensland service areas. Delivery is quoted for your address. Tell us about access to the site (gates, slope, wet-weather tracks) so the right truck is booked. Q: Can I use my own builder? A: Yes. Many customers buy a kit and have their own builder or erector put it up. For work over $3,300 in value the person doing the erection generally needs the appropriate QBCC licence. Q: Do I need an owner-builder permit to build a shed kit? A: If you build it yourself and the project's value is more than $11,000 including GST, yes: you need a QBCC owner-builder permit. The value is counted as if a licensed contractor supplied all materials and labour. Owner-builders can build residential sheds, garages and carports, but not farm or industrial buildings. Sources: https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/owner-build/apply-owner-builder-permit https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/dz/node/661 https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/resources/building-work https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2018-0138 https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/hazards/workplace-hazards/dangers-in-your-workplace/work-at-heights ## Supply and install URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/supply-and-install If you'd rather not build it yourself, BWG Sheds can supply and install your shed. The building work is carried out under Builtwise Group Pty Ltd's QBCC licence 15445275 (Builder – Open), from design and approval documents through to the finished building, across our Queensland service areas. ### One party responsible for the build With supply and install, the design, the approval documentation, the kit and the erection are handled together, so questions about the slab, the frame or the doors go to one place. Farm buildings valued over $27,500 need a licensed contractor in Queensland, and owner-builders can't build farm or industrial buildings, so for larger rural and commercial sheds supply and install is often the practical route. Q: Is BWG Sheds licensed to build sheds? A: Yes. Installation work is carried out under Builtwise Group Pty Ltd's QBCC licence 15445275 (Builder – Open). You can check the licence on the QBCC licensee register. Q: Do you build farm sheds? A: Yes. We supply and install farm, machinery, hay and equipment sheds across our Queensland service areas. Farm buildings valued over $27,500 must be built by a licensed contractor. Q: Can you do the slab as well? A: Tell us about your site when you request a quote. The slab or footings are designed to the shed's engineering and the site's soil classification, and they are part of what we discuss for a supply-and-install project. Sources: https://my.qbcc.qld.gov.au/myQBCC/s/qbcc-licensee-register https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/dz/node/661 https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2018-0138 ## Residential sheds URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/residential-sheds A residential shed from BWG Sheds is a steel building for a house block or acreage: storage, a hobby or home workshop, a man cave or she shed, or somewhere dry for bikes, mowers and the boat. It is sized to what goes inside and positioned to suit your boundaries, then supplied as a DIY kit or supplied and installed. - Boundary clearances: On most residential lots a shed sits 1.5 m from side and rear boundaries unless it meets the Class 10a allowance for building within the clearance (height up to 4.5 m, mean height up to 3.5 m, no more than 9 m of total length along one boundary). Anything else needs a council referral. - Site coverage: The old siting code limits roofed buildings to 50% of the lot area on lots of 450 m² and over. Your council's planning scheme can set different limits. - Drainage and slab level: Keep stormwater away from the door opening and set the slab above the surrounding ground. Approval: In Queensland a shed avoids building approval only if it is 10 m² or less in plan area, no more than 2.4 m high (mean 2.1 m) with no side over 5 m, and not in Wind Region C. Most backyard sheds are larger than that, so building approval is normally needed, and siting near a boundary may need a council referral. Q: How close to the fence can I put a shed in Queensland? A: The default siting rules keep buildings 1.5 m from side and rear boundaries, but a Class 10a shed can sit within that clearance if the part within it is no more than 4.5 m high with a mean height of no more than 3.5 m, and all buildings within the clearance total no more than 9 m along that boundary. Councils can vary this, and the new Queensland Housing Code is being adopted council by council. Q: What size backyard shed doesn't need approval? A: Only a small one: 10 m² or less in plan area (including overhangs), no more than 2.4 m high with a mean height of 2.1 m or less, and no side longer than 5 m, outside Wind Region C. It must still comply with the building codes. Q: Can I build a backyard shed kit myself? A: Yes. If the project is worth more than $11,000 including GST, you'll need a QBCC owner-builder permit first. ## Garages URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/garages BWG Sheds designs and supplies steel garages for houses and acreage: single and double garages, extra-height bays for a caravan or boat, and garage-workshop combinations. Each garage is sized to the vehicles and the clearances you need, engineered for the site, and supplied as a kit or supplied and installed. - Minimum parking sizes: The Queensland Housing Code's Table 5 sets minimum internal garage spaces of 3 m wide by 6 m deep for a single (3.2 m wide where level-entry access runs through the garage) and 5.5 m by 6 m for a double. Those are minimums, not comfortable sizes. - Design vehicles: The B99 design car in AS/NZS 2890.1 is 5.20 m long and 1.94 m wide; a B85 car is 4.91 m by 1.87 m. Utes and large 4WDs are longer than both. - Caravan height: Caravans can legally be up to 2.5 m wide and 4.3 m high, so measure your van (including the air conditioner) before choosing the door and eave height. Approval: In Queensland a shed avoids building approval only if it is 10 m² or less in plan area, no more than 2.4 m high (mean 2.1 m) with no side over 5 m, and not in Wind Region C. A garage almost always needs building approval, and a garage close to a boundary has to meet the siting rules or go to council for a referral. Q: What size garage do I need for two cars? A: The Queensland Housing Code minimum for a double garage is 5.5 m wide by 6 m deep internally, but that is a minimum. Allow more width if you want to open doors fully and walk between the cars, and more depth for a bench or storage. Q: How high does a caravan garage need to be? A: Measure the van at its highest point, including the air conditioner and any aerials, then add clearance for the door mechanism. Caravans can legally be up to 4.3 m high, so a standard garage door height is often not enough. Q: Can I get a garage kit delivered? A: Yes. Garage kits are delivered to sites in our Queensland service areas, with assembly plans and phone support. ## Workshop sheds URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/workshop-sheds A workshop shed is built to be worked in, not just to store things: clear floor space, a door big enough for what you work on, natural light, ventilation and room for benches and power. BWG Sheds designs workshops for homes, acreage and farms and supplies them as a kit or supplied and installed. - Heat and condensation: Steel sheds heat up and can drip condensation. Insulation, a foil membrane with an air gap, and ventilation are the usual controls; plan them into the kit rather than retrofitting. - Light: Roof skylights and wall windows cut daytime lighting needs; place them away from where glare hits the bench. - Commercial use: A workshop used for a business can be classified differently (for example Class 8) from a private shed, which changes the building rules. Approval: In Queensland a shed avoids building approval only if it is 10 m² or less in plan area, no more than 2.4 m high (mean 2.1 m) with no side over 5 m, and not in Wind Region C. A workshop is normally well above that size, so it needs building approval; a workshop used for a business may also be assessed under the planning scheme. Q: What size workshop shed do I need? A: Start with the largest vehicle or machine you'll work on, add at least a comfortable walkway all round, then add bench depth and storage. A workshop feels small far sooner than a storage shed does. Q: How do I stop condensation in a steel workshop? A: Use an anticondensation or insulation layer under the roof sheeting, keep an air gap where the product requires it, and ventilate. BlueScope's technical guidance recommends ventilation plus a reflective foil membrane or insulation blanket. Q: Can I run a business from my workshop shed? A: Possibly, but using a shed for a business can change its building classification and can need planning approval from your council. Check with council before you design around a business use. ## Farm sheds URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/farm-sheds BWG Sheds designs and supplies farm sheds for machinery, equipment, vehicles, fuel, feed and general storage: open-bay, enclosed or a mix of both. Each is sized to your largest machine and the way you move around the yard, engineered for the site, and supplied as a kit or supplied and installed by our QBCC-licensed builder. - The rural exemption: Under Schedule 2 of the Building Regulation 2021, a Class 10 building on land used for agricultural, horticultural or pastoral purposes is exempt from building approval where no part of it is within 200 m of a road or a boundary. Closer than that, approval is needed. - Classification: A farm shed can be a Class 10a building or, depending on its size, purpose and how many people work in it, a Class 7 or 8 building. In Queensland, farm buildings are covered by QDC MP 3.7 rather than the NCC's national farm-shed concessions. - Who can build it: Owner-builders can't build farm buildings in Queensland. A farm building valued at no more than $27,500 is not building work under the QBCC rules; above that, a licensed contractor is required. Approval: A farm shed on agricultural land is exempt from building approval where no part is within 200 m of a road or boundary; closer than that, it normally needs building approval, and council planning rules and overlays can still apply. Q: Do farm sheds need council approval in Queensland? A: Not always. A Class 10 building on land used for agricultural, floricultural, horticultural or pastoral purposes is exempt from building approval if no part of it is within 200 m of a road or boundary. Closer than that it normally needs approval, and your council's planning scheme can still apply. Q: Are farm sheds engineered for Australian conditions? A: Yes. Every shed is engineered for its site: the wind region, the terrain around it, and the ground it sits on. The NCC guide lists farm sheds as an example of a lower importance level building, which the engineer takes into account. Q: Can I build my own farm shed? A: Owner-builders can't build farm buildings in Queensland. If the farm building's value is no more than $27,500 it isn't building work under the QBCC rules; above that, a licensed contractor must build it, which is where our supply-and-install service comes in. ## Agricultural sheds URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/agricultural-sheds Agricultural sheds from BWG Sheds cover the working buildings of a rural property: hay and feed sheds, open-sided shelters, stables and yards cover, and produce or packing sheds. They are designed around the operation (airflow for hay, access for trucks and loaders, shade and drainage for animals) and engineered for the site. - Classification changes the rules: A shed where people work (packing, processing) may be a Class 7 or 8 building rather than Class 10a. In Queensland, QDC MP 3.7 sets the rules for farm buildings, including 'high occupancy' farm buildings. - Fire and water supply: Under QDC MP 3.7, a farm building that uses a performance solution for access and egress, or doesn't meet the water-supply acceptable solutions, is referred to the Queensland Fire Department for advice. - Siting on the property: More than 200 m from roads and boundaries on agricultural land, a Class 10 farm building is exempt from building approval. Approval: Agricultural sheds on farming land may be exempt from building approval when they are more than 200 m from any road or boundary. Sheds where people work may be classed differently and assessed under QDC MP 3.7. Q: What's the difference between a farm shed and an agricultural shed? A: On this site, farm sheds are machinery, vehicle and general storage buildings; agricultural sheds are the working buildings of the operation, such as hay sheds, animal shelters and produce sheds. The rules that apply depend on how the building is used, not what it's called. Q: Does a hay shed need approval? A: It depends on where it sits. A Class 10 building on agricultural land is exempt from building approval if no part is within 200 m of a road or boundary; otherwise it normally needs approval. Q: What is a high occupancy farm building? A: Under Queensland's QDC MP 3.7, it's a farm building designed for more than six people where the floor area is 1,200 m² or less, or more than one person per 200 m² where the floor area is larger. ## Commercial sheds URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/commercial-sheds BWG Sheds designs, supplies and builds commercial steel sheds for businesses that need a workshop, storage or operating space: trade depots, service workshops, storage for stock and equipment, and small business premises. They're designed to the business's workflow and the building rules that apply to commercial use, and built under a QBCC licence. - Building classification: Under the NCC, a storage building is Class 7b and a process building (production, assembly, repairs) is Class 8. These carry different fire, access and energy requirements from a private shed. - Planning approval: A new business use or building on a commercial or industrial lot is usually assessed against the council's planning scheme as well as needing building approval. - Who can build it: Owner-builders can't build commercial or industrial buildings in Queensland; a licensed builder is required. Approval: Commercial sheds need building approval, and a new business use or building usually needs planning assessment by the council as well. Commercial buildings must be built by a licensed contractor. Q: What building class is a commercial shed? A: Under the National Construction Code, a building used for storage is Class 7b and a building used for production, assembling or repairing is Class 8. A private garage or shed is Class 10a. Q: Can I owner-build a commercial shed? A: No. Queensland owner-builders can build residential sheds, garages and carports, but not commercial or industrial buildings. Q: Do you build commercial sheds? A: Yes, under Builtwise Group Pty Ltd's QBCC licence 15445275 (Builder – Open), across our Queensland service areas. ## Industrial sheds URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/industrial-sheds Industrial sheds are larger steel buildings for manufacturing, heavy storage, depots and operations yards, typically clear-span portal frames with high roller doors. BWG Sheds designs and builds them around the operation, the site and the NCC requirements for industrial buildings, under a QBCC Builder – Open licence. - Planning first: On an industrial lot, the council's planning scheme sets the use, setbacks, parking and stormwater requirements; building approval follows. - Fire and access requirements: Class 7 and 8 buildings carry NCC requirements for fire safety, egress and services that grow with floor area. - Slab and loads: Point loads from racking, machinery and vehicles are engineered into the slab together with the site's soil classification. Approval: Industrial sheds need building approval and, in most cases, planning assessment by the council. They must be built by a licensed contractor. Q: Do you build large industrial sheds? A: Talk to us about the size and use. We design and build industrial steel sheds under a QBCC Builder – Open licence across our Queensland service areas. Q: What is a clear-span shed? A: A clear-span building has no internal columns: portal frames span the full width, leaving the floor open for machinery, trucks and racking. Q: Can an industrial shed be supplied as a kit? A: Industrial and commercial buildings can't be owner-built in Queensland, so industrial sheds are supplied and installed by a licensed builder. ## Carports URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/carports A steel carport from BWG Sheds keeps sun, hail and sap off vehicles, caravans and boats without the cost of a fully enclosed garage. Carports can be free-standing or attached to the house, gable or skillion, and sized to what you park. They're engineered for the site and supplied as a kit or supplied and installed. - Open structures and wind: Open carports catch wind from underneath, so the roof, frame and footings are engineered for uplift at the site. - Boundary siting: Carports are Class 10a buildings; the siting rules for building close to a side or rear boundary apply, and some councils regulate carports in front setbacks. Approval: In Queensland a shed avoids building approval only if it is 10 m² or less in plan area, no more than 2.4 m high (mean 2.1 m) with no side over 5 m, and not in Wind Region C. Most carports are larger, so they need building approval and must meet the siting rules or get a council referral. Q: Do I need approval for a carport in Queensland? A: Usually. A carport is a Class 10a building, and only structures of 10 m² or less (with the height limits) avoid building approval, outside Wind Region C. A carport near a boundary also has to meet the siting rules or get a council referral. Q: Can a carport be attached to my house? A: Yes, attached carports are common. The attachment and the house's roof structure are part of the engineering and approval. Q: How big should a carport be for a caravan? A: Measure the van's length, width and height including the air conditioner, then add clearance. Caravans can legally be up to 2.5 m wide, 12.5 m long and 4.3 m high. ## Garage kits URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/shed-kits/garage-kits A BWG Sheds garage kit is a single, double or extra-height steel garage supplied for you or your builder to put up. It is sized to your vehicles, engineered for your site, and delivered in our Queensland service areas with assembly plans and phone support. You organise the slab, the crew and, unless you use our help, the approval. In the kit: 1. Steel frame: Columns, rafters and bracing, pre-punched for bolt-together assembly 2. Purlins and girts: The roof and wall members the cladding fixes to 3. Roof and wall cladding: In your chosen profile and colours 4. Flashings and cappings: Ridge, corner, barge and opening flashings 5. Roller doors: Sized to your vehicles, with the door openings framed in 6. Personal access door and windows: Where you've chosen them 7. Fixings: Bolts and screws for the frame and cladding 8. Engineering documentation: For your site, ready for the approval application 9. Assembly plans: Step-by-step plans for the build You organise: - Approval: Building approval before work starts, unless the shed is exempt. We can prepare the documents if you'd like help. - Slab or footings: Built to the kit's engineering and your site's soil classification. - Site access and unloading: A clear, firm track for the delivery truck and a way to unload the bundles. - Crew, tools and lifting: At least two capable people, plus lifting equipment for the frames. - Safe work at height: Fall protection above 3 m on housing construction (2 m on other construction) and on roofs steeper than 26°. - Owner-builder permit: Needed if you build it yourself and the project is valued over $11,000 including GST. ## Farm shed kits URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/shed-kits/farm-shed-kits BWG Sheds supplies farm and machinery shed kits (open-bay, enclosed or mixed) sized to your machinery and engineered for your property. Note the Queensland rules before you plan to build one yourself: owner-builders can't build farm buildings, and a farm building valued over $27,500 must be built by a licensed contractor. For larger farm sheds, our supply-and-install service covers that. In the kit: 1. Steel frame: Columns, rafters and bracing, pre-punched for bolt-together assembly 2. Purlins and girts: The roof and wall members the cladding fixes to 3. Roof and wall cladding: In your chosen profile and colours 4. Flashings and cappings: Ridge, corner, barge and opening flashings 5. Open bays and roller doors: In the layout you've chosen 6. Fixings: Bolts and screws for the frame and cladding 7. Engineering documentation: For your site, ready for the approval application 8. Assembly plans: Step-by-step plans for the build You organise: - Approval: Building approval before work starts, unless the shed is exempt. We can prepare the documents if you'd like help. - Slab or footings: Built to the kit's engineering and your site's soil classification. - Site access and unloading: A clear, firm track for the delivery truck and a way to unload the bundles. - Crew, tools and lifting: At least two capable people, plus lifting equipment for the frames. - Safe work at height: Fall protection above 3 m on housing construction (2 m on other construction) and on roofs steeper than 26°. - Who builds it: Farm buildings valued over $27,500 need a licensed contractor; owner-builder permits don't cover farm buildings. ## Workshop and backyard shed kits URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/shed-kits/workshop-shed-kits BWG Sheds supplies steel workshop and backyard shed kits for homes and acreage, sized to the work you'll do and the space on your block. Each kit is engineered for your site and delivered in our Queensland service areas with assembly plans and phone support. Add windows, skylights, insulation and a personal access door as you need them. In the kit: 1. Steel frame: Columns, rafters and bracing, pre-punched for bolt-together assembly 2. Purlins and girts: The roof and wall members the cladding fixes to 3. Roof and wall cladding: In your chosen profile and colours 4. Flashings and cappings: Ridge, corner, barge and opening flashings 5. Doors, windows and skylights: The roller door, personal access door and light options you choose 6. Insulation or anticondensation layer: If selected 7. Fixings: Bolts and screws for the frame and cladding 8. Engineering documentation: For your site, ready for the approval application 9. Assembly plans: Step-by-step plans for the build You organise: - Approval: Building approval before work starts, unless the shed is exempt. We can prepare the documents if you'd like help. - Slab or footings: Built to the kit's engineering and your site's soil