I Built a Shed, Extension or Deck Without Approval — What Are My Options?

First of all, take a breath. This is one of the most common situations we deal with, and it is almost always fixable. Whether you put the structure up yourself, inherited it from a previous owner, or simply didn’t realise approval was needed, there’s a clear path forward.

When a structure has been built without approval, there are generally a few options on the table, and the right one depends on the structure itself and the rules that apply to your property.

Option one is to regularise the structure as it stands. If the building is sound and sits comfortably within the relevant planning controls, it may be possible to obtain a Building Information Certificate, which gives you a certified position from the council on the existing structure.

Option two applies where the structure also involves a change in how the land or building is used. In those cases a different approval pathway may be more appropriate. This is where getting the right advice early really matters, because choosing the correct pathway from the outset saves time, money and stress.

Option three, in some cases, is to make modifications to bring the structure into line with what’s permissible, and then regularise it.

What we’d never recommend is ignoring it. Unapproved structures have a habit of surfacing at the worst possible time, usually when you’re trying to sell.

The best first step is simply to find out where you stand. We can assess your structure against the current planning controls and let you know the most sensible pathway before you commit to anything.