Building and installing a wooden garden shed is one of the most frequently asked questions, given the amount of confusing information available online, designed solely to divert users to sites selling them.
Most of our users ask about tool sheds, which are generally prefabricated structures, mostly made of wood, with a rectangular or square layout. Their roofs can be single or double-pitched to allow rain and snow to drain away quickly, and they also have gutters to collect rainwater.
There are numerous posts detailing how to apply for permits, how to build them, and how to make them functional, but few provide an answer to the most frequently asked question: what are the construction restrictions for a wooden shed?
The answer is not clear-cut, but depends on the type of structure you intend to install: whether it is stable and fixed or temporary and removable.
Building a wooden house: the basics
Before delving into the bureaucratic procedures and any paperwork required to own a garden shed, it’s first necessary to define the installation plan. Therefore, before installing the structure, it’s recommended to lay a foundation screed or base. This will make the shed more stable and also prevent and minimize rising damp.
To create the base, which serves as a support and possibly also as an external walkway, simply dig a trench slightly larger than the wooden structure, place a 10-15 cm layer of gravel on top, and spread cellophane to cover the gravel and prevent rising damp. At this point, you can pour the 10-15 cm layer of concrete, with an electro-welded iron mesh inside.
Once the concrete has dried, the shed can be secured with brackets and screws.
This operation falls within the scope of free construction activities, provided that the permeability index, which expresses the minimum percentage of surface permeable to rainwater, is respected.
Wooden house: materials used
Garden sheds, primarily made of wood, can also be constructed of other materials: PVC/resin and aluminum.
Wooden Shed
The most commonly used and highly sustainable material, wood is particularly suited to this application. Thanks to special interlocking techniques, wood offers greater strength and durability over time. A wide variety of wood types can be used: fir, pine, larch, and cedar. The choice depends on the customer’s needs, but also on the location and budget.
PVC/Resin Shed
The second material is widely used and will make the garden shed weatherproof. Compared to wood, it is less aesthetically pleasing, but it has the advantage of requiring little maintenance over time. A second advantage over wood is its lightness: PVC sheds weigh about half as much as wooden ones, making assembly easier and consequently reducing transportation costs.
Aluminum Shed
The final type of shed is the aluminum one, a more technical-looking construction, where the sheet metal and frame are galvanized and painted in the customer’s preferred color. The disadvantage is insulation; if you decide to install this type of shed, it’s a good idea to remember to insulate the structure internally, as otherwise it would make the interior very hot.
Regulations and permits
Having defined the characteristics and various commercial solutions, we now address the issue of regulations and permits. Careful consideration must be given to which permits to apply for. Simply having a removable structure isn’t always enough to avoid complex bureaucratic procedures.
The general rule is that for the installation of any construction project, including log cabins, garden sheds, or tool sheds, it’s necessary to submit a Building Permit or a DIA (notification of commencement of activity) to the relevant Municipality, drawn up by a qualified technician.
Each Municipality has its own rules and building regulations to refer to. However, if you search for “garden shed permit” within the latter, you’ll almost certainly fall under free construction if the garden is privately owned, or a DIA with the consent of the condominium will be required if it’s a shared garden.
If the municipal regulations do not specify any specific regulations, National Law No. 380 of June 6, 2001, regarding free construction applies.
Generally, small houses, from 6 to 20 square meters, fall under free construction and do not require a permit, simply a notice of installation.
The situation is different for houses larger than 20 square meters. In these cases, it is necessary to contact a professional who will produce the documentation required by the municipality: a technical report and drawings indicating the dimensions of the house, distances from boundaries and roads, and its height.
Temporary, and therefore removable, structures are also included in free construction.
These include: sheds made of wood or lightweight materials, containers, and canopies. According to Article 6 of the aforementioned national law, such structures must be built to meet temporary and contingent needs and must be removed after the established 90-day period. Temporary structures are those that are not permanently fixed to the ground. This could lead to the possibility of circumventing the building regulations set by the PRG (Public Planning Scheme), which could lead to the installation of prefabricated boxes.
Despite the simple construction and the secondary use of log cabins, the various theories regarding their construction and the bureaucratic process are more complex than one might expect. It is best to always rely on a qualified technician who has access to municipal and national building regulations to find the most appropriate solution suited to your needs.