classification. - Site access and unloading: A clear, firm track for the delivery truck and a way to unload the bundles. - Crew, tools and lifting: At least two capable people, plus lifting equipment for the frames. - Safe work at height: Fall protection above 3 m on housing construction (2 m on other construction) and on roofs steeper than 26°. - Owner-builder permit: Needed if you build it yourself and the project is valued over $11,000 including GST. ## Toowoomba & Darling Downs URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs Yes. BWG Sheds services Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, including Highfields, Oakey, Crows Nest, Pittsworth, Clifton, Millmerran, Dalby, Jandowae and Warwick, for farm and machinery sheds, hay sheds, workshops, garages and DIY steel shed kits, with help on council and building approval. Three councils cover this part of the Downs: Toowoomba Regional, Western Downs (Dalby, Jandowae) and Southern Downs (Warwick). Their shed rules are not interchangeable. Toowoomba lets a genuine farm shed on rural land skip a building application if it sits more than 200 m from every boundary and serves an on-site rural use; Western Downs warns that a domestic shed can need a Material Change of Use approval as well as building approval. Acreage blocks around Toowoomba bring their own limit. In the Rural Residential Zone, once the combined floor area of every shed on the lot passes 10% of the land area, extra planning-scheme requirements apply. On a 4,000 m² block that line is 400 m², which a big workshop plus an existing garage can reach sooner than people expect. Flood and bushfire mapping matters more here than the altitude suggests. Toowoomba's planning scheme carries bushfire, flood and landslide overlays, and a bushfire-overlay property may need a bushfire management plan and water storage on site. Dalby and Warwick both sit on rivers with recorded major floods, so we check the council mapping before a shed position is fixed. The Downs is inland and non-cyclonic: Geoscience Australia's wind-region data puts Toowoomba, Dalby and Warwick in Region B1. The design wind speed for your shed still depends on terrain, shielding and topography, which on an exposed ridge near Crows Nest or Highfields can be very different from a sheltered gully. Local facts: - On rural land, a farm shed used with an on-site rural use (machinery, hay, produce grown on the property) can be accepted development with no building application if it is more than 200 m from every boundary of the lot. (https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Zoning-subdivision-and-heritage/Zoning-and-land-use-approvals/Building-in-the-Toowoomba-Region) - In the Rural Residential Zone, extra planning-scheme requirements apply once the total floor area of all sheds on the lot exceeds 10% of the land area (for example 400 m² on a 4,000 m² block). (https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Zoning-subdivision-and-heritage/Zoning-and-land-use-approvals/Building-in-the-Toowoomba-Region) - Council names bushfire, flood and landslide overlays; a property in the bushfire overlay may need a bushfire management plan and on-site water storage. (https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Zoning-subdivision-and-heritage/Zoning-and-land-use-approvals/Building-in-the-Toowoomba-Region) - Western Downs Regional Council's shed fact sheet says a shed may need a building approval, a plumbing compliance permit and a Material Change of Use (planning) approval for a domestic outbuilding. (https://www.wdrc.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/business-amp-development/development/building/building-approval-process/building-fact-sheet-sheds-garages-carports-class-10a-structures-v1.pdf) - Southern Downs Regional Council publishes building information sheets including 'Building Application requirements – Class 10a (Garages, Sheds, Carports)' and 'Reclassify Class 10a to Class 1a (Shed to a Dwelling)'. (https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/doing-business/planning-development/building/building-info-sheets) - The Bureau of Meteorology's Toowoomba Airport station records mean annual rainfall of 737.2 mm and a mean January maximum of 28.4 °C (1996–2026). (https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_041529.shtml) - The Bureau of Meteorology's Dalby Airport station records mean annual rainfall of 599.1 mm and a mean January maximum of 32.7 °C (1992–2026). (https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_041522.shtml) Q: Do I need approval for a farm shed near Toowoomba? A: Often not a building application, if the shed is on rural land, used for an on-site rural use such as machinery, hay or produce grown on the property, and is more than 200 m from every lot boundary. Closer to a boundary, or on a rural-residential block, it needs building approval and may need planning approval. We check your lot before quoting. Q: My block is in the Rural Residential Zone. How big can my shed be? A: Toowoomba Regional Council applies extra planning-scheme requirements once all the sheds on the lot together exceed 10% of the land area. That does not mean a bigger shed is refused, only that it is assessed. Tell us the lot size and what is already built and we will work out where you sit. Q: Does BWG Sheds deliver kits to Dalby, Jandowae and Millmerran? A: Yes. These towns are in our Darling Downs service area. Delivery is quoted to your site address, because access, road type and unloading all affect the delivery. ## Lockyer Valley & Somerset URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset Yes. BWG Sheds services the Lockyer Valley and Somerset, including Gatton, Laidley, Esk and Kilcoy, for farm and machinery sheds, packing and storage sheds, workshops, garages and DIY steel shed kits, and helps with the council and building approval paperwork. The valley floor is some of the most productive farmland in the state and also some of the most flood-prone. Lockyer Valley Regional Council regulates building in flood-prone areas through a Temporary Local Planning Instrument adopted with its 2024 planning scheme while updated flood mapping is finished, and in April 2026 it adopted a new design-rainfall approach for its flood modelling. That makes Council's free Flood Information Portal the first stop for any shed on the flats. It produces a property report of flood depth, velocity, hazard and intensity that can be used in a planning or building application. We use it to decide where on the property a shed should go, and whether the floor level or footings need to change. Somerset is different country: Esk and Kilcoy sit in the Brisbane Valley, and Somerset Regional Council states plainly that a building permit is needed before a building is erected, moved or altered. Council accepts applications from private certifiers and encourages their use. Both councils are inland Region B1 on Geoscience Australia's wind-region data. On hill blocks towards the Great Dividing Range or the D'Aguilar Range, the site's exposure still drives the engineering. Local facts: - Lockyer Valley Regional Council's free Flood Information Portal produces a property report (flood depth, velocity, hazard and intensity) that can supply the flood parameters a planning or building application needs. (https://www.lockyervalley.qld.gov.au/our-services/strategic-planning/flood-information-new) - Council adopted its Planning Scheme with a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI/2024) in July 2024 while updated flood mapping is completed. (https://www.lockyervalley.qld.gov.au/our-services/strategic-planning/lockyer-valley-planning-scheme-2/planning-scheme-amendments) - On 15 April 2026 Lockyer Valley Regional Council adopted a new design-rainfall approach for flood modelling, using the higher of the LIMB2020 and QRA2025 datasets. (https://www.lockyervalley.qld.gov.au/our-services/strategic-planning/flood-information-new) - Somerset Regional Council states that a development permit for building work must be obtained before erecting, moving, altering or adding to a building. (https://www.somerset.qld.gov.au/Our-Services/Infrastructure/Building) - Building permits in Somerset can come from a private building certifier or Council, and Council encourages the use of private certifiers; applications can be lodged at the Esk, Kilcoy or Lowood centres. (https://www.somerset.qld.gov.au/Our-Services/Infrastructure/Building) - The Bureau of Meteorology's University of Queensland Gatton station records mean annual rainfall of 759.4 mm and a mean January maximum of 31.7 °C (1897–2026). (https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040082.shtml) Q: Do you have an office in the Lockyer Valley? A: Yes. Our branch office is at 2 Harm Drive, Crowley Vale QLD 4342, in the Lockyer Valley, and our head office is at 258 Rochedale Road, Rochedale. Please call before visiting. Most projects start with a phone call on 07 5466 5858 or a quote request. Q: My Lockyer Valley property is flood mapped. Can I still build a shed? A: Usually yes, but the position, floor level and footings may need to respond to the flood data. Council's Flood Information Portal gives a property report we can use for the design and the application. Some flood-affected sites also need planning approval. Q: Who approves a shed in Esk or Kilcoy? A: A building certifier issues the building approval; Somerset Regional Council also offers certification and encourages private certifiers. Where the planning scheme or an overlay is triggered, Council assesses that part. We prepare the documents your certifier needs. ## Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan & Redlands URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan Yes. BWG Sheds services Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan (including Beenleigh and Jimboomba) and Redland Bay for garages, backyard and residential sheds, workshops, carports and DIY steel shed kits, with the siting, overlay and approval work that suburban blocks need. On a suburban lot the questions are siting and neighbours. Brisbane's City Plan has its own small-lot code that prevails over the Queensland Development Code on lots under 450 m², and a certifier can ask Council for alternative provisions such as a reduced boundary setback through a referral. In rural, residential and character areas, Brisbane can also apply an amenity and aesthetics referral to Class 10 buildings. Each council runs approvals differently. Logan and Redland do not certify building work at all; a private certifier does. Ipswich will certify, and its rules catch a detail people miss: a shed attached to another building or structure needs building approval even when it is small. Flood mapping is published property by property. Brisbane's FloodWise report, Ipswich's OV12 flood risk and overland flow overlay and Logan's updated risk-based flood mapping all inform where a garage or shed can sit and how high the slab should be. Redland Bay sits on Moreton Bay, which BlueScope classes as 'exposed' salt water. For garages close to the water the cladding and fastener choice should match that exposure. Local facts: - Brisbane City Plan's Dwelling house (small lot) code prevails over the Queensland Development Code on lots under 450 m². (https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/getting-started-on-your-project/residential-projects/building-near-the-boundary) - Brisbane's amenity and aesthetics referral can apply to Class 10 building work in rural, rural residential, environmental management and residential zones, the Traditional building character overlay and neighbourhood plan areas. (https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/council-as-a-referral-agency-building-work-referrals-for-dwelling-houses.pdf) - Ipswich City Council requires building approval where a shed's plan area is over 10 m², it is over 2.4 m high or 2.1 m mean height, any side is over 5 m, or it is attached to another building or structure. (https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/Services/Planning-and-Building/Building/Frequently-Asked-Questions) - Logan City Council does not provide building certification; building approval must come from a private building certifier. (https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-and-building/documents/building_approval_requirements__domestic_.pdf) - Redland City Council no longer assesses building applications; private certifiers do. (https://www.redland.qld.gov.au/Planning-building-and-development/What-approvals-do-I-need/Queensland-Development-Code) - A shed on vacant land (no house) may be an 'undefined use' or 'warehouse', which in a residential zone is impact assessable and generally not preferred. (https://www.redland.qld.gov.au/Planning-building-and-development/What-approvals-do-I-need/Residential-projects/Structures/Sheds) - BlueScope's marine-environment bulletin (TB-35) classes Bribie Island, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast beaches as 'surf' exposure, and Redcliffe, Cleveland, Moreton Bay, The Broadwater and Hervey Bay as 'exposed' salt water, which changes which steel and fasteners suit a building near the coast. (https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-35) Q: Can I build a garage on the boundary in Brisbane? A: Sometimes. Under the Queensland Development Code a Class 10a building can sit within the side or rear clearance if it meets height and length limits, and on small lots Brisbane's own code applies instead. If your design falls outside those rules, the certifier can seek a referral from Council. We check this before drawings are finalised. Q: Does Logan City Council approve sheds? A: Logan does not provide building certification; a private certifier issues the building approval. Council says most sheds associated with a house are accepted development under its planning scheme, but flood conditions and a shed on a lot with no house can change that. Q: Can I put a shed on a vacant block in Redland Bay? A: Be careful. Redland City Council says a shed without a house may be an 'undefined use' or 'warehouse', which in a residential zone is impact assessable and generally not preferred. Talk to us before you order anything. ## Scenic Rim URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/scenic-rim Yes. BWG Sheds services the Scenic Rim, including Beaudesert, Tamborine Mountain, Canungra, Boonah and Rathdowney, for farm and hay sheds, horse and equipment sheds, garages, workshops and DIY steel shed kits, and helps with Scenic Rim approvals. Scenic Rim Regional Council separates domestic sheds from farm sheds by use. A Class 10a shed that belongs to a house is a domestic outbuilding; a shed used for farming falls under other use definitions such as cropping. Which one your shed is changes the planning rules, so the intended use needs to be stated honestly on the application. In the residential zones Council caps the combined floor area of domestic outbuildings by lot size: 55 m² on lots up to 600 m², 110 m² on 600 to 2,000 m², and 200 m² above 2,000 m², and never more than the floor area of the house. That is often the controlling number for a town block in Beaudesert or Canungra. Hill country around Tamborine Mountain and Canungra puts topography into the engineering. Wind speed on a ridge is higher than on flat land, and slope affects the slab and footings, so we price these sites from the actual address rather than from a standard kit. Scenic Rim runs a 'Flood Aware' service, and the Logan and Albert rivers and their creeks run through the district. We check flood information before the shed position is fixed. Local facts: - Scenic Rim's domestic shed fact sheet treats a Class 10a shed as a domestic outbuilding of a dwelling house, while farm and industrial sheds fall under other use definitions (for example cropping). (https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-and-permits/planning-schemes/planning-scheme-fact-sheets/domestic_shed__class_1a_structure__30june2023.pdf) - In Scenic Rim residential zones, domestic outbuildings have a combined floor-area limit of 55 m² (lots up to 600 m²), 110 m² (600–2,000 m²) or 200 m² (over 2,000 m²), and may not exceed the floor area of the house. (https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-and-permits/planning-schemes/planning-scheme-fact-sheets/dual_occupancy_30june2023.pdf) - Scenic Rim Regional Council runs a 'Scenic Rim Flood Aware' flood information service. (https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/Planning-and-Permits/Bromelton-State-Development-Area) - The Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020 commenced on 20 March 2020; the current version is dated 30 June 2023. (https://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/Planning-and-Permits/Planning-Schemes/Scenic-Rim-Planning-Scheme) - The Bureau of Meteorology's Beaudesert Drumley Street station records mean annual rainfall of 929.0 mm and a mean maximum temperature of 27.1 °C (2007–2026). (https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040983.shtml) Q: How big can a shed be on my Beaudesert house block? A: In Scenic Rim residential zones, all domestic outbuildings together are capped at 55 m², 110 m² or 200 m² depending on lot size, and cannot exceed the house's floor area. Larger sheds are possible but need assessment. Send us the lot size and we will confirm. Q: Is a hay or horse shed a 'farm shed' in the Scenic Rim? A: If it is used for farming on the property, Council treats it under farm use definitions rather than as a domestic outbuilding. A certifier also classifies it under the building rules. We describe the use accurately in the documents so the right rules are applied. Q: Do you supply sheds for sloping blocks on Tamborine Mountain? A: Yes. Slope and exposure affect the footings, slab and wind design, so these jobs are quoted from the site address, and sometimes from a site visit. ## Gold Coast URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast Yes. BWG Sheds services the Gold Coast, including Southport, Nerang, Coomera, Pimpama, Ormeau, Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta, for steel garages, carports, backyard sheds, workshops and DIY kits, with coastal steel selection and approval paperwork handled. The coast is the first thing that shapes a Gold Coast shed. BlueScope classes Gold Coast beaches as 'surf' exposure and The Broadwater as 'exposed' salt water, and its technical guidance sets different minimum distances from breaking surf for roofing and walling materials. A garage a street back from the beach and one in the hinterland at Nerang are not specified the same way. City of Gold Coast's no-approval rule for small garden sheds adds a condition the state summary leaves out: the shed must not be in the front or waterfront setback area. On a canal or beachfront lot, that setback often decides where anything can go. The city publishes flood depth mapping in City Plan with an approximate flood depth and defined flood level for each property. On low-lying land around Coomera and Pimpama we check it before setting the slab height. Geoscience Australia's wind-region data puts Southport and Coolangatta in Region B1, but exposure to onshore wind near the beach still raises the design wind speed. Local facts: - City of Gold Coast says a garden shed up to 2.4 m high (2.1 m mean), 10 m² and 5 m long needs no building approval provided it is not in the front or waterfront setback area. (https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Building-applications/Domestic-building-works/Do-your-building-works-need-approval) - City of Gold Coast publishes flood depth mapping in City Plan showing approximate flood depth and the defined flood level for each property, plus a city-wide flood risk awareness map. (https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Flood-maps) - BlueScope's marine-environment bulletin (TB-35) classes Bribie Island, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast beaches as 'surf' exposure, and Redcliffe, Cleveland, Moreton Bay, The Broadwater and Hervey Bay as 'exposed' salt water, which changes which steel and fasteners suit a building near the coast. (https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-35) - The Bureau of Meteorology's Coolangatta station records mean annual rainfall of 1,535.1 mm and a mean January maximum of 28.5 °C (1982–2026). (https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040717.shtml) - Pimpama railway station on the Gold Coast line opened on 20 October 2025. (https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/stations-routes/gold-coast-line/) Q: Which steel should I use for a garage near the beach on the Gold Coast? A: It depends on how far the building is from breaking surf. BlueScope publishes minimum distances for each product, and walls need more distance than roofs because rain washes them less. Tell us the address and we will specify cladding and fasteners to match. Q: Can I put a small shed in my front yard without approval? A: Not on the Gold Coast. The city's exemption for small garden sheds only applies when the shed is not in the front or waterfront setback area. Q: Do you service the northern Gold Coast estates? A: Yes: Coomera, Pimpama and Ormeau are in our service area. New estates can have their own covenants on sheds and garages as well as council rules, so check your contract of sale. ## Sunshine Coast & Noosa URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa Yes. BWG Sheds services the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, including Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Caloundra, Nambour, Maleny, Beerwah, Noosa Heads, Tewantin, Cooroy and Pomona, for garages, residential and farm sheds, workshops and DIY kits, with approval help for both councils. Sunshine Coast Council gives unusually specific numbers for residential sheds. To comply with the Dwelling House Code, a shed in a residential zone must not exceed 3.6 m in height or 56 m² of total floor area, and must be at least 6 m from the road frontage. Bigger or closer than that and Council assessment or a referral may be needed. On hinterland acreage around Maleny, Mapleton and Kenilworth, Council requires rural and rural-residential outbuildings to stay clear of overland flow paths and flood hazard areas. With rainfall well over 1,500 mm a year on parts of the coast and range, drainage is a design input, not an afterthought. Noosa Shire Council applies the Noosa Plan 2020, whose flood overlay maps land affected by a modelled 1% AEP flood for the year 2100, including storm tide. Along the Noosa River that can move a shed site. BlueScope classes Sunshine Coast beaches as 'surf' exposure. A garage in Coolum Beach or Mooloolaba needs cladding and fasteners chosen for salt; one in Pomona usually does not. Local facts: - In Sunshine Coast residential zones, a shed must not exceed 3.6 m in height or 56 m² total floor area, and must be set back at least 6 m from a road frontage, to comply with the Dwelling House Code; otherwise Council assessment or referral may be needed. (https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/development/building/sheds) - Sunshine Coast rural and rural-residential outbuildings must not interfere with overland flow paths or flood hazard areas. (https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/development/building/sheds) - Sunshine Coast Council lists adding roller doors or enclosing walls to a carport among work that needs building approval. (https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/development/building/what-needs-building-approval) - The Noosa Plan 2020 flood overlay maps land affected by a modelled 1% AEP flood for the year 2100, including storm tide. (https://www.noosa.qld.gov.au/Planning-and-Development/Flood-mapping) - BlueScope's marine-environment bulletin (TB-35) classes Bribie Island, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast beaches as 'surf' exposure, and Redcliffe, Cleveland, Moreton Bay, The Broadwater and Hervey Bay as 'exposed' salt water, which changes which steel and fasteners suit a building near the coast. (https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-35) - The Bureau of Meteorology's Sunshine Coast Airport station records mean annual rainfall of 1,492.6 mm (1994–2026). (https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040861.shtml) Q: What size shed can I build on a Sunshine Coast house block? A: To comply with Sunshine Coast Council's Dwelling House Code, a shed in a residential zone should be no more than 3.6 m high and 56 m² in total floor area, set back at least 6 m from the road. Larger sheds are not ruled out, but need assessment or a referral. Q: Does adding a roller door to my carport need approval? A: On the Sunshine Coast, yes: Council lists adding roller doors or enclosing walls to a carport as work that needs building approval. Q: Do you cover the Noosa hinterland? A: Yes. Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran and Tewantin are all in our service area, alongside Noosa Heads. ## Moreton Bay URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/moreton-bay Yes. BWG Sheds services Moreton Bay, including Caboolture, Morayfield, Woodford and Bribie Island (Bongaree), for garages, residential sheds, workshops, acreage and farm sheds, and DIY steel kits, with City of Moreton Bay approval paperwork handled. City of Moreton Bay sets hard numbers for domestic outbuildings in its General Residential and Emerging Community zones: no higher than 4 m, a mean height of no more than 3.5 m, and at least 5.4 m back from the front boundary and behind the main building line. Side and rear setbacks follow the Queensland Development Code. Flooding is a recurring event on the Caboolture River and its creeks, with major floods recorded in several recent years. Council's free Flood Check property report covers river, creek, storm tide, tidal and overland-flow flooding, which is the right starting point for any shed on low ground. Growth west of Caboolture and Morayfield is planned at scale through the Waraba Priority Development Area. New estates can carry their own rules on sheds and garages on top of Council's. Bribie Island's beaches are 'surf' exposure in BlueScope's marine classification, so island garages are specified for salt. Local facts: - City of Moreton Bay defines a domestic outbuilding as a non-habitable Class 10a shed, garage or carport ancillary to a residential use on the same premises. (https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Building-Development/Planning-Schemes/MBRC/Info-Sheets/Domestic-Outbuildings) - In Moreton Bay's General Residential and Emerging Community zones, a domestic outbuilding is limited to 4 m in height with a mean height of no more than 3.5 m, and sits at least 5.4 m from the front boundary and behind the main building line. (https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Building-Development/Planning-Schemes/MBRC/Info-Sheets/Domestic-Outbuildings) - City of Moreton Bay offers free Flood Check property reports covering river, creek, storm tide, tidal and overland-flow flooding. (https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Property-Ownership/Flooding/Flood-Check) - The Waraba Priority Development Area (about 2,900 ha, west of Caboolture and Morayfield) was declared on 2 August 2024 for around 25,000 homes. (https://www.edq.qld.gov.au/projects/waraba) - BlueScope's marine-environment bulletin (TB-35) classes Bribie Island, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast beaches as 'surf' exposure, and Redcliffe, Cleveland, Moreton Bay, The Broadwater and Hervey Bay as 'exposed' salt water, which changes which steel and fasteners suit a building near the coast. (https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-35) Q: How high can a shed be in a Moreton Bay residential zone? A: In the General Residential and Emerging Community zones, a domestic outbuilding is limited to 4 m in height with a mean height of 3.5 m or less, and must sit behind the main building line at least 5.4 m from the front boundary. Q: How do I check flooding before building a shed in Caboolture? A: Order a free Flood Check property report from City of Moreton Bay. It covers river, creek, storm tide, tidal and overland-flow flooding. We use it when choosing the shed position and slab level. Q: Do you supply sheds on Bribie Island? A: Yes. Bribie Island is in our service area. Its beaches are classed as surf exposure, so we specify coastal-grade materials where the site needs them. ## Gympie & Cooloola URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gympie-cooloola Yes. BWG Sheds services the Gympie region, including Gympie, Kilkivan, Tin Can Bay, Cooloola Cove and Rainbow Beach, for farm and machinery sheds, garages, workshops and DIY steel kits, and prepares the documents Gympie Regional Council's process asks for. Gympie Regional Council is direct about it: most buildings and structures need building approval. Its process starts with a step other councils do not publish in the same way, confirming the shed complies with Council's adopted Amenity and Aesthetics Resolution, and Council publishes a Class 10 structures checklist. Council has also declared a flood hazard area for building assessment. The Mary River at Gympie reached 22.96 m in February 2022, the second-highest peak on record, so a shed near the river or its creeks is positioned from the flood data first. A shed stays a shed. Council notes that Class 10a buildings are non-habitable and cannot be used for residential purposes without approval, which matters for anyone planning a 'shed home' on a rural block. Gympie is Region B1 on Geoscience Australia's wind data. The Cooloola coast is exposed to onshore wind and salt, which changes the material specification. Local facts: - Gympie Regional Council says most buildings and structures need building approval, and the first step in its process is confirming the shed complies with Council's adopted Amenity and Aesthetics Resolution; it also publishes a Class 10 structures checklist. (https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/Development/Building/Sheds-carports-decks-and-patios) - Gympie Regional Council notes that a Class 10a building (garage, carport, shed or shipping container) is non-habitable and cannot be used for residential purposes without approval. (https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/Services/Housing-Property-Matters/Neighbourhood-Concerns-Disputes/Establishment-or-Occupation-of-a-Temporary-Home-Approval) - Gympie Regional Council has declared a flood hazard area for building assessment. (https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/Development/Building/Flood-Information-for-New-Building-Work) - The Mary River at Gympie reached 22.96 m on 27 February 2022, the second-highest flood peak recorded in the town after 25.45 m in February 1893. (https://www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood/brochures/mary/mary.shtml) - The 26 km Bruce Highway Gympie Bypass opened to traffic on 16 October 2024. (https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/bruce-highway-cooroy-to-curra/bruce-highway-cooroy-to-curra-section-d) Q: What is Gympie's Amenity and Aesthetics Resolution? A: It is a Council resolution that sets amenity and appearance requirements for certain Class 10 buildings. Council's shed process starts with confirming your shed complies with it. We check the design against it before the building application goes in. Q: Can I live in a shed on my Gympie property? A: Not without approval. Gympie Regional Council notes that a Class 10a shed is non-habitable. Converting a shed to a dwelling is a separate approval, and is outside the scope of a standard shed kit. Q: Do you deliver to Rainbow Beach and Tin Can Bay? A: Yes, both are in our service area. Delivery is quoted to the site address. ## Hervey Bay & Wide Bay URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/hervey-bay-wide-bay Yes. BWG Sheds services Hervey Bay and the Wide Bay, including Maryborough, Tiaro, Howard, Burrum Heads, Toogoom, Torbanlea, Childers, Woodgate and Biggenden, for farm sheds, garages, workshops and DIY steel kits, with approval help for Fraser Coast, Bundaberg and North Burnett councils. This is where the wind map changes. Geoscience Australia's wind-region data puts Hervey Bay, Maryborough and Childers in non-cyclonic Region B1, and Bundaberg in cyclonic Region C, so the B1/C boundary runs between Childers and Bundaberg. Sites near that line, such as Woodgate, need the engineer to confirm the region from the Standard itself. Childers and Woodgate are in Bundaberg Regional Council, which says a shed used mainly for farming should in most cases be approved as a Class 7 or 8 farm building under QDC MP 3.7, and only rarely as Class 10. That changes the fire, access and structural rules the certifier applies. Fraser Coast Regional Council publishes flood height prediction and storm surge mapping; the Mary River at Maryborough drains a catchment of over 7,000 km². Maryborough's heritage streets also sit under a Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay. Hervey Bay's water is 'exposed' salt water in BlueScope's classification, which counts for a garage on the Esplanade side of town. Local facts: - Geoscience Australia's interpretation of the AS/NZS 1170.2:2021 wind-region map places Gladstone and Agnes Water in Region C (cyclonic), while Hervey Bay and Childers are in Region B1. The dataset is indicative only; the engineer confirms the site's design wind speed. (https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/1170-2-wind-regions-for-australia) - Bundaberg's farm buildings fact sheet says a shed used primarily for farming should in most cases be approved as a Class 7 or 8 building under QDC MP 3.7, and only rarely as Class 10. (https://www.bundaberg.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-building/documents/development_guidance_factsheet___farm_buildings.pdf) - Bundaberg Regional Council says a shed that meets all applicable requirements needs only a building approval from a private certifier; if it does not, Council assesses it through a concurrence agency referral. (https://www.bundaberg.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-building/documents/development_guidance_factsheet___sheds_and_carports.pdf) - Fraser Coast Regional Council publishes online flood height prediction and storm surge evacuation mapping. (https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/Services/Disasters-and-emergencies/Disasters-know-your-risk/Flood) - Fraser Coast planning rules recognise Maryborough's neighbourhood character through the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay. (https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-and-Building/Heritage-and-Character) - The Bureau of Meteorology's Hervey Bay Airport station records mean annual rainfall of 1,050.7 mm (1999–2026). (https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_040405.shtml) Q: Is Hervey Bay in a cyclone wind region? A: Geoscience Australia's wind-region data places Hervey Bay and Maryborough in Region B1, not the cyclonic Region C, which starts further north around Bundaberg. The dataset is indicative, so the engineer confirms the region and design wind speed for your site. Q: How is a farm shed in Childers classified? A: Bundaberg Regional Council says a shed used primarily for farming should in most cases be a Class 7 or 8 building under QDC MP 3.7. Your certifier makes the call; we describe the use and size accurately so the classification is right first time. Q: Do you service Biggenden and Tiaro? A: Yes. Both are in our Wide Bay service area, along with Howard, Torbanlea, Burrum Heads and Toogoom. ## Gladstone Region URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone Yes. BWG Sheds services the Gladstone region, including Tannum Sands, Boyne Island, Calliope, Benaraby, Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy, Miriam Vale, Mount Larcom, Yarwun and Mount Morgan, for cyclonic-rated garages, sheds, workshops, farm sheds and DIY kits, with approval help. Gladstone is in cyclonic Wind Region C. Queensland Government cyclone guidance says coastal areas north of Bundaberg are Region C, and Geoscience Australia's wind data puts Gladstone and Agnes Water there. Sheds are engineered to the cyclonic classes (C1 to C4), and doors, windows and fixings have to be rated to match. Region C also removes the small-shed shortcut. The Building Regulation exemption for sheds of 10 m² or less does not apply in Wind Region C, so in Gladstone even a small garden shed needs building approval. The coast adds a second layer. Gladstone Regional Council's 'Our Coast Our Future' strategy plans for coastal erosion and seawater inundation to 2100, a Coastal Hazard Overlay Code amendment is scheduled for 2027, and Council is preparing a Flood Hazard Overlay Code amendment to its planning scheme. Some towns in this service area sit outside Gladstone Regional Council: Rosedale is in Bundaberg Regional Council and Mount Morgan in Rockhampton Regional Council, so the approval route follows the council, not the postcode. Local facts: - Queensland Government (QRA) cyclone guidance states that coastal areas north of Bundaberg are Wind Region C, where the cyclonic wind classes C1 to C4 apply. (https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-12/0321%20Cyclone%20Resilient%20Building%20Guidance%20for%20Qld%20Homes%20FINAL.pdf) - The Building Regulation 2021 exemption for small sheds (10 m² or less, 2.4 m high or less) does not apply in Wind Region C, the tropical cyclone area, so even a small garden shed there needs building approval. (https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126) - Geoscience Australia's interpretation of the AS/NZS 1170.2:2021 wind-region map places Gladstone and Agnes Water in Region C (cyclonic), while Hervey Bay and Childers are in Region B1. The dataset is indicative only; the engineer confirms the site's design wind speed. (https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/1170-2-wind-regions-for-australia) - Gladstone Regional Council's 'Our Coast Our Future' coastal hazard adaptation strategy plans for coastal erosion and seawater inundation to 2100, with a Coastal Hazard Overlay Code amendment scheduled for 2027. (https://conversations.gladstone.qld.gov.au/coastal-hazard-overlay-code) - Gladstone Regional Council is preparing a Flood Hazard Overlay Code major amendment to its 'Our Place Our Plan' planning scheme. (https://conversations.gladstone.qld.gov.au/projects) - Rockhampton Regional Council's siting fact sheet says the side and rear setback is typically 1.5 m, but a Class 10a shed or carport can be closer where the total length of buildings within the setback is 9 m or less and it is no higher than 4.5 m. (https://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/communities/planning-building-plumbing/fact-sheets/new-folder/fact-sheet-siting-requirements.pdf) Q: Do I need approval for a small shed in Gladstone? A: Yes. The Building Regulation 2021 exemption for small sheds does not apply in Wind Region C, and Gladstone is in Region C, so even a small garden shed needs building approval here. Q: What does a cyclone rating mean for my shed? A: In Region C the shed is designed to a cyclonic wind class (C1 to C4) for its site. That affects the frame, the fixings, the door and window ratings and the footings. Every shed we supply for the region is engineered for its address. Q: Who approves a shed in Mount Morgan or Rosedale? A: Mount Morgan is in Rockhampton Regional Council and Rosedale in Bundaberg Regional Council, so their planning rules apply there. A building certifier issues the building approval in both cases. ## Sheds in Toowoomba URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/toowoomba Toowoomba sits on the crest of the Great Dividing Range, and a shed here has to cope with Range weather, city lots on one side of town and acreage on the other. East Creek and West Creek run through the city, and after the January 2011 flash flood Council's Gowrie Creek flood study found East Creek road crossings flood with a 10 to 20% or greater chance each year. Council later finished $25 million of detention basins and channel works. For a shed, the practical step is Council's flood risk portal: look up the lot's flood risk level before choosing where the slab goes. Where the flood overlay applies, Toowoomba's planning scheme sets floor levels above the defined flood event (300 mm in FR1 areas, 500 mm in FR2 to FR4). A Class 10 shed is treated differently from a house, so we confirm with the certifier what applies to your building. At around 640 to 690 m elevation, Toowoomba is cooler and often windier than the coast. Open-bay sheds on the western and northern edges of the city face long exposed fetches, which the engineer accounts for in the site wind speed. Q: Where do I check flood risk for a shed site in Toowoomba? A: Toowoomba Regional Council's flood risk portal shows a property's flood risk level. If the lot is in the flood overlay, the planning scheme ties floor levels to the defined flood event, and we design the slab and position around that. Q: Do you build sheds inside Toowoomba city or only on acreage? A: Both. City lots usually mean garages, backyard sheds and workshops sited to the boundary rules; acreage on the fringes means bigger farm and machinery sheds, where Council's rural-zone setbacks apply instead. ## Sheds in Highfields URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/highfields Highfields is a plateau town about 12 km north of Toowoomba, made up mostly of large family homes on generous blocks, which is exactly where garages and workshops get built. In the 2021 Census, 96.2% of Highfields dwellings were separate houses and 74.3% had four or more bedrooms, almost double the Queensland figure. More bedrooms usually means more cars, trailers and gear, and a double garage is often the first shed a Highfields owner asks about. Council expects 11,000 to 12,800 more people in the Highfields Future Growth Area by 2051, with residential expansion directed to the north and north-west of the town centre under the Highfields, Meringandan and Meringandan West Local Plan. Council also adopted a Central Highfields Masterplan in November 2025. Newer estates can carry their own covenants on outbuildings, so check your contract before ordering. Being up on the Range, Highfields blocks can be more exposed than those in town. The terrain and shielding around your lot feed into the shed's design wind speed. Q: What size garage suits a Highfields family home? A: For two cars, the Queensland Housing Code's minimum double garage is 5.5 m wide by 6 m deep, but most families want more for storage, a trailer or a workbench. We size it around what you will actually park and store. Q: Do Highfields estates have extra shed rules? A: Some do. Developer covenants in newer estates can restrict shed size, colour or position on top of Council's rules. Send us the relevant page of your contract and we will design to it. ## Sheds in Gatton URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset/gatton Gatton is the heart of the Lockyer Valley's farming country and a short drive from our Crowley Vale branch office. Lockyer Creek has shaped Gatton since settlement: Council still records the 15 February 1893 peak of 16.33 m on the railway-bridge gauge as the town's highest flood. For a farm or machinery shed on the flats, Council's Flood Information Portal report on depth, velocity and hazard is the first document we look at. Summers are hot, with a mean maximum of 27.0 °C at the UQ Gatton station over a 127-year record. Roof insulation, whirlybirds or ridge ventilation and the orientation of open bays make a real difference to a shed people work in. Gatton is a working town of mostly separate houses (83.1% in 2021) on bigger lots, so the enquiries we see range from backyard garages to packing and machinery sheds on surrounding farms. Q: Is BWG Sheds local to Gatton? A: Yes. Our branch office is at Crowley Vale, a few minutes from Gatton. Call us to arrange a site visit in the valley. Q: Can a shed on Lockyer Creek flood-mapped land be approved? A: Often, with the right position, slab height and footings. The Council flood report gives the numbers the design and application need; some sites also need planning approval, which we help prepare. ## Sheds in Laidley URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset/laidley Laidley is an older, settled Lockyer Valley town of houses on decent-sized blocks, with farmland starting at the edge of town. Laidley Creek floods hard. In February 1959, during Cyclone Connie, the town had its worst recorded flood to that date, with about a metre of water in some streets and the creek 2 km wide; in January 1974 the upper Laidley Creek system took the heaviest rain of ex-Cyclone Wanda, 503.6 mm at the post office. Shed sites near the creek are chosen from the flood data, not guessed. The 2021 Census counted 3,809 people and no flats or apartments at all among Laidley's occupied dwellings. That profile, with a median age of 48, brings a steady mix of garage, workshop and hobby-shed enquiries alongside farm work. Q: How close is BWG Sheds to Laidley? A: Laidley is in the Lockyer Valley, the same council area as our Crowley Vale branch office, so it is one of our closest service towns. Q: Does Laidley Creek flooding affect a backyard shed? A: It can, depending on where your lot sits. Lockyer Valley Regional Council's Flood Information Portal gives a property report; if the lot is affected we set the shed position and floor level from it. ## Sheds in Warwick URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/warwick Warwick is the Southern Downs' main town, on the Condamine River at about 475 m, with rural country on every side. The Condamine's highest recorded flood at Warwick was 9.10 m on the McCahon Bridge gauge in February 1976, damaging over 100 homes, and the river reached 7.56 m as recently as May 2022. Southern Downs Regional Council is running flood studies for the Condamine and Dalrymple and Canal creeks, so current mapping should be checked for any site near them. Warwick is drier than the coast, with mean annual rainfall of 674.8 mm, and winters are cold for