Building a pergola, veranda, deck, or carport

A pergola means an open structure that is unroofed but may have a covering of open weave permeable material.

A veranda means a solid roofed structure with openings on one or more sides and attached to a building or house.

In most circumstances, a planning permit is not required.

A planning permit is not required for an open-sided pergola or veranda if:

• The structure has a finished floor level not more than 800mm above ground level and a maximum height of three metres above ground level; or
• The land is residentially zoned and has an area of more than 300m2

If the land has an overlay, you may need a planning permit.

Find out if you need a permit with our online planning tool.

You do not need a building permit for a pergola, providing it is:

• not more than 20m² in floor area; and
• not more than 3.6m in height; and
• located no further forward on the allotment than the front wall of the building to which it is appurtenant; or
• located no further forward than 2.5m of the front wall of the building to which it is appurtenant.

Yes, you need a building permit for a veranda.

In most circumstances  you do not need a planning permit to build a deck associated with a house provided:

• The structure has a finished floor level not more than 800mm above ground level; or
• The land is residentially zoned and has an area of more than 300m2

If the land has an overlay a planning permit may be required. You can check the zones and overlays that apply to your property at VicPlan.

Yes, a building permit is required to build a deck. 

In most circumstances you do not need a planning permit to build a carport or garage associated with an existing house.

You may need a planning permit if:

• the land is less than 300m2 or
• the land has an overlay
• the land is zoned Rural Residential, Green Wedge or Green Wedge A.

Find out if you need a planning permit using our online planning tool.