Sheds and Australian Building Codes

The Building Code of Australia can be a bit vague and tricky to navigate, which is why it’s important to understand what you’re looking for in a shed or a garage and how you can go about getting it. For instance, a shed, carport, or private garage is considered a Class 10a building if it’s non-habitable by the BCA. This is an important classification because the building codes differ for habitable and non-habitable buildings.

It doesn’t matter if your shed is just a single room or if it’s a multi-room shed, if you’ve got any of the following rooms in your shed or if you use it as one of the following rooms, you’re in trouble when it comes to classification. These rooms are:

• Bedrooms
• Living Rooms
• Dining Rooms
• Sewing Rooms
• Kitchens
• Lounges
• Studies
• Playrooms
• Television Rooms
• Music Rooms
• Sunrooms
• Family Rooms

If your shed contains even one of these rooms, it’s going to be considered a Class 1a building, requiring the appropriate building permit.

So what exactly can go into a Class 10a building? If it seems like there’s not much at all that you can include in a Class 10a building, you’re not wrong; at the same time, the BCA does list a number of different rooms that can exist in a shed without it having to be classified as “habitable” and therefore subject to the limits of Class 1a building classifications. The distinctions are made to ensure that no one uses a shed or garage as a permanent dwelling without also complying with safety standards.

Here’s a handy list of what can be included in your shed without compromising its Class 10a status:

• Bathrooms
• Laundry Rooms
• Clothes-drying Rooms
• Photographic Darkrooms
• Water closets
• Pantries
• Walk-in robes
• Lobbies
• Corridors
• Hallways

This of course also includes pure storage solutions such as garages meant to house motor vehicles or storage sheds for the purpose of keeping personal belongings out of the elements.

As you can see, there are quite a few things you can include in a garage or shed that will not trigger a Class 1a building classification. If you do want to convert a shed into a Class 1a building, you can accomplish this, give us a call to discuss your requirements.