Queensland. Farm and hay sheds here are often about keeping machinery and fodder dry and secure rather than about shade. Southern Downs Regional Council publishes a Class 10a building application information sheet for garages, sheds and carports, and a separate sheet for reclassifying a shed as a dwelling, which is a different and much larger approval. Q: Can I turn a shed in Warwick into a house later? A: Only with a separate approval to reclassify it from Class 10a to Class 1a, which Southern Downs Regional Council covers in its own information sheet. The structure, fire, energy and plumbing rules for a dwelling are far stricter, so plan for it from the start or not at all. Q: Is Warwick in your service area? A: Yes, as part of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. ## Sheds in Dalby URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/dalby Dalby is the service town for the Western Downs grain and cotton belt, and farm and machinery sheds are what most Dalby enquiries are about. It is hot and dry: the Dalby Airport station records 599.1 mm of rain a year and a mean maximum of 27.0 °C. Big open-bay machinery sheds and hay sheds, oriented to keep the western sun and the prevailing weather out of the bays, suit the district. Myall Creek's highest flood at Dalby, 4.50 m on the Patrick Street gauge in February 1981, inundated some 700 homes and 140 businesses, and the creek hit 3.6 m in March 2022. Western Downs Regional Council's self-service Planning Property Report gives site-specific flood information before you commit to a position. Most of the town is separate houses (91.1% in 2021), and Western Downs Council notes a domestic shed may need a Material Change of Use approval as well as building approval, so we check both. Q: Does a shed in Dalby need planning approval? A: It can. Western Downs Regional Council says a domestic outbuilding may need a Material Change of Use approval as well as building approval. A farm shed on rural land well away from boundaries may be treated differently. We check your lot's zoning first. Q: Do you treat shipping containers like sheds in Dalby? A: Western Downs Council does: a container counts as a Class 10a structure however long it stays, and needs building approval before it arrives. That is worth knowing if you are comparing a container with a small kit shed. ## Sheds in Ipswich URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/ipswich Ipswich combines old Queenslander streets, big new estates at Ripley and semi-rural blocks on the western fringe. The Bremer River defines flood risk in Ipswich: the Bureau of Meteorology estimates over 7,000 properties are affected once the river exceeds 19.25 m at David Trumpy Bridge, a level it passed in 1893, 1974 and January 2011. Ipswich City Plan 2025 maps flood risk and overland flow in overlay OV12, and Council's historical mapping tool shows the 1974, 2011 and 2022 extents. Growth is concentrated in the Ripley Valley Priority Development Area, planned for about 48,750 dwellings. New estates like these usually come with builder covenants and tight lots, which is where a garage sized exactly to the boundary rules matters. Ipswich City Council's own building rules add one trigger: any shed attached to another building or structure needs approval, whatever its size. Q: Does a lean-to attached to my Ipswich house need approval? A: Yes. Ipswich City Council requires building approval for a shed that is attached to another building or structure, even if it is small. Q: Can Ipswich City Council approve my shed, or do I need a private certifier? A: Either. Council has its own Building Certification team, and private certifiers also work in Ipswich. We prepare the documents for whichever you use. ## Sheds in Brisbane URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/brisbane Brisbane is a city of detached houses on tight lots, character streets and flood-mapped suburbs, and every garage or shed has to fit all three. About 71% of occupied dwellings in the Brisbane urban centre were separate houses in 2021. On those lots the boundary rules decide the design: Brisbane's small-lot code applies under 450 m², and in character areas the amenity and aesthetics referral can apply to Class 10 buildings. Flooding is property-specific. The 1974 flood reached 5.45 m on the City gauge, the 2011 flood 4.46 m, and in February 2022 flash flooding hit the northern suburbs with a record 344.8 mm in a day at Alderley. Council's FloodWise Property Report is the document to pull before a slab level is set. Brisbane averages over 1,000 mm of rain a year, so gutters, downpipes and where the stormwater goes are part of a garage design, not extras. Q: Do I need approval for a garage in Brisbane? A: A garage or shed over 10 m² needs building approval from a certifier. Brisbane City Council says sheds are generally accepted development for planning, subject to requirements in residential zones, and character or neighbourhood plan areas can trigger a referral. Q: Where do I find flood levels for my Brisbane property? A: Brisbane City Council's FloodWise Property Report. We use it to set the garage floor level and to check whether the position needs to change. ## Sheds in Logan & Beenleigh URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/logan-beenleigh Logan runs from established suburbs around Beenleigh to acreage and new communities in the south, all under one council with its own flood rules. In March 2017 ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie gave Beenleigh its highest flood since 1887 on the Albert River. Logan's updated risk-based flood mapping and policy took effect on 6 March 2025, and Council's standard conditions for domestic outbuildings include flood-level conditions, so the flood check comes first. Beenleigh itself is changing: the station is to move about 650 m north, away from flood-prone land, as part of Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail. Further south, Yarrabilba is planned for up to 20,000 dwellings, and new-estate covenants often shape garage and shed design there. Logan City Council does not certify building work, so every shed that needs building approval goes through a private certifier. We prepare the documents they need. Q: Who gives building approval for a shed in Logan? A: A private building certifier. Logan City Council does not provide certification. Council says most sheds associated with a house are accepted development under its planning scheme, with flood conditions where they apply. Q: Can I put a shed on a Logan lot before the house is built? A: Council's standard conditions include one specifically for a shed on a site with no existing house, so it is possible but conditioned. Talk to us before ordering. ## Sheds in Redland Bay URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/redland-bay Redland Bay is a growing bayside suburb of large family homes, looking out over Moreton Bay's islands. In 2021, 94.3% of Redland Bay dwellings were separate houses and 68% had four or more bedrooms, and the population grew from 14,958 to 17,056 in five years. That is double-garage and workshop territory. The bay changes the materials. BlueScope classes Moreton Bay as 'exposed' salt water, and its guidance sets separate minimum distances for roofing and walling products, so a garage near the foreshore is specified differently from one inland. Redland City Council does not assess building applications, so approval goes through a private certifier. Planning approval is generally not needed where a house exists, but a coastal protection, heritage or flood and storm tide overlay can trigger it. Q: Does a garage near the water in Redland Bay need special steel? A: Often. BlueScope classes Moreton Bay as exposed salt water. We specify cladding and fasteners from BlueScope's distance guidance for your address, rather than one product for every site. Q: Will my Redland Bay shed need planning approval? A: Usually not where a house already exists, but Redland City Council says overlays such as coastal protection, heritage or flood and storm tide can trigger it. A shed on vacant land is treated very differently. ## Sheds in Beaudesert URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/scenic-rim/beaudesert Beaudesert is the Scenic Rim's main town, a rural service centre with farms, horse properties and the Bromelton industrial area on its doorstep. The Beaudesert Town Centre Bypass took heavy vehicles off the main street in 2017, and the Bromelton State Development Area about 6 km west is set aside for large-lot, rail-connected industry. For shed owners, the practical effect is good heavy-vehicle access for kit delivery on the main routes; farm tracks still need checking. Rainfall averages 929 mm a year at the Drumley Street station, and the Logan and Albert rivers and their creeks drain the district. Scenic Rim's Flood Aware service is the place to check a site. On a town lot, Scenic Rim's residential cap on domestic outbuildings (55, 110 or 200 m² depending on lot size) is often the number that sets the shed size. Q: Can you deliver a large farm shed kit to a property near Beaudesert? A: Yes. Delivery is quoted to the site address; we check truck access to the property and where the kit can be unloaded. Q: What is the shed size limit on a Beaudesert house block? A: In residential zones, Scenic Rim caps all domestic outbuildings together at 55 m² (lots up to 600 m²), 110 m² (600 to 2,000 m²) or 200 m² (over 2,000 m²), and never more than the house. Bigger sheds need assessment. ## Sheds in Jimboomba URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/jimboomba Jimboomba is Logan's acreage country on the Mount Lindesay Highway, where most properties have room for a proper shed. In 2021, 96.7% of Jimboomba dwellings were separate houses and 66% had four or more bedrooms. Many sit on acreage lots, which is where workshops, machinery sheds and horse or hobby-farm sheds come in. The Mount Lindesay Highway through town has been duplicated, and TMR is planning the next section south to Cedar Vale. West of the highway, Greater Flagstone is planned for about 51,500 dwellings, so the district is changing from rural to suburban in places. Jimboomba is in Logan City, so flood conditions under Logan's updated flood policy can apply, and approval goes through a private certifier. Q: Do acreage sheds in Jimboomba need approval? A: Generally yes: any shed over 10 m² needs building approval from a private certifier, and Logan City Council's flood and siting conditions apply. The size of the lot gives more freedom on position, not an exemption. Q: Do you supply workshop sheds with high roller doors for trucks or caravans? A: Yes. Door size, eave height and clear span are set around the vehicle or machinery you need to get inside. ## Sheds in Coomera URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast/coomera Coomera is one of the fastest-growing parts of the Gold Coast, with young families in new estates and a marine industry precinct on the river. Coomera's population rose from 13,305 to 20,225 between 2016 and 2021, and the median age was 29. A quarter of dwellings were townhouse-style, so for many owners the question is what fits a compact lot: a single garage, a carport, a small storage shed. The Coomera Local Area Plan identifies a Marine Industry Precinct of about 250 ha at Beattie Road, and boat storage is a genuine local brief. Clearance height, door width and floor length follow the boat on its trailer. Stage 1 North of the Coomera Connector is open, and City of Gold Coast's flood depth mapping gives the defined flood level for each lot, which matters on the low ground near the river. Q: Can you design a shed for boat storage in Coomera? A: Yes. We size the door opening, internal clear height and length around the boat on its trailer, with room to walk around it. Q: How do I find the flood level for my Coomera lot? A: City of Gold Coast publishes flood depth mapping in City Plan, with the defined flood level for each property. We use it for the slab level. ## Sheds in Pimpama URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast/pimpama Pimpama grew from 9,396 to 24,601 people between 2016 and 2021, almost all of it new family housing. Four in five Pimpama dwellings (80.8% in 2021) are separate houses on new-estate lots. Those lots are often narrow, and estate covenants may restrict sheds and garages, so we design to both the covenant and the boundary rules. The new Pimpama railway station opened on 20 October 2025, and Stage 2 of the Coomera Connector between Pimpama and Coomera is TMR's next priority. More growth is coming, and so are more estates with their own design guidelines. Q: My Pimpama estate has design guidelines. Can you work to them? A: Yes. Send us the guideline pages on outbuildings (size, height, colour, position) and we will design the garage or shed to them and to Council's siting rules. Q: Do I need approval for a small garden shed in Pimpama? A: Not if it is 10 m² or less, no more than 2.4 m high (2.1 m mean), no side over 5 m, and not in the front setback. Anything bigger needs building approval. ## Sheds in Southport URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gold-coast/southport Southport is the Gold Coast's business centre, where apartments dominate but established streets still have garages and workshops. Over half of Southport's occupied dwellings (54.6% in 2021) were flats or apartments and under a quarter separate houses, so our Southport work tends to be garages, carports and small commercial or storage sheds rather than large residential ones. The Southport Priority Development Area, declared in 2013 to deliver the Gold Coast CBD, takes guidance from City Plan's flood, coastal erosion, landslide and heritage overlays. Outside the PDA, the same overlays in City Plan decide where a building can go. Southport has a long rainfall record of 1,454.9 mm a year and sits on The Broadwater, which BlueScope classes as exposed salt water, so drainage and corrosion both feature in the specification. Q: Is Southport too close to the water for a standard steel garage? A: It depends on the exact address. The Broadwater is exposed salt water in BlueScope's classification; we match cladding and fasteners to the distance from the water. Q: Do you supply small commercial sheds in Southport? A: Yes, for storage and workshop use. Commercial buildings are classified differently from domestic sheds, so we confirm the building class with your certifier early. ## Sheds in Maroochydore URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/maroochydore Maroochydore is the Sunshine Coast's new city centre, between the Maroochy River and the beach. Sunshine Coast Council names flooding from the Maroochy River, coastal hazards and transport capacity as the main constraints on development in the Maroochydore local plan area, and it runs the Blue Heart project for floodplain management in the Maroochy catchment. Low-lying lots need the flood check first. Rainfall at the Sunshine Coast Airport station averages 1,492.6 mm a year, so gutter sizing and where the water goes matter on a garage. More than a third of Maroochydore dwellings (36.6%) were apartments in 2021; on the house lots, residential sheds are limited to 3.6 m high and 56 m² under the Dwelling House Code unless Council assesses a larger one. Q: How big can a garage or shed be on a Maroochydore house block? A: To comply with Sunshine Coast Council's Dwelling House Code, a residential shed should be no more than 3.6 m high and 56 m² total, at least 6 m from the road. Larger ones need assessment or a referral. Q: Is Maroochydore flood-prone? A: Parts are. Council identifies Maroochy River flooding as a key constraint in the area. We check the council flood mapping for the lot before setting the slab. ## Sheds in Caloundra URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/caloundra Caloundra is the southern Sunshine Coast: an older beach town with holiday units at its core and some of the region's biggest new communities to the south. The suburb had a median age of 58 in 2021, 48.1% of dwellings were apartments and over a quarter were empty on census night, a holiday-home pattern. Our Caloundra enquiries are usually garages and storage sheds for owners who spend part of the year away, so security and low maintenance lead the brief. South of the town, the Caloundra South PDA is planned for about 20,000 dwellings and Halls Creek, declared in July 2026, for up to 12,000 more. New estates bring covenants on outbuildings. It is wet near the coast (1,578.3 mm a year on the old Signal Station record) and close to surf beaches, so cladding selection follows BlueScope's coastal guidance. Q: What garage cladding suits a Caloundra property near the beach? A: BlueScope sets minimum distances from breaking surf for each steel product, with walls needing more distance than roofs. We specify from your address. Q: Do you supply sheds in Caloundra South estates? A: Yes. Check your estate's outbuilding guidelines as well as Council's Dwelling House Code; we design to both. ## Sheds in Noosa Heads URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/noosa-heads Noosa Heads is a coastal town where holiday homes, beachfront erosion and river inundation all shape what can be built. More than a third (37.6%) of Noosa Heads dwellings were unoccupied on census night in 2021. For owners who are not always there, a lockable, low-maintenance garage or storage shed is the usual request. Noosa Council's Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan records that Noosa Main Beach erodes every year and relies on minimum floor heights for new buildings to manage tidal inundation, and the Noosa Plan 2020 flood overlay maps a 1% AEP flood for the year 2100 including storm tide. Lots near the river or beach need the overlay check first. Rainfall at nearby Tewantin averages 1,607.8 mm a year, and the salt air means coastal-grade materials. Q: Does Noosa Council need to approve my garage? A: Noosa Council notes that building work, including sheds and carports, needs a development approval before it starts. A certifier issues the building approval, and overlays such as flood and coastal hazard can bring in planning assessment. Q: What about flooding in Noosa Heads? A: The Noosa Plan 2020 flood overlay maps a modelled 2100 flood including storm tide. We check it for your lot and set the floor level accordingly. ## Sheds in Nambour URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa/nambour Nambour is the largest town in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, with heritage Queenslanders in town and farms in the hills around it. Council's draft local plan vision describes Nambour's heritage character and traditional Queenslander housing as something to preserve. A garage or shed beside a Queenslander usually looks right with a roof pitch and colour chosen to suit the house. It is wet: the Nambour DPI record averages 1,693.9 mm a year. Council's planning directions include reviewing zoning in high flood hazard and drainage-constrained areas, and rural outbuildings must stay out of overland flow paths. Two thirds of dwellings (66.3%) are separate houses and very few sit empty (6.1%), a working town rather than a holiday one. Q: Can a shed be designed to suit a Queenslander in Nambour? A: Yes. Roof pitch, eave detail and colour can be chosen to sit comfortably beside the house. We show you the design before anything is ordered. Q: Does heavy rain in Nambour affect shed design? A: Yes. Gutter and downpipe sizing, where the stormwater goes, and keeping the shed out of overland flow paths are all part of the design here. ## Sheds in Caboolture URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/moreton-bay/caboolture Caboolture is Moreton Bay's northern centre, a mix of established suburbs, new growth and acreage. The Caboolture River has a long flood record, including a 9.91 m peak at the Caboolture gauge in 1972 and major floods reported in 2022 and 2024. City of Moreton Bay's Flood Check report covers river, creek, storm tide, tidal and overland-flow flooding for a lot, and it is the right first step. Growth is large and planned: the suburb grew from 26,433 to 29,534 people between 2016 and 2021, and the Waraba PDA to the west is planned for around 25,000 homes. Four in ten dwellings already had four or more bedrooms. Council's 'Reimagining Caboolture' vision centres on King Street and Centenary Lakes, and TMR's Bruce Highway upgrade includes a new Arthur Drewett Drive overpass. Q: How high can my shed be in a Caboolture residential zone? A: In Moreton Bay's General Residential zone, a domestic outbuilding is limited to 4 m high with a mean height of 3.5 m or less, at least 5.4 m from the front boundary. Q: Do you supply acreage sheds around Caboolture? A: Yes: workshops, machinery and hobby-farm sheds on the acreage around the town, with flood and siting checks for the lot. ## Sheds in Morayfield URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/moreton-bay/morayfield Morayfield is a young, fast-growing family suburb south of Caboolture, with half its homes of four bedrooms or more. Council projects the Morayfield neighbourhood planning area to grow by more than 18,000 people to about 53,545 by 2046, and endorsed a Future Directions Report in August 2025 to guide planning-scheme changes. Rules for outbuildings may change with it, so we check the current scheme for each job. Flash flooding significantly affected Morayfield in February 2022, when several locations in the Pine and Caboolture catchments recorded over 400 mm in 24 hours. Council's planned Buchanan Road upgrade includes better road flood immunity at Sheepstation Creek. With a median age of 34 and 51.1% of homes with four or more bedrooms, garages and storage sheds for families dominate the brief. Q: Is overland flow a concern for a shed in Morayfield? A: It can be; flash flooding hit Morayfield in February 2022. Council's Flood Check report includes overland flow. We keep sheds out of flow paths and set the slab from it. Q: Can I get a double garage with extra storage in Morayfield? A: Yes. We size the garage for your cars first and add depth or a bay for storage, within Council's height and setback limits. ## Sheds in Gympie URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gympie-cooloola/gympie Gympie is a Mary River town of mostly separate houses, with farms and rural-residential blocks on every side. The Mary River reached 22.96 m at Gympie on 27 February 2022, second only to the 25.45 m peak of February 1893. Gympie Regional Council has declared a flood hazard area for building assessment, and shed positions near the river and its creeks are chosen from that data. Gympie averages 1,118 mm of rain a year over a record back to 1870, with a mean maximum of 27.2 °C. Farm and machinery sheds here need to shed water well and keep bays dry. Most homes are separate houses (84.6% in 2021). Council's shed approval process starts with its Amenity and Aesthetics Resolution, so appearance is checked, not just structure. Q: Is Gympie's flood hazard area relevant to a shed? A: Yes. Council has declared a flood hazard area