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Are you building a garage or storage building in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg? Construction in the Municipality is governed by the Nova Scotia Building Code Act and Regulations. The Act and Regulations set out the activities that require a building permit, the requirements that must be met in order to issue a building permit, the inspections that are required for the project and the requirements that must be met in order to issue an occupancy permit. Construction must meet the National Building Code of Canada (2015). Not all storage buildings require a building permit – you can build a single storey storage building up to 215 square feet on the same property as your dwelling without a building permit, if you are unsure please contact our office (development permits may still be required).

In order to apply for a building a building permit to build a storage building the following is required:

  • Our completed application that clearly indicates the property, the use of the proposed structure, the size of the construction and value of construction.
  • A location plan (hand drawn sketch) that clearly shows the road, property lines, any structures that are currently on the property and the proposed location of the building you wish to build – please indicate the distance from all four sides of the building to all the previous items (property lines, road, other structures).
  • If you are putting ANY plumbing in the storage building a valid septic permit