Do You Need a Permit for a Pre-Built Shed?

Building Permits for Pre-Built Sheds: A Complete Guide

We explained in a recent blog why investing in a rent-to-own shed can be a great, budget-friendly solution. But whether you opt to finance, rent-to-own, or purchase your building outright, steel sheds offer lots of benefits as personal storage solutions. Light-gauge steel buildings are durable, moisture-, pest- and fire-resistant, fully customizable, and easy to maintain. And since the building components are all custom fabricated in a dedicated facility ahead of time, on-site installation goes much faster too. It would be worth your while to check out some of the many metal storage shed possibilities available to you here.

Are Building Permits Required for Installing a Pre-Built Shed?

This is actually a question we get quite a bit at Carport Central: Do I need a building permit for a shed? The short answer is, it depends.

If you intend to use your metal building for human occupancy or for commercial purposes, you’ll almost certainly need a building permit. But for something as simple as a metal shed or backyard storage building, a permit isn’t always required.

When Are Building Permits Typically Required?

It’s true that not all building or renovation projects require permits. If you’re doing something as simple as making cosmetic adjustments, putting on a roof, or replacing a window, building permits aren’t generally needed. But if you’re putting up a new structure, or making structural changes to an existing building, permitting often comes into play.

Here are a few instances of building projects that often do require permitting:

• New construction or new additions
• Major renovations
• Structural changes like adding or removing load-bearing walls
• Making electrical or plumbing changes

If a Building Permit Is Required, When Do I Need to Get It?

The best way to learn more about the building codes and regulations that apply in your area is to check with your local municipality or county. Our building specialists at Carport Central are also pretty familiar with the building permit requirements in most regions of the country, so we’ll be happy to help steer you in the right direction when planning your new metal building.

If it turns out that a permit is required for your building, you’ll need to have that in hand before the scheduled delivery and installation takes place. Otherwise, your building installation will need to be delayed until after you obtain your permit.

What Happens If You Don’t Get a Required Permit Before You Build?

What’s the big deal? It matters because of the negative consequences you could face if the proper permits aren’t in order before you build. For starters, you could be fined by your city, state, or local homeowners association (if applicable). Worse still, your local building authority could require you to remove or tear down your building entirely, if the required permitting process hasn’t been followed. It’s much better to ensure that you’re following the proper procedure on the front end, rather than suffer avoidable fines and potential legal action down the road.

Do I Need Site Plans for Steel Sheds?

Again, that depends on the building codes and regulations that may apply in your area. If a building permit is required, then metal building blueprints and site plans may also need to be submitted as part of the permitting process.

But whether a site-specific plan is required or not, it’s still a good idea to have some sort of site plan to work from when designing and installing a steel structure. Carport Central offers a variety of generic site plans you can use as a starting template for your new storage shed. And where site-specific plans are needed, our engineering partners can also provide what you need for a fee. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have.

What About Metal Building Certification?

That’s another common question we receive from metal building buyers. Thanks to the many advantages of using light-gauge steel as a construction material, our metal buildings are already stronger, more durable, and more versatile than comparable stick builds. So, what is certification then? A certified metal building has been specifically engineered to meet or exceed minimum wind and snow loads that correspond to local building codes and requirements.

Does your metal shed need to be certified? That really depends on how you intend to use your building, as well as on which local building codes and regulations apply. In areas where building certification isn’t required, we still advise our customers to consider building certification. A certified building offers more peace of mind that your new building will be better equipped to handle whatever Mother Nature sends your way.

Ready to Get Started on Your Perfect Backyard Storage Building? Carport Central Has You Covered.

Looking for a building solution that will meet all of your personal storage needs? Carport Central has the perfect steel structure for you!

Every building we provide is individually designed and made-to-order, based on your personal needs and preferences. Whether you’re looking for a storage shed, carport, garage, barn, utility building, workshop, or something larger – we’ve got you covered! Plus, you can even develop your own tailored building layout with our easy-to-use 3D Estimator tool, accessible on any computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Ready to get started? Reach out to us online, or simply give us a call at (980) 321-9898 to connect with one of our friendly building experts today!

At Carport Central, we do much more than just sell metal buildings. We provide shelter for your way of life.

At Carport Central, what’s Central to you, is Central to us.