for building assessment. We check the lot against it and set the shed's position and floor level accordingly. Q: Does a shed in Gympie need building approval? A: Almost always. Gympie Regional Council says most buildings and structures need building approval, starting with its Amenity and Aesthetics Resolution check. ## Sheds in Maryborough URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/hervey-bay-wide-bay/maryborough Maryborough is a heritage river city on the Mary, with old Queenslanders in town and cane and cattle country around it. The Mary River at Maryborough reached 10.30 m in February 2022, against a record 12.27 m in 1893, and the catchment above the city covers over 7,000 km². Fraser Coast Regional Council's online flood height prediction mapping is the first check for any lot near the river. Maryborough's character streets sit under Fraser Coast's Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay, so a garage visible from the street may be assessed for how it fits. The population is older than average (median age 49), and fewer homes are large (17.4% with four or more bedrooms). Our Maryborough work is a mix of garages and workshops in town and farm sheds outside it. Q: Does Maryborough's heritage overlay affect a new garage? A: It can. Where the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay applies, the garage's position and appearance may be assessed. We design to suit the street before lodging. Q: Is Maryborough in a cyclone wind region? A: Geoscience Australia's wind data places Maryborough in non-cyclonic Region B1. The engineer confirms the design wind speed for the exact site. ## Sheds in Tannum Sands URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/tannum-sands Tannum Sands is a beachside town south of Gladstone, in cyclonic Wind Region C and right on the coast. Being in Region C changes two things at once: the shed is engineered to a cyclonic wind class, and the small-shed exemption from building approval does not apply, so even a garden shed needs approval. Council has released the Boyne Island and Tannum Sands (BITS) Shoreline Erosion Management Plan, and Wild Cattle Island National Park sits just across Wild Cattle Creek. On beachfront streets, erosion and salt exposure both shape where and how a garage is built. The town had 5,227 residents in 2021, mostly in houses (only 8.6% apartments), with a median age of 41. Q: Does a small garden shed in Tannum Sands need approval? A: Yes. Tannum Sands is in Wind Region C, where the Building Regulation's small-shed exemption does not apply. Q: How do you specify a garage near the beach at Tannum Sands? A: For cyclonic wind first, then for salt exposure: cladding and fasteners follow BlueScope's distance-from-surf guidance for the address. ## Sheds in Boyne Island URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/boyne-island Boyne Island is Tannum Sands' twin across the Boyne River, a residential and industrial community built around the aluminium smelter. Boyne Smelters has operated here since 1982, and Council describes the island as combining residential, business and industrial land. That mix brings enquiries for trade workshops and storage sheds alongside family garages. Boyne Island is overwhelmingly houses: 87.7% of occupied dwellings in 2021, with just 1.6% townhouse-style, and a median age of 37. Like the rest of the Gladstone region it is in cyclonic Region C, so doors, windows and fixings are rated for cyclonic wind and every shed needs building approval. Q: Can you supply a trade workshop shed on Boyne Island? A: Yes, engineered for Region C. A workshop used for a business may be classified differently from a domestic shed, so we confirm the building class with your certifier. Q: Are roller doors rated for cyclones? A: Doors in Region C need a wind rating to suit the building's design wind speed. We specify the doors with the rest of the shed so they match. ## Sheds in Calliope URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/calliope Calliope is a young, growing town inland from Gladstone, mostly large family homes on bigger blocks. In 2021, 94.5% of Calliope's homes were separate houses, 62% had four or more bedrooms and the median age was 32. The Queensland Government has mapped a Priority Living Area around the township, and Council's planning review recommends updated structure plans for new neighbourhoods here. Growth is not new: Council prepared a water supply strategic plan back in 2009 because of rising subdivision around Calliope and Beecher. Rural-residential blocks mean room for workshops and bigger sheds. Inland or not, Calliope is in the Gladstone region's cyclonic wind zone, so sheds are engineered to cyclonic classes and need building approval at any size. Q: Is Calliope in the cyclone region even though it is inland? A: Queensland Government guidance treats the Gladstone region as Wind Region C. The engineer confirms the exact design wind speed for your site. Q: Do you supply large sheds for Calliope rural-residential blocks? A: Yes: workshops, machinery and storage sheds, sized to the lot and Council's rules. ## Sheds in Agnes Water URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone/agnes-water Agnes Water and neighbouring Seventeen Seventy sit at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, a holiday coast in cyclonic Wind Region C. Almost a third of Agnes Water's dwellings (31.8%) were empty on census night in 2021, the pattern of a holiday market. Secure storage for boats, vans and gear is a common brief. Council describes this as the most northerly east-coast beach to regularly receive Tasman Sea swell. Geoscience Australia's wind data places Agnes Water in Region C, and Council has a Seventeen Seventy Coastal Adaptation and Resilience Plan, so salt, erosion and cyclonic wind all go into the design. Rain at the Seventeen Seventy station averages 1,126.2 mm a year. Q: Can you design a boat or caravan shed for Agnes Water? A: Yes: door size and internal height follow the boat or van, and the structure, doors and fixings are rated for Region C. Q: Is the coast at Agnes Water a problem for steel sheds? A: It means choosing the right product. BlueScope sets minimum distances from breaking surf for each steel; we specify from your address. ## Farm sheds for Toowoomba properties URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/toowoomba/farm-sheds BWG Sheds designs and supplies farm and machinery sheds for rural properties around Toowoomba, as DIY kits or supply-and-install. On rural land, a genuine farm shed used for an on-site rural use can be accepted development with no building application if it sits more than 200 m from every boundary; closer than that, it needs approval, which we help prepare. Toowoomba Regional Council's 200 m rule is the single biggest lever on a farm shed here. A shed used with the property's own rural use, for machinery, hay or produce grown on site, on land used for agriculture, can be accepted development with no building application if no part of it is within 200 m of an allotment boundary. Many Downs paddocks make that easy; many smaller holdings around the city do not, and then the shed is assessed like any other. On the rural-residential blocks ringing Toowoomba, the controlling rule is different: once all sheds on the lot together exceed 10% of the land area, the planning scheme's Rural Residential Zone Code applies. A 12 × 9 m machinery shed plus an existing double garage on a 4,000 m² block is already over 150 m², so it is worth adding up before you choose a size. The Range edge is exposed. Open-bay farm sheds facing west or south across the Downs can catch strong winds straight into the bays, and council's bushfire overlay may ask for a bushfire management plan and on-site water. We position bays and specify the frame for the actual site. Q: Does my Toowoomba farm shed need a building application? A: Not if it is on land used for agriculture, serves an on-site rural use such as machinery, hay or produce grown there, and is more than 200 m from every boundary of the lot. Otherwise it needs building approval. Q: Do sheds on rural-residential land near Toowoomba have a size limit? A: Toowoomba's Rural Residential Zone Code applies once all sheds together exceed 10% of the lot area. Bigger sheds can still be approved, but they are assessed. Town: Toowoomba ## Steel garages in Toowoomba URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/toowoomba/garages BWG Sheds supplies steel garages for Toowoomba homes, as DIY kits or supply-and-install, sited to the boundary rules and Toowoomba Regional Council's overlays. A garage over 10 m² needs building approval from a certifier; we prepare the documents. In town, garages are decided by the boundary. The Queensland Development Code lets a Class 10a building sit within the side or rear clearance only within height and length limits, and Toowoomba's planning scheme can set alternative rules. Heritage-listed and Neighbourhood Character properties can carry extra requirements, which matters in the older streets around the city centre. Rural properties are different: Council says its boundary-clearance guidance does not apply to rural land, where the Rural Zone sets its own setbacks. A garage on acreage is positioned for access and turning space rather than squeezed against a fence. Q: Does a garage in Toowoomba's character streets need extra approval? A: It can. Toowoomba Regional Council notes heritage-listed and Neighbourhood Character Area properties may have other requirements. We check before the design is finalised. Q: How close to the boundary can my Toowoomba garage be? A: On a residential lot it depends on the garage's height and the total length of buildings along that boundary under the Queensland Development Code, unless the planning scheme sets alternatives. Rural lots have their own setbacks. Town: Toowoomba ## Farm and packing sheds around Gatton URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/lockyer-valley-somerset/gatton/farm-sheds BWG Sheds designs and supplies farm, machinery and packing sheds for Gatton and the Lockyer Valley from our Crowley Vale branch office. On the valley floor, the design starts with Lockyer Valley Regional Council's flood data, because Lockyer Creek sets where a shed can go and how high its floor should be. Gatton's farms are on the Lockyer Creek floodplain, and Council regulates building in flood-prone areas under a Temporary Local Planning Instrument adopted in 2024 while updated flood mapping is finished. Council's free Flood Information Portal gives a property report of flood depth, velocity and hazard, which feeds straight into a farm shed's position, slab height and footing design. Summer heat is the second design driver: the UQ Gatton station's mean maximum is 27.0 °C, and January averages over 31 °C. For packing and working sheds we look at roof insulation, ventilation and bay orientation so the shed is usable in the middle of the day, not just a roof over the gear. Q: Can I build a machinery shed on flood-affected land near Gatton? A: Often, with the right position and floor level. Lockyer Valley Regional Council's flood report gives the numbers; some sites also need planning approval, which we help prepare. Q: Is BWG Sheds near Gatton? A: Yes. Our branch office is at Crowley Vale, a few minutes from Gatton. Town: Gatton ## Farm and machinery sheds around Dalby URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/dalby/farm-sheds BWG Sheds designs and supplies machinery, hay and farm sheds for Dalby and the Western Downs, as kits or supply-and-install. Western Downs Regional Council treats farm land differently from a house block, and its fact sheet warns a domestic shed may need planning approval as well as building approval. Western Downs Regional Council's shed fact sheet sets out two routes to no building approval: a small shed (10 m² or less, 2.4 m high) clear of easements and setbacks, or a shed on land used for agriculture with no part within 200 m of a road or boundary. Most machinery sheds on a working farm are planned around the second. Dalby is hot and dry, with a January mean maximum of 32.7 °C at the airport and about 600 mm of rain a year. Big open-bay machinery and hay sheds here are about sun, dust and security; orientation and bay depth matter as much as span. Myall Creek flooded some 700 homes in 1981 and peaked again in 2022, so a shed near the creek is positioned from Council's Planning Property Report. Q: Does a farm shed on the Western Downs need approval? A: Not a building approval if it is on agricultural land with no part within 200 m of a road or boundary, according to Western Downs Regional Council's fact sheet. Closer than that, it does. Q: Can you deliver a large machinery shed kit to a farm near Dalby? A: Yes. Delivery is quoted to the farm address, including truck access and where the kit can be unloaded. Town: Dalby ## Hay and machinery sheds around Warwick URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs/warwick/farm-sheds BWG Sheds designs and supplies farm, hay and machinery sheds for Warwick and the Southern Downs, as kits or supply-and-install. Southern Downs Regional Council publishes its own Class 10a building application requirements, and Condamine River flood studies are under way, so we check both before a shed is sited. Warwick's farms and lifestyle blocks sit around the Condamine River, which reached 9.10 m at McCahon Bridge in 1976 and 7.56 m in May 2022. Council's current flood studies for the Condamine, Dalrymple Creek and Canal Creek mean flood information near these waterways can change, so we read the latest mapping for each site. Southern Downs is drier and colder than the coast, and its draft replacement planning scheme is out for engagement. A farm shed designed today should be checked against whichever scheme is in force when it is lodged. Q: Does Southern Downs Regional Council have its own shed requirements? A: It publishes a building application information sheet for Class 10a garages, sheds and carports. A building certifier issues the approval; we prepare what the certifier and Council need. Q: Is the draft Southern Downs Planning Scheme relevant to my shed? A: It may be if it takes effect before your application. We check which scheme applies at lodgement. Town: Warwick ## Steel garages for Ipswich homes URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/ipswich/garages BWG Sheds supplies steel garages for Ipswich homes, as DIY kits or supply-and-install. Ipswich City Council requires building approval for any garage over 10 m², and for any shed attached to another building, and its flood overlay OV12 sets where and how high a garage can go. Ipswich City Council's approval triggers include one that catches attached garages and lean-tos: a shed that is not freestanding needs building approval whatever its size. Council's own Building Certification team, or a private certifier, can issue it. Flood risk in Ipswich is mapped in five categories in overlay OV12 of Ipswich City Plan 2025, with Council's historical tool showing the 1974, 2011 and 2022 extents. In older suburbs near the Bremer that often decides the slab level of a new garage. Q: Does an attached carport or garage in Ipswich need approval? A: Yes. Ipswich City Council requires building approval where the structure is attached to another building or structure. Q: How do I check if my Ipswich lot is flood-affected? A: Look up the OV12 Flood Risk and Overland Flow overlay in Ipswich City Plan 2025, and Council's historical flood mapping. We design the garage floor level from it. Town: Ipswich ## Steel garages for Brisbane blocks URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/brisbane-ipswich-logan/brisbane/garages BWG Sheds supplies steel garages for Brisbane homes, as DIY kits or supply-and-install. A garage over 10 m² needs building approval from a certifier; on lots under 450 m² Brisbane's small-lot code sets the siting, and character areas can trigger an amenity and aesthetics referral to Council. Brisbane is one of the few councils where the siting rules themselves change with lot size. On lots under 450 m² the Dwelling house (small lot) code in City Plan prevails over the Queensland Development Code, and if a garage cannot meet the standard setbacks, the certifier can lodge a referral asking Council for alternative provisions. In the Traditional building character overlay and neighbourhood plan areas, Brisbane can refer Class 10 work for amenity and aesthetics assessment. A steel garage beside a Queenslander can pass easily when its roof pitch, colours and position are chosen with that in mind. Flood levels are property-specific in Brisbane: Council's FloodWise Property Report gives the flood levels we use to set the garage slab. Q: Can I build a steel garage in a Brisbane character area? A: Usually yes, but it may be referred to Council for amenity and aesthetics. Choosing the roof pitch, colours and position to suit the house makes that straightforward. Q: My Brisbane lot is under 450 m². Which rules apply? A: Brisbane City Plan's Dwelling house (small lot) code, which prevails over the Queensland Development Code on small lots. We design the garage to it. Town: Brisbane ## Farm sheds around Beaudesert URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/scenic-rim/beaudesert/farm-sheds BWG Sheds designs and supplies farm, hay and horse sheds for properties around Beaudesert and the Scenic Rim. Scenic Rim Regional Council treats a shed used for farming under farm use definitions, not as a domestic outbuilding, so describing the use correctly sets which rules apply. Scenic Rim's fact sheet is explicit: a Class 10a shed that belongs to a house is a domestic outbuilding, while farm and industrial sheds fall under other use definitions such as cropping. A hay or machinery shed on a working property is assessed on that basis, not against the residential floor-area caps. Beaudesert's heavy-vehicle access improved with the 2017 town-centre bypass, which helps when a large kit arrives on a semi-trailer. On the farm itself, we check the track, gateways and the unloading area before delivery is booked. Q: Do Scenic Rim's shed size caps apply to my farm shed? A: The 55, 110 and 200 m² caps apply to domestic outbuildings in residential zones. A shed used for farming is dealt with under farm use definitions instead. Q: Can a farm shed kit be delivered to a property off the Mount Lindesay Highway? A: Yes. We quote delivery to the property and confirm access and unloading beforehand. Town: Beaudesert ## Do I need council approval for a shed in Queensland? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-council-approval-queensland Published: 2026-09-25 In Queensland only a very small shed skips building approval: a plan area of 10 m² or less (overhangs included), no side longer than 5 m, no more than 2.4 m high with a mean height of 2.1 m or less, and not in wind Region C. Anything bigger needs building approval from a building certifier. Even an exempt shed must still meet the building codes, siting rules and your council's planning scheme. ### The short answer: most sheds need building approval Queensland treats a shed, garage or carport as a Class 10a building under the National Construction Code: a non-habitable building such as a private garage, carport, shed or the like. Building work on a Class 10a building needs a building approval unless the Building Regulation 2021 says otherwise. For a typical backyard shed, the only general exemption is the small-shed rule in Schedule 1, section 13. Building Regulation 2021 (Qld), Schedule 1 s13: a Class 10 building needs no building approval only if every condition is met | Condition | Limit | | --- | --- | | Plan area (including overhangs) | 10 m² or less | | Longest side | No side longer than 5 m | | Height above natural ground | 2.4 m or less | | Mean height | 2.1 m or less | | Wind region | Not in Region C (tropical cyclone area under AS 1170.2) | Two details catch people out. First, plan area is measured to the extremities of the finished structure, so the roof overhang counts. A 3 m × 3.3 m shed with a 300 mm overhang all round is no longer under 10 m². Second, the exemption removes the need for a building approval, not the need to comply. The shed must still meet the building assessment provisions, including structural adequacy for the site and the siting rules below. Several councils repeat the same test in their own words. Sunshine Coast Council adds that the shed must also comply with minimum boundary setbacks, sit outside any registered easement and not trigger anything else under the Building Act, for example by loading a retaining wall or building over council stormwater or a sewer. If any one condition fails, the shed needs building work approval from a private building certifier. ### Who actually gives the approval Building approval in Queensland is issued by a building certifier. Certifiers are licensed by the QBCC and work either in private practice or for a council. They assess the application, decide whether to issue the building approval and inspect the work at the required stages. A certifier must not design the building or carry out the work, which is why your shed supplier cannot certify its own shed. Many councils no longer assess building applications at all. Logan City Council says it does not provide building certification and that approval must come from a private certifier, and Redland City Council says the same. Council still matters, though, because of the planning side. ### Building approval and planning approval are different things A building approval checks the shed against the building codes. A planning approval checks it against the council's planning scheme: the zone, overlays such as flood or bushfire, heritage or character areas, and the scheme's own rules for outbuildings. A shed can be exempt from building approval and still need planning approval, or need a council referral, depending on the scheme. Where matters outside the building assessment provisions need planning assessment, the certifier must wait for the council's development permit before issuing the building approval. In practice, most sheds on residential lots with an existing house are accepted development under the planning scheme, which means no separate planning approval. The exceptions are overlays and zones. Redland City Council, for example, notes that its Coastal Protection, Heritage, and Flood and Storm Tide Hazard overlays can raise the level of assessment, and that a shed on vacant land with no house can be treated as a different use altogether. Not sure which approvals your block needs? Send us the address and what you want to build, and we will work through it with you. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/council-approval-assistance ### How close to the boundary can a shed go? Siting has been governed by the Queensland Development Code MP 1.1 (lots under 450 m²) and MP 1.2 (lots of 450 m² and over). Under MP 1.2 the side and rear boundary clearance is 1.5 m where that part of the building is 4.5 m high or less. A Class 10a shed may sit inside that clearance if all of these hold: - the part inside the clearance is no more than 4.5 m high with a mean height of no more than 3.5 m; - the total length of all buildings inside the clearance is no more than 9 m along any one boundary; - it is no closer than 1.5 m to a required habitable-room window of the neighbour's house. MP 1.2 also caps the area covered by all roofed buildings at 50% of the lot. These are default standards: a council's planning scheme can set alternative siting rules that prevail, and Brisbane's small-lot code is one example. If a design does not meet the acceptable solutions, the certifier seeks a referral response from council on design and siting. The Queensland Housing Code commenced on 1 September 2026 and replaces QDC MP 1.1 and MP 1.2. During the transition to 1 September 2029 it applies in a council area once that council's planning scheme has been amended to adopt it, so for now the rule that applies depends on your council. Your certifier will confirm which one governs your lot. ### Things that change the answer on your block - Wind region. In Region C the small-shed exemption does not apply at all, and the structure must be designed for cyclonic wind. - Easements and infrastructure. Building over or near sewer, stormwater or an easement brings extra approvals. - Overlays. Flood, bushfire, landslide, heritage and character overlays can require planning assessment or a particular construction standard. - Zone. Rural and rural-residential zones often have their own setbacks and floor-area limits for outbuildings. - Use. A shed is non-habitable. Using a Class 10a shed as a dwelling without approval is an offence under the Building Act 1975. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. ### What BWG Sheds does and does not do We are not the approving authority. What we do is design the shed around your block and intended use, prepare the drawings and site-specific engineering documentation a certifier needs, and coordinate the application with a building certifier and, where the planning scheme requires it, with council. If council or the certifier asks for more information, we help answer it. The decision itself stays with the certifier and council, as it should. Tell us your postcode, the shed you have in mind and whether you want help with approval. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126 https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/when-not-needed https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/building-certifiers https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/news/role-responsibilities-certifier https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/planning-schemes https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-one/a-governing-requirements/part-a6-building-classification https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/4009/sp-12-design-siting-standard-lots-over-450m2-230702.pdf https://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4303/mp1-1.pdf https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/laws-codes-standards/queensland-development-code/background https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/laws-codes-standards/queensland-development-code https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/92712/queensland-housing-code-01092026.pdf https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/council-as-a-referral-agency-building-work-referrals-for-dwelling-houses.pdf https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/development/building/sheds https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/planning-and-building/building/building-approval https://www.redland.qld.gov.au/Planning-building-and-development/What-approvals-do-I-need/Residential-projects/Structures/Sheds ## Do farm sheds need building approval in Queensland? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/farm-shed-approval-queensland Published: 2026-09-25 Not always. Under the Building Regulation 2021, Schedule 2 section 4, a Class 10 building on land used for agricultural, floricultural, horticultural or pastoral purposes is exempt where no part of it is within 200 m of a road or a property boundary. Closer than that, or where the shed is classified as a Class 7 or 8 farm building, building approval from a certifier applies, and Queensland's own farm building code, QDC MP 3.7, sets the concessions. ### The 200 metre rule for rural sheds Schedule 2, section 4 of the Building Regulation 2021 makes building work for a Class 10 building accepted development, exempt from the building assessment provisions, where the land is used for agricultural, floricultural, horticultural or pastoral purposes and no part of the building is within 200 m of a road or a boundary of the property. There is no floor-area limit in that section. It is the reason a large hay shed in the middle of a big paddock can go up without a building approval. Toowoomba Regional Council explains the same rule in practical terms: the shed must be more than 200 m from each allotment boundary, be used with an on-site rural use such as storing machinery, hay or produce grown on the property, and not form part of a pool or pool fence. Western Downs Regional Council's fact sheet gives the same 200 m test. On many Darling Downs, Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim properties the best shed site is close to the house, the road or an existing yard, which puts it inside 200 m. At that point the rural exemption no longer applies and the shed needs building approval like any other. ### Is my farm shed Class 10a, 7 or 8? Classification decides which rules the design must meet, and it depends on use and size rather than the word on the quote. The Australian Building Codes Board gives the example that a shed parking a single tractor may be Class 10a, while a shed housing several tractors and machinery points to Class 7, and Class 8 if mechanics regularly work in it. NCC explanatory information adds that authorities may classify a farm building as Class 10a only where Class 7 or 8 would not be more appropriate, considering its size, purpose, operations and how many people work in it. How farm-use sheds are commonly classified (ABCB guidance and QDC MP 3.7) | Typical use | Likely class | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Single vehicle, small storage shed | Class 10a | Non-habitable outbuilding | | Housing three or more farm vehicles | Class 7 (farm building) | Named in QDC MP 3.7 | | Hay, produce or equipment storage at scale | Class 7b | NCC: storage building | | Workshop where people regularly repair machinery | Class 8 | NCC: process-type building | ### Queensland uses its own farm building code Elsewhere in Australia, Part I3 of the NCC gives concessions for Class 7 and 8 farm buildings and farm sheds. In Queensland those NCC provisions and definitions do not apply. They are replaced by QDC MP 3.7, Farm buildings and vehicle storage farm sheds, version 2 of which commenced on 8 December 2023. MP 3.7 defines farm buildings and vehicle storage farm sheds for Queensland and provides concessions on matters such as egress, fire hose reels, water supply, emergency lighting and exit signs. MP 3.7 separates high-occupancy farm buildings from the rest. A high-occupancy farm building is one designed for more than six people where the floor area is 1,200 m² or less, or more than one person per 200 m² above that. If a farm building uses a performance solution for access and egress, or does not meet the water-supply acceptable solutions, the certifier refers it to Queensland Fire Department for advice. Planning a machinery or hay shed? We design the bays, spans and doors around the gear you actually run. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/sheds/farm-sheds ### Licensing and owner-builder rules for farm buildings Under the QBCC Regulation 2018, work on a farm building is not building work if the value of the finished farm building is not more than $27,500. Above that value it is building work and a licensed contractor is required. The value is the reasonable cost of having the whole job done by a licensed contractor supplying all materials, so the kit price counts. An owner-builder permit does not help here. QBCC states that owner-builders can build a garage, carport or residential shed, but cannot build commercial or industrial buildings, and it lists farm buildings among the buildings excluded. ### Planning schemes still apply The building exemption does not switch off the planning scheme. Toowoomba's scheme, for instance, applies specific requirements in the Rural Residential Zone when the total floor area of all sheds exceeds 10% of the land area, and the council notes that bushfire, flood and landslide overlays can add requirements such as a bushfire management plan. Wind also matters: the NCC gives farm buildings and farm sheds as examples of Importance Level 1 structures, which the engineer takes into account when setting design wind speeds, but the site's wind region and terrain still govern the steel. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Send us your property location and how the shed will be used. We will tell you what applies and quote the right structure. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126 https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Zoning-subdivision-and-heritage/Zoning-and-land-use-approvals/Building-in-the-Toowoomba-Region https://www.wdrc.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/business-amp-development/development/building/building-approval-process/building-fact-sheet-sheds-garages-carports-class-10a-structures-v1.pdf https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-one/a-governing-requirements/part-a6-building-classification https://www.abcb.gov.au/ncc-navigator/building-classifications https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/laws-codes-standards/queensland-development-code/farm-buildings https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/45791/QDCMP3.7Farm-buildings-and-vehicle-storage-farm-sheds.pdf https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2018-0138 https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1991-098 https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/dz/node/661 https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-one/b-structure/part-b1-structural-provisions ## Do I need approval for a shed in the Toowoomba Region? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/toowoomba-shed-approval Published: 2026-09-25 In the Toowoomba Region a shed needs no building approval only if it is under 10 m², no more than 2.4 m high, no side is longer than 5 m and the mean height of any wall on a boundary is under 2.1 m. Rural sheds more than 200 m from every boundary and used for an on-site rural use can also be accepted development. Everything else needs building approval, and the planning scheme, zone and overlays can add requirements. ### What Toowoomba Regional Council says Toowoomba Regional Council puts it simply: three factors decide whether your shed needs approval, namely its size, its location and its structure. Its page on sheds, shipping containers and tents lists the small-shed exemption as an area under 10 m², a mean height under 2.1 m for any wall on a boundary, an overall height of no more than 2.4 m and no side longer than 5 m. Council adds that sheds which do not need approval must still follow building legislation and codes. Siting must follow the Queensland Development Code, but the planning scheme may set alternative requirements. Properties that are heritage-listed or in a Neighbourhood Character Area may have further requirements. The current scheme is the Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme, version 29, effective 21 July 2026. ### Rural and farm sheds around Toowoomba Much of the region is rural, and council's guidance on building in the Toowoomba Region covers farm sheds directly. A rural shed can be accepted development, meaning no building application, when it is more than 200 m from each allotment boundary, is used with an on-site rural use such as machinery, hay or produce grown on the property, is for an agricultural, floricultural, horticultural or pastoral purpose, and is not part of a pool or pool fence. This reflects Schedule 2 of the Building Regulation 2021. Council also notes that its boundary-setback guidance based on the QDC does not apply to rural properties. In the Rural Zone the planning scheme gives different setbacks, so a machinery shed near a boundary on a Pittsworth or Millmerran property is checked against the scheme, not the suburban 1.5 m rule. Toowoomba Region shed triggers at a glance (Toowoomba Regional Council, read 25 Sep 2026) | Situation | What applies | | --- | --- | | Small shed under 10 m², 2.4 m high, no side over 5 m | No building approval; must still meet codes | | Farm shed more than 200 m from every boundary, on-site rural use | Can be accepted development (no building application) | | Any other shed or garage | Building approval from a building certifier | | Rural Residential Zone, all sheds over 10% of land area | Rural Residential Zone Code requirements (planning scheme Part 6) | | Heritage-listed or Neighbourhood Character Area | Other requirements may apply | | Bushfire, flood or landslide overlay | May need, for example, a bushfire management plan and on-site water storage | Building on the Range or out on the Downs? Tell us the property and we will check the zone, overlays and setbacks before we quote. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/toowoomba-darling-downs ### Rural Residential blocks: the 10% rule Acreage blocks around Highfields, Crows Nest and the city fringe are often zoned Rural Residential. Council's example is a 4,000 m² block: once the total floor area of all sheds exceeds 10% of the land, in that case 400 m², the Rural Residential Zone Code in Part 6 of the planning scheme sets specific requirements. Count existing sheds, garages and carports when you size a new one. ### Overlays and flood information The Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme includes bushfire hazard, flood hazard and landslide hazard overlays, and council says a bushfire overlay may require a bushfire management plan and on-site water storage. Council also publishes a flood risk information portal where you can look up a property's flood risk level. Check both before you settle on a shed position. ### Planning approval is separate Council is clear that building approval is separate to a development approval for a Material Change of Use. Most sheds on an established property will not need a planning approval, but a shed on vacant land, a shed for a business use, or a shed caught by an overlay may. Building approval itself is issued by a building certifier, who inspects the work at the required stages. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. ### How BWG Sheds helps in the Toowoomba Region We check the zone and overlays for your lot, design the shed around the setbacks that actually apply, and prepare the drawings and engineering documentation the certifier needs. Where the planning scheme requires council involvement, we coordinate that too. You get one point of contact from design to supply, whether you build the kit yourself or have it installed. Request a quote with your postcode and shed size, and tick approval help. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Building-and-home-improvements/Building-renovations-and-improvements/Sheds-shipping-containers-and-tents https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Zoning-subdivision-and-heritage/Zoning-and-land-use-approvals/Building-in-the-Toowoomba-Region https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Building-and-home-improvements/Building-renovations-and-improvements/Building-near-a-boundary-or-infrastructure https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Toowoomba-Regional-Planning-Scheme/View-the-Toowoomba-Regional-Planning-Scheme https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Council/Mapping/Flood-risk-mapping https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126 https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/building-certifiers ## Do I need approval for a shed in Brisbane? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/brisbane-shed-approval Published: 2026-09-25 In Brisbane a shed needs no building approval only if it has a plan area of 10 m² or less, is no more than 2.4 m high with a mean height of 2.1 m or less, has no side longer than 5 m and does not affect other structures or a pool fence. Larger sheds need building approval from a certifier. On the planning side council says sheds are generally accepted development, subject to requirements in residential zones. ### Building approval in Brisbane Brisbane City Council's shed page lists the conditions under which you do not need building approval: a plan area of no more than 10 m², a height of no more than 2.4 m with a mean height of no more than 2.1 m, no side longer than 5 m, no effect on the structural integrity of other structures, and no change to a pool enclosure or pool fence. This is the state-wide small-shed exemption in Schedule 1 of the Building Regulation 2021. Brisbane sits in wind Region B1 on Geoscience Australia's indicative map, so the cyclonic-region exclusion does not bite here. A double garage, workshop or anything bigger than a garden shed needs building approval from a building certifier, who assesses the plans against the building codes and inspects the work at the required stages. ### Planning rules for residential zones Council describes sheds as generally accepted development under City Plan 2014, subject to requirements if the property is in a residential zone. In practice that means the shed has to meet the acceptable outcomes of the relevant code, such as the dwelling house codes, for height, setbacks and site cover. Where it does not, council becomes involved through a referral rather than a full planning application in most cases. Brisbane shed approvals at a glance (Brisbane City Council, read 25 Sep 2026) | Question | Brisbane answer | | --- | --- | | Small garden shed (10 m², 2.4 m, no side over 5 m) | No building approval, must still comply | | Garage, workshop or larger shed | Building approval from a building certifier | | Planning approval | Generally accepted development; requirements apply in residential zones | | Lot under 450 m² (rear lot under 600 m²) | City Plan small-lot code prevails over the QDC | | Shed closer to the boundary than the code allows | Certifier can lodge a request for a referral response | ### Setbacks, small lots and referrals On a standard lot the Queensland Development Code siting rules apply: a 1.5 m side and rear clearance, with a Class 10a shed allowed inside it if it is no more than 4.5 m high (mean 3.5 m), buildings inside the clearance total no more than 9 m along that boundary, and it stays 1.5 m from a neighbour's habitable-room window. On a small lot, which Brisbane defines as under 450 m² or a rear lot under 600 m², City Plan's Dwelling house (small lot) code prevails over the QDC. Council notes that your building certifier can seek alternative provisions, such as a different setback from the boundary, by lodging a request for a referral response. Separately, City Plan's amenity and aesthetics referral can apply to Class 10 work in the Rural, Rural residential, Environmental management and residential zones, in the Traditional building character overlay and in neighbourhood plan areas, where the work does not comply with the listed codes' acceptable outcomes. Working with a tight Brisbane lot or a character street? We design to the setbacks first, so the application is straightforward. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/council-approval-assistance ### Before you choose a shed position - Look up the zone and overlays for your lot in City Plan's online mapping. - Measure the longest wall you want on or near a boundary, and add any existing garage or carport already in the clearance. - Check for sewer, stormwater and easements running through the yard. - Note the neighbours' windows near the proposed shed. - Decide how the shed will be used; a Class 10a shed is non-habitable. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. ### After the approval: inspections and site cover Once the certifier issues the building approval, the work is inspected at set stages. For a Class 10 building such as a shed or garage, the footing or slab excavation stage must be inspected against the approval before concrete is poured, so plan your concreter's booking around it. The certifier does not need to appoint a separate competent person for those Class 10 inspections. Site cover is the other number that trips up suburban projects. Under QDC MP 1.2 the area covered by all roofed buildings and structures on a lot of 450 m² or more must not exceed 50% of the lot. On a Brisbane block that already has a house, a patio and a carport, a large garage can push you over. City Plan's codes and any small-lot rules apply as well, so check the whole site, not just the new shed. ### How BWG Sheds helps in Brisbane We service Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan and the Redlands. For a Brisbane garage, workshop or backyard shed we size the design to the setbacks that apply to your lot, prepare the drawings and engineering documentation, and coordinate the application with a building certifier, including any referral to council. Send your suburb, block details and the shed you want. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/getting-started-on-your-project/residential-projects/shed https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/getting-started-on-your-project/residential-projects/building-near-the-boundary https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/content/dam/brisbanecitycouncil/corpwebsite/building-and-planning/documents/council-as-a-referral-agency-building-work-referrals-for-dwelling-houses.pdf https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/building-and-planning/supporting-documents-and-online-tools/city-plan-online https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126 https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/4009/sp-12-design-siting-standard-lots-over-450m2-230702.pdf https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/1170-2-wind-regions-for-australia https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/146359/146359_01_0.zip https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/news/new-building-regulation-2021 ## What size shed do I need? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/what-size-shed-do-i-need Published: 2026-09-25 Start from the biggest thing going inside. For cars, the Queensland Housing Code sets a minimum space in a double garage of 5.5 m wide by 6 m deep, and a large design car (B99) is 5.2 m long and 1.94 m wide. A caravan can legally be up to 2.5 m wide and 4.3 m high, so the door, not the floor, usually decides the shed. For machinery, measure your largest machine and add working clearance on every side. ### Garages: the minimum and the comfortable size The Queensland Housing Code, which commenced on 1 September 2026, sets minimum vehicle parking space sizes for houses. They are minimums for a parking space, not a recommendation for a shed you will also store things in, but they are a good floor to work up from. Queensland Housing Code, Table 5: minimum vehicle parking space sizes | Space | Width | Depth | | --- | --- | --- | | Uncovered single | 2.5 m | 5.4 m | | Uncovered double | 5.0 m | 5.4 m | | Covered single (e.g. carport) | 2.7 m | 5.4 m | | Covered double | 5.5 m | 5.4 m | | Single space in a garage | 3.0 m (3.2 m with level-entry access through the garage) | 6.0 m | | Double space in a garage | 5.5 m | 6.0 m | For comparison, the old QDC MP 1.2 minimums for a double garage were 5.7 m × 6 m internal, and those older rules still apply in councils that have not yet adopted the new code. Either way, a 6 m deep double garage leaves very little room in front of or behind a large ute or four-wheel drive. The Australian design vehicles used for parking layouts give a sense of scale. The B85 car, the 85th percentile vehicle, is 4.91 m long and 1.87 m wide. The B99 car, the 99th percentile, is 5.20 m long, 1.94 m wide and 1.878 m high. Add mirrors, open doors and a walkway, and it becomes clear why many people step up in depth and width for a garage that also holds a workbench, bikes or a fridge. ### Caravans, boats and campers: size the door first Under national trailer rules summarised by the South Australian Government, a caravan or light trailer can be up to 2.5 m wide, including side-mounted awnings, 12.5 m long and 4.3 m high. Most vans are well under those limits, but the point stands: measure your van's height to the top of the air conditioner or roof hatch and its width at the awning. Door manufacturer B&D describes a standard single garage door as about 2.1 m high and 2.4 m wide, and a standard double as about 2.1 m by 4.8 m. That is fine for cars and useless for most caravans. A caravan shed therefore needs a taller door opening, and a taller door means a taller wall, because a roller door's drum sits above the opening. Door retailers generally allow around 450 mm of headroom for the drum. Work out the door, then the eave height, then the rest of the shed. Tell us what is going inside and we will size the doors, height and bays around it. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/shed-design ### Workshops - Mark out your benches, machines and storage at full size on the ground or driveway before you pick a size. - Leave clear space around a vehicle hoist, or where you will work on a vehicle with its doors open. - Think about where power, water and natural light will come in, and keep that wall free of racking. - Add a personal access door so you are not lifting a roller door every time you walk in. ### Farm machinery There is no useful standard size for a machinery shed because the machines vary so much. Measure your largest machine with any fronts, booms or attachments fitted, in the position it will be parked, including its height with the cab, exhaust or aerial. Then allow room to walk around it and to open doors and service panels. Open-front bays suit gear that comes and goes daily; enclosed bays with roller doors suit equipment you want locked up. Remember classification: a shed that houses three or more farm vehicles is a Class 7 farm building under Queensland's QDC MP 3.7, which changes the design requirements compared with a small Class 10a shed. ### Plan for the next five years, not the next five weeks The most common regret with sheds is building one bay short. Adding length later means new footings, new frames and new cladding that may not match, so it is usually worth pricing one extra bay now. Check the extra size against your approval position too: a bigger footprint can change setbacks, site cover or, on rural residential land, a floor-area threshold in the planning scheme. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Give us the measurements of what you are storing and we will quote a shed that fits. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/92712/queensland-housing-code-01092026.pdf https://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/82807/QHC-consultation-draft.pdf https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/4009/sp-12-design-siting-standard-lots-over-450m2-230702.pdf https://www.moyne.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-applications/2023/pl23121/pl23.121-car-park-review.pdf https://mylicence.sa.gov.au/safe-driving-tips/safer-vehicles/buying-a-safe-caravan https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/vsb1-revision-6-trailers-with-an-aggregate-trailer-mass-of-4.5-tonnes-or-less_0.pdf https://www.bnd.com.au/explore/resource-hub/our-blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-garage-door-sizing https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/45791/QDCMP3.7Farm-buildings-and-vehicle-storage-farm-sheds.pdf ## Shed kit, supply-and-install or custom design: which suits you? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-kit-vs-custom-shed Published: 2026-09-25 A DIY kit costs you time and responsibility instead of labour: you organise the slab, the approval, the crew and the safety, and an owner-builder permit is needed above $11,000 including GST. Supply-and-install hands the build to a licensed builder. A custom design sits underneath both: the shed is sized and engineered for your site and use. The right choice depends on your skills, equipment, the shed's size and whether it is a farm or residential building. ### Three ways to get a steel shed DIY kit vs supply-and-install vs custom design: who does what | | DIY shed kit | Supply and install | Custom design | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Design and engineering for your site | Supplier | Supplier | Supplier, around your brief | | Approval documentation | Supplier can prepare and coordinate | Supplier can prepare and coordinate | Supplier can prepare and coordinate | | Building approval issued by | Building certifier | Building certifier | Building certifier | | Slab and footings | You (or your concreter) | Arranged as part of the job or by you, as quoted | As quoted | | Erection | You and your crew | Licensed builder | Either | | Owner-builder permit | Needed above $11,000 incl. GST | Not needed | Depends on who builds | | Work health and safety on site | You | The builder | Whoever builds | Custom design is not a separate product so much as the starting point. Every engineered shed has to be designed for its site's wind conditions, the ground it sits on and the way it will be used. A custom design simply means the size, doors, openings, height and layout come from your brief rather than a fixed catalogue size. That shed can then be supplied as a kit or installed. ### When a DIY kit makes sense - You or your helpers have built with steel before, or are confident following detailed plans. - You have, or can hire, the lifting gear and elevated work platforms the frame height requires. - The shed is a garage, carport or residential shed, which owner-builders are allowed to build. - You can manage the slab, the certifier's inspections and the timing yourself. The QBCC requires an owner-builder permit for a project valued at more than $11,000 including GST on your own land. The value is worked out as if a licensed contractor did the whole job at trade prices, materials included, even if your labour is free. Owner-builders can build a garage, carport or residential shed, but QBCC says they cannot build commercial or industrial buildings, including farm buildings. Farm building work valued at $27,500 or less is not building work at all under the QBCC Regulation. Building it yourself? See what arrives in a BWG Sheds kit and what you organise. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/diy-shed-kits ### When supply-and-install makes sense - Large spans, tall walls or heavy frames where lifting and working at height need a trained crew. - Farm buildings above the $27,500 value where a licensed contractor is required. - Commercial or industrial sheds, which owner-builders cannot build. - You want one party responsible for the build and the certifier's inspections. Erecting a shed for someone else is licensed building work in Queensland once its value exceeds $3,300, and the kit price counts towards that value. So a mate who builds sheds on weekends for cash needs the right QBCC licence too. Our supply-and-install work is carried out under a QBCC licence; the licence details are shown at the foot of every page on this site. ### Questions to ask any kit supplier - Is the engineering done for my address, or is it a generic rating? Ask for the wind classification or design wind speed in writing. - Which Australian Standards does the product meet? Sunshine Coast Council advises that the specifications of any DIY shed kit should include them. - Will I get engineering drawings for the slab and footings, and the documents my certifier needs? - Has the engineering been independently reviewed? The Australian Steel Institute's ShedSafe scheme, for example, reviews a supplier's engineering plans and calculations for NCC compliance. - What exactly is in the kit, and what is excluded: doors, flashings, fixings, gutters, insulation? - Who do I call if something does not fit during the build? ### Is it cheaper to build your own shed? It can be, but compare like with like. A DIY kit removes the installer's labour from the quote and adds your own time, equipment hire, the owner-builder permit if needed, and the risk of mistakes. Mistakes with bracing, fixings or the slab are expensive to fix once the cladding is on. Ask each supplier for the same size, wind rating, doors and inclusions, then add up what you would still have to pay for yourself. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Not sure which way to go? Tell us about the job and we will quote both a kit and an installed shed. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/owner-build/apply-owner-builder-permit https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/dz/node/661 https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2018-0138 https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1991-098 https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/resources/building-work https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/building-certifiers https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/hazards/workplace-hazards/dangers-in-your-workplace/work-at-heights https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/development/building/sheds https://shedsafe.com.au/about-us/ ## What affects the cost of a shed in Queensland? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-cost-queensland Published: 2026-09-25 There is no honest single price for a shed, because the same floor area can cost very different amounts depending on the site's wind rating, the span and wall height, the doors, the slab your soil needs, the cladding, the delivery distance, approval costs and whether you build it yourself. BWG Sheds quotes each shed for its actual site. The useful thing to do before quoting is fix those variables so every quote you compare prices the same shed. ### Why we do not publish a price list A price per square metre looks helpful and is usually misleading. The steel in a shed is sized by an engineer for the wind at that exact site, the terrain around it and the building's importance level. Two sheds with the same footprint, one on a sheltered suburban block and one on an exposed ridge or in cyclonic Region C, can need different frames, purlins, bracing and fasteners. We would rather quote your shed accurately than print a number that does not apply to it. ### The factors that move the price What drives a steel shed quote | Factor | Why it matters | | --- | --- | | Wind region and site wind speed | Sets frame, purlin and bracing sizes and fixing spacing. Gladstone and Agnes Water are in cyclonic Region C on Geoscience Australia's indicative map. | | Span (width) | Wider clear spans need heavier rafters and columns. | | Wall (eave) height | Taller walls see more wind load and need taller doors, columns and more cladding. | | Length and number of bays | Adds frames and cladding in a fairly linear way. | | Site class of the soil | Reactive clay (H1, H2, E) or problem sites (P) need engineered footings, often more concrete and steel. | | Doors and openings | Roller doors, personal access doors, windows and open bays each need framing and bracing. | | Cladding and finish | Coastal exposure can call for a higher-grade coating and heavier-duty fasteners. | | Insulation and condensation control | Roof membranes or blanket insulation add materials but prevent problems later. | | Delivery distance and access | Remote or tight sites cost more to reach and unload. | | Approvals | Certifier fees, any council planning fees and engineering documentation. | | Who builds | DIY kit, your own builder, or supply-and-install. | ### The costs people forget - The slab, footings and any earthworks or retaining to get a level pad. - Stormwater: where the downpipes go and whether council needs a connection. - Electrical and plumbing, which need licensed trades. - Equipment hire for a DIY build: elevated work platforms, lifting gear, scaffolding. - An owner-builder permit if your project is valued over $11,000 including GST. - Extras such as whirlybirds, skylights, gutter guard or a mezzanine. Send us the size, doors and site and we will quote your shed properly, not per square metre. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote ### A checklist for comparing shed quotes 1. Same outside dimensions: span, length and wall height. 2. Wind classification or design wind speed stated for your address, not a generic rating. 3. Same number, type and size of roller doors, personal access doors and windows. 4. Cladding type and coating named for roof and walls, and fastener class for coastal sites. 5. Engineering certification included, and what drawings you receive for the certifier. 6. Slab and footings: included or excluded, and designed for what site class. 7. Delivery included to your address, and who unloads. 8. Approval help: included, optional or not offered, and whose fees are included. 9. Installation: included or kit only, and who holds the QBCC licence. 10. What is excluded, in writing. If a quote cannot answer these, it is not a quote for your shed yet. The cheapest quote on a different specification is not cheaper. ### Why location changes the same shed Two parts of Queensland show how much the site matters. Around Gladstone, Tannum Sands and Agnes Water, Geoscience Australia's indicative map puts the coast in cyclonic wind Region C, so the frame, fixings and doors are designed for cyclonic wind and even a small garden shed needs building approval. On the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, closeness to breaking surf decides the cladding: BlueScope recommends standard COLORBOND steel roofing only more than 200 m from breaking surf, with higher-grade products and heavier-duty fasteners closer in. Out on the Downs, reactive clay soils often make the slab the variable to watch. See how we design around the site first, then price the steel. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/shed-design ### How to keep the cost down without cutting corners - Choose the shed's position to avoid the most exposed spot on the property where you can. - Keep spans to what you need; a slightly longer shed is often cheaper than a much wider one. - Standardise door sizes where possible. - Get the soil classified early so the slab is designed once. - Build it yourself only if you have the skills, equipment and time. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Sources: https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/housing-provisions/2-structure/part-22-structural-provisions https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/1170-2-wind-regions-for-australia https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/146359/146359_01_0.zip https://www.steel.org.au/news-and-events/metal-musings/metal-musings-april-2026/shedsafe-takes-another-leap-forward-with-sitecheck https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/housing-provisions/4-footings-and-slabs/part-42-footings-slabs-and-associated-elements https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-01a https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-16 https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/corrosion-technical-bulletin-ctb-11-condensation-and-insulation https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/owner-build/apply-owner-builder-permit https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126 ## Shed wind ratings in Queensland: regions, classes and why they matter URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-wind-ratings-queensland Published: 2026-09-25 Your shed's wind rating comes from the site, not the brochure. The engineer works out a design wind speed from the wind region under AS/NZS 1170.2, the terrain, shielding and topography, and the building's importance level. On Geoscience Australia's indicative map, Brisbane, Toowoomba, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Maryborough, Hervey Bay and Childers are Region B1, while Bundaberg, Agnes Water and Gladstone are cyclonic Region C. ### Wind region, wind class and design wind speed Three terms get mixed up. The wind region is a broad zone from the Australian and New Zealand wind loading standard, AS/NZS 1170.2, based on the strongest winds expected in that part of the country. The NCC defines design wind speed as the design gust wind speed for the site, calculated to AS/NZS 1170.2 or AS 4055. Wind classes are the shorthand used for houses and similar buildings: N1 to N6 in the non-cyclonic Regions A and B, and C1 to C4 in the cyclonic Regions C and D. For a steel shed the engineer does not stop at the region. The site wind speed also depends on terrain category (open paddock versus suburb), shielding from surrounding buildings and trees, and topography such as a hill crest or escarpment. The Australian Steel Institute's ShedSafe SiteCheck, for example, calculates site wind speed from region, topography, shielding and terrain, and the engineer signs it off before manufacture. ### Which Queensland areas are in which region Geoscience Australia publishes its interpretation of the AS/NZS 1170.2:2021 wind regions as a dataset. We tested towns across our service areas against it on 25 September 2026. The dataset is expressly not for design, and Figure 3.1 of the Standard prevails, but it shows the pattern clearly. Indicative wind regions from the Geoscience Australia AS/NZS 1170.2:2021 dataset (point test, 25 Sep 2026; not for design) | Area | Indicative region | | --- | --- | | Brisbane, Ipswich, Caboolture, Beaudesert | B1 | | Gold Coast (Southport), Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore) | B1 | | Toowoomba, Gatton, Dalby, Warwick, Kingaroy | B1 | | Gympie, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Childers | B1 | | Bundaberg, Agnes Water, Gladstone, Rockhampton | C (cyclonic) | In Wide Bay, the boundary between Region B1 and cyclonic Region C falls between Hervey Bay and Childers on one side and Bundaberg on the other. Sites near that line, and anywhere around Gladstone, Tannum Sands, Boyne Island and Agnes Water, need the engineer to check the Standard directly. Region C has a practical approval consequence as well: Queensland's small-shed exemption from building approval (10 m² and under) does not apply in the tropical cyclone area. Building around Gladstone or Agnes Water? We engineer sheds for the cyclonic region and the coastal exposure together. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/gladstone ### Importance level The NCC assigns each building an importance level based on the hazard to life and other property if it fails. Importance Level 1 covers buildings that present a low degree of hazard, and the NCC Guide gives farm buildings and farm sheds, isolated minor storage facilities and minor temporary facilities as examples. Low-rise residential construction is Importance Level 2. 'Other property' includes any building on the same or an adjoining allotment and a road, so a shed close to a house, a neighbour or a road may not justify Importance Level 1. The engineer decides. ### Terrain, shielding and hills on rural sites Two sheds in the same wind region can still have different design wind speeds. A shed in the middle of open, flat paddock country has little around it to slow the wind, while one tucked among houses or trees is shielded. A shed near the crest of a ridge, on an escarpment or on the Great Dividing Range sees wind speed up over the top of the slope. The engineer allows for terrain category, shielding and topography under AS/NZS 1170.2, which is why the exact position on your property matters, not just the town. Shielding also changes over time. Trees get cleared and neighbouring buildings come and go, so engineers are generally careful about relying on it. If you are choosing between two positions on a block, ask how each would affect the rating before you commit. ### What a higher wind rating changes - Heavier or deeper frame sections, closer frame spacing or more bays. - Heavier purlins and girts, often at closer centres. - More bracing and stronger connections at the knee and apex. - More fasteners and larger footings to resist uplift. - Wind-rated roller doors, because a large door that fails lets wind pressurise the shed. Under-specifying risks failure in a storm. Over-specifying costs money for steel you do not need. That is why the rating should be worked out for the address and written on the engineering, rather than picked from a list. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Give us your address and we will quote a shed engineered for that site. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/1170-2-wind-regions-for-australia https://d28rz98at9flks.cloudfront.net/146359/146359_01_0.zip https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-two/1-definitions/glossary https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/housing-provisions/2-structure/part-22-structural-provisions https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-one/b-structure/part-b1-structural-provisions https://www.steel.org.au/news-and-events/metal-musings/metal-musings-april-2026/shedsafe-takes-another-leap-forward-with-sitecheck https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2021-0126 ## COLORBOND® or ZINCALUME® steel for a shed near the Queensland coast? URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/colorbond-vs-zincalume-coastal-queensland Published: 2026-09-25 It depends on how close the shed is to breaking surf or salt water, and walls need more distance than roofs. BlueScope's guides recommend ZINCALUME steel and standard COLORBOND steel roofing more than 200 m from breaking surf, COLORBOND Ultra steel from 100 m, and SUPERDURA Stainless closer. For walls, which rain washes less, the distances rise to over 1,000 m for ZINCALUME and over 800 m for standard COLORBOND steel. ### What the two products are Both are BlueScope products. ZINCALUME steel is steel strip with an aluminium, zinc and magnesium alloy coating. COLORBOND steel uses an alloy-coated substrate with factory-applied paint systems in Classic, Matt or Metallic finishes. For harsher environments BlueScope makes COLORBOND Ultra steel, and for very severe environments SUPERDURA Stainless. The choice is less about colour and more about how much salt the building will see. ### BlueScope's distance guidance BlueScope's selection guides give minimum distances from the marine source, measured from the high-water mark. They are a guide only, and they differ for roofs and walls because roofs are washed by rain and walls much less so. BlueScope TB-1A (roofing) and TB-1B (walling): recommended distance from breaking surf or exposed marine | Product | Roofing | Walling | | --- | --- | --- | | ZINCALUME steel | More than 200 m | More than 1,000 m | | COLORBOND steel (Classic, Matt) | More than 200 m | More than 800 m | | COLORBOND Metallic steel | More than 200 m | More than 1,000 m | | COLORBOND Ultra steel | More than 100 m | More than 500 m | | SUPERDURA Stainless | Any distance | Any distance | For calm marine environments such as protected bays, harbours and canal estates, the distances are shorter; BlueScope's walling guide, for example, gives more than 200 m for standard COLORBOND steel in calm marine conditions. BlueScope's walling recommendations assume a six-monthly maintenance program. ### Is my site surf, exposed or calm? BlueScope's marine definitions bulletin, TB-35, uses Queensland examples. Surf means exposed to breaking surf and ocean spray: Bribie Island, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast beaches, and Bargara. Exposed means open salt or brackish water facing onshore winds without typical breaking surf: Redcliffe, Cleveland, Moreton Bay, The Broadwater and Hervey Bay. Calm means protected water such as ports, harbours, bays and estuaries, including Gold Coast and Twin Waters canal estates. Building on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or near Hervey Bay? We specify cladding and fixings for your distance from the water. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/service-areas/sunshine-coast-noosa ### Fasteners, and the stainless screw mistake Screws corrode too. BlueScope's fastener bulletin, TB-16, sets AS 3566.2 Class 3 as the minimum, suitable more than 1 km from marine influence, and Class 4 between 200 m and 1 km. Within 200 m it says to consult the fastener supplier, which is COLORBOND Ultra and SUPERDURA territory. A common error is to use stainless steel screws on a coastal shed to be safe. BlueScope states that stainless steel, copper and copper alloys are incompatible with COLORBOND and ZINCALUME steel; stainless fasteners are only for SUPERDURA Stainless. ### Other things that shorten cladding life - Areas rain never washes, such as walls under wide eaves, garage doors and the underside of gutters. BlueScope recommends hosing these down at least every six months, more often on the coast. - What happens inside the shed. Heavy dust, emissions, heat, moisture, chemicals or animal housing can make standard cladding unsuitable. - Contact with the ground: sheeting partly buried or in constant contact with soil or mulch. - Condensation under the roof, which BlueScope says should be addressed at design stage with ventilation and a membrane or insulation. ### Condensation: the corrosion that starts inside BlueScope's bulletin CTB-11 explains that condensation forms when warm, moist air meets the underside of a roof sheet that has cooled overnight, and that significant condensation can cause damage that is hard and costly to fix after construction. Its recommendations are practical: ventilate so moisture can escape; drape a reflective membrane between the battens with at least a 20 mm air space above and below; use blanket-and-foil insulation for further protection; and trim insulation blanket well clear of gutters and valleys, because a wet blanket held against the steel can corrode it from underneath. The same membranes also reduce the popping noise roof sheets make as they heat and cool. ### Warranties depend on location too BlueScope's warranties are subject to application and eligibility, and warranty length depends on the end use and the location, including the nearest marine source. Its sample shed and garage warranty applies to a professionally designed and constructed structure on a concrete slab, with minimum sheet thicknesses and a minimum floor area. Ask your supplier how the warranty is registered, and check that the product chosen suits your distance from the water. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Tell us how far the shed will be from the water and we will quote the right cladding and fixings. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-01a https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-01b https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-35 https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-16 https://colorbond.com/faq https://colorbond.com/why-colorbond-steel/warranty https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/colorbondr-steel-data-sheet https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/corrosion-technical-bulletin-ctb-11-condensation-and-insulation ## Building a shed kit yourself in Queensland: the owner-builder guide URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/owner-builder-shed-kit-queensland Published: 2026-09-25 Yes, you can build a garage, carport or residential shed kit yourself on your own land. If the work is valued at more than $11,000 including GST, counted as if a licensed contractor supplied the materials and labour, you need a QBCC owner-builder permit. You still need building approval from a certifier, you are responsible for site safety, and owner-builders cannot build farm, commercial or industrial buildings. ### Do you need an owner-builder permit? The QBCC requires an owner-builder permit to undertake or supervise a building project valued at more than $11,000, including GST, on your own land. You can also hold one as a company director for company land, or on leased land with permission. The value is not what you spend: it is the trade price of all materials and labour, including GST, as if a QBCC-licensed contractor did the job, even if the work is free or the materials second-hand. A shed kit's price counts in full. Work you personally perform on your own land is not building work under the QBCC Regulation if its value is $11,000 or less, or if it is accepted development under the Building Act. Owner-builder work does not come with home warranty insurance, and QBCC notes the permit is recorded on the property's title. ### What owner-builders can and cannot build QBCC owner-builder scope for sheds | Building | Owner-builder permit? | | --- | --- | | Garage | Allowed | | Carport | Allowed | | Residential shed | Allowed | | Farm building | Not allowed under a permit (work up to $27,500 is not building work at all) | | Commercial or industrial shed | Not allowed | Planning a DIY garage or backyard shed? Our kits come engineered for your site, with the drawings your certifier needs. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/diy-shed-kits ### Approval and inspections Being an owner-builder does not change the approval requirement. Unless the shed meets an exemption, you need a building approval from a building certifier. The certifier then inspects the work at the required stages. For Class 10 buildings the footing or slab excavation stage must be inspected against the approval, and under the Building Regulation 2021 the certifier does not need to appoint another certifier as a competent person for those mandatory inspections. Book inspections before you pour concrete or cover work up. ### Working at heights is the big risk Most serious shed-building injuries involve falls. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland explains that specific fall-prevention rules apply where the fall risk is more than 3 m in housing construction, more than 2 m in other construction work, or on any roof sloping more than 26 degrees. In those cases edge protection, covers, travel restraint, fall-arrest platforms, harness systems or safety nets are required, and a safe work method statement is needed for construction work with a fall risk over 2 m. If friends or paid helpers are working with you, take those obligations seriously. ### What to organise before the kit arrives 1. Building approval, and the owner-builder permit if your project is over $11,000. 2. A slab and footings built to the engineering drawings, inspected by the certifier. 3. Clear, firm truck access and a flat, dry area to unload and store the bundles. 4. Equipment to unload and lift: forklift or telehandler, elevated work platform, scaffolding as needed. 5. A crew: portal frames and roof sheets are not a one-person job. 6. Licensed electrician and plumber for power, lighting and stormwater connections. ### Mistakes that cost DIY builders the most - Pouring the slab before the certifier has inspected the footing or slab excavation. - Setting hold-down bolts or column footings out of position, so frames do not line up. - Leaving out temporary or permanent bracing while the frame is standing without cladding. - Using the wrong screws, or stainless screws on COLORBOND or ZINCALUME cladding, which BlueScope says are incompatible. - Letting insulation blanket hang into the gutters, where it holds water against the steel. - Working on the roof without the fall protection the height or pitch requires. Most of these are avoided by following the engineering drawings exactly and asking before improvising. If a part does not seem to fit, stop and ring the supplier rather than drilling new holes. ### What comes in a BWG Sheds kit Our kits are supplied with the steel frame, purlins and girts, cladding, flashings, fixings, doors and accessories specified in your quote, plus the engineering and drawings for your site. Each kit page on this site has a numbered contents map of what arrives and a list of what you organise yourself, so there are no surprises on delivery day. If you get stuck during the build, call us. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Tell us about your DIY build and we will quote a kit engineered for your site. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/home-owner-hub/owner-build/apply-owner-builder-permit https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/dz/node/661 https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/sl-2018-0138 https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/news/new-building-regulation-2021 https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/building-certifiers https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/hazards/workplace-hazards/dangers-in-your-workplace/work-at-heights https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/tb-16 https://cdn.dcs.bluescope.com.au/download/corrosion-technical-bulletin-ctb-11-condensation-and-insulation ## Shed slabs and footings in Queensland: site classes and preparation URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-slab-footings-queensland Published: 2026-09-25 The slab and footings are designed for the ground and the wind. Under AS 2870, sites are classified by how much the soil moves: A (sand and rock), S, M, H1, H2 and E for increasingly reactive clay, and P for problem sites. The NCC's standard footing tables only cover classes A, S and M; for H, E and P sites the design must follow AS 2870. A shed's engineering also sets the footings that hold the frame down against wind uplift. ### Site classes in plain English AS 2870, the Australian Standard for residential slabs and footings, covers Class 1 and Class 10a buildings, including sheds and garages. It sorts sites by how much the ground is expected to move as the soil wets and dries. Reactive clays swell and shrink, and a slab that is not designed for them can crack or move. AS 2870 site classes (as summarised in the NCC Housing Provisions and geotechnical reports quoting AS 2870-2011) | Class | Ground | Characteristic surface movement | | --- | --- | --- | | A | Most sand and rock | Little or no movement | | S | Slightly reactive clay | 0–20 mm | | M | Moderately reactive clay or silt | 20–40 mm | | H1 | Highly reactive clay | 40–60 mm | | H2 | Highly reactive clay | 60–75 mm | | E | Extremely reactive | More than 75 mm | | P | Problem site: soft soils, uncontrolled fill, landslip, mine subsidence, collapsing soils, erosion, abnormal moisture, or cannot otherwise be classified | Must be assessed | ### When the footings must be engineered The NCC Housing Provisions include standard footing and slab designs, but only for sites classified A, S or M. If your site is H, E or P, reference must be made to AS 2870, which in practice means an engineer designs the slab and footings. Many clay sites on the Darling Downs and in parts of South East Queensland are reactive, so do not assume a standard slab will do. AS 2870 also has a gap that matters for sheds: it gives no advice on connecting the superstructure to the footings for wind or earthquake loads. A steel shed is light and has a large roof, so wind uplift is often what sizes the footings under each column. That part comes from the shed's own engineering, which is why the engineering drawings, not a generic slab plan, are the reference for your concreter. Every BWG Sheds kit comes with engineering for your site, including the footing details your concreter builds to. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/shed-design ### Preparing the site 1. Get the site classified. A soil test tells you and the engineer what you are building on. 2. Pick a position with good drainage. Water ponding against a slab edge causes problems on reactive clay. 3. Level the pad properly: cut and fill needs to be done and compacted correctly, and uncontrolled fill makes a site Class P. 4. Keep clear of trees, which dry out clay and cause movement; CSIRO's homeowner guide covers trees and drainage. 5. Locate services, easements, sewer and stormwater before you dig. 6. Book the certifier's footing or slab excavation inspection before the pour. ### Drainage and stormwater around the slab A shed roof collects a lot of water, and on reactive clay that water is a threat to the slab if it is dumped next to it. Plan where the downpipes discharge before the slab is poured, and grade the ground so surface water runs away from the slab edge rather than pooling against it. CSIRO's homeowner guide on foundation maintenance and footing performance explains how drainage, garden watering and trees change the moisture in clay under a slab, and why keeping moisture even matters. If your council requires a stormwater connection, the certifier will ask how it is handled. Think about the floor level too. A garage or workshop slab set too low on a sloping block can take in water under the roller door in heavy rain. Raising the slab, adding a set-down at the door or regrading the approach is far easier before the concrete goes in. ### Slab or piers? A garage or enclosed workshop usually sits on a full slab, because vehicles, benches and storage need a hard, level floor and the slab edge helps seal out water and vermin. An open-bay machinery shed or hay shed may sit on individual pad or pier footings under each column, with a gravel or compacted floor, depending on the design. The engineer chooses based on the use, the soil and the wind loads, and the choice changes both the cost and the approval drawings. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Send us your site details and we will quote a shed with footings designed for it. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://www.intertekinform.com/en-au/standards/as-2870-2011-123614_saig_as_as_268330 https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/housing-provisions/4-footings-and-slabs/part-42-footings-slabs-and-associated-elements https://research.csiro.au/infratech/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2024/12/2979_FoundationMaintenanceandFootingPerformance_WCAG.pdf https://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au/news/new-building-regulation-2021 https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/approvals-inspections/building-certifiers ## Bushfire and flood overlays: what they mean for your shed URL: https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/blog/shed-bushfire-flood-overlays Published: 2026-09-25 It can. In a designated bushfire-prone area, a Class 10a shed or garage associated with a house must meet the bushfire standard, and Queensland Government guidance applies it to outbuildings within six metres of a dwelling. Queensland's flood building code, MP 3.5, does not list Class 10 sheds, but council planning schemes can still control where a shed goes in a flood area. Check your property's overlays before you choose a position. ### Bushfire-prone areas The NCC's bushfire provisions, clause H7D4 in Volume Two, say that in a designated bushfire-prone area a Class 1 building, or a Class 10a building or deck associated with a Class 1 building, meets the performance requirement if it is built to AS 3959 or to the NASH Standard for steel-framed construction in bushfire areas. A detached shed out in a paddock is not associated with a house in the same way as a garage beside it. The Queensland Government's guidance on building in bushfire-prone areas says the residential bushfire standard applies to new homes or outbuildings, rebuilding, repairs to garages and sheds, and additions to homes and outbuildings within six metres of a dwelling. Queensland also has a variation: the requirements do not apply where the classified vegetation is Group F rainforest (excluding wet sclerophyll), mangroves, or grasslands under 300 mm high. Bushfire Attack Levels (AS 3959, as summarised by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority and CSIRO) | BAL | Exposure | | --- | --- | | BAL-LOW | Lowest level on the scale | | BAL-12.5 | Radiant heat up to 12.5 kW/m² | | BAL-19 | 12.5 to 19 kW/m² | | BAL-29 | 19 to 29 kW/m² | | BAL-40 | 29 to 40 kW/m²; flames may intermittently contact the building | | BAL-FZ | More than 40 kW/m²; flame zone | Council planning schemes can add their own requirements in a bushfire overlay. Toowoomba Regional Council, for example, notes that a bushfire overlay may require a bushfire management plan and on-site water storage. Building near bush or grassland? We check the overlay and design the shed position and specification to suit. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/services/council-approval-assistance ### Flood hazard areas Queensland's building code for floods, QDC MP 3.5, only applies where the local council has designated a flood hazard area and declared a defined flood level. Its purpose is to make specified buildings resist flotation, collapse or significant permanent movement. The buildings it lists are houses, some other classes and utilities for commercial buildings; Class 10 is not listed, and the state's guideline notes its utilities standards apply to all buildings except sheds and garages. That does not mean flood areas are unrestricted for sheds. Council planning schemes control development in flood overlays and overland flow paths. Sunshine Coast Council, for instance, says domestic outbuildings on rural and rural-residential land must not interfere with overland flow paths or flood hazard areas, and Logan City Council's standard conditions include flood-level conditions for domestic outbuildings. Beyond the rules, storing machinery or a caravan in a shed that floods is its own reason to choose the site carefully. ### Choosing where the shed goes Overlays often decide the best position before anything else does. On bushland acreage, keeping a new shed well away from the house can simplify the bushfire requirements, while a garage joined to or close to the house is treated as part of it. On flood-affected land, the highest practical ground, clear of overland flow paths and drainage lines, protects both the approval and whatever you store inside. On rural blocks the 200 m building exemption for farm sheds may also pull the shed into the paddock. Weigh these against access, power and how often you will use the shed. ### How to check your property - Look up your lot in your council's planning scheme mapping for bushfire, flood, overland flow and landslide overlays. - Use council flood tools where they exist: Toowoomba Regional Council has a flood risk portal, Ipswich maps flood risk in its City Plan overlay, and the City of Gold Coast publishes flood depth mapping. - Note any mapped bushfire hazard and the vegetation around the proposed shed. - Measure the distance from the proposed shed to your house; six metres is a key figure for bushfire guidance. - Tell your shed supplier and certifier what you find, early. An overlay found after the design is finished usually means redrawing it. - Keep a copy of the overlay maps with your approval documents; the certifier and council will refer to the same maps. ### What BWG Sheds checks Before we finalise a design we look at the overlays that apply to your lot, discuss the shed's position and its distance from the house, and allow for any construction requirement in the specification and approval documentation. Where an overlay needs council assessment, we coordinate it with the certifier and council. Requirements depend on your property, proposed structure and local planning/building controls. Send us your address and we will look at the overlays before we quote. → https://www.bwgsheds.com.au/request-a-quote Sources: https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-two/h-class-1-and-10-buildings/part-h7-ancillary-provisions-and-additional-construction-requirements https://www.qld.gov.au/emergency/dealing-disasters/disaster-types/bushfires/bushfire-resilient-homes-and-rebuilding/building-in-bushfire-prone-areas https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-12/0576_qra_bushfire_guideline_v10_pages_print.pdf https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Plan-and-build/Zoning-subdivision-and-heritage/Zoning-and-land-use-approvals/Building-in-the-Toowoomba-Region https://www.tr.qld.gov.au/Council/Mapping/Flood-risk-mapping https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/building-property-development/building-construction/laws-codes-standards/queensland-development-code/flood-hazard-areas https://www.housing.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/4265/mandatory3.5constructionofbuildingsinfloodhazardareas221012.pdf https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/development/building/sheds https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/About-Council/Initiatives/Environment/Waterways/Floods/Flood-Mapping https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Flood-maps https://www.logan.qld.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/5/planning-and-building/documents/standard-conditions.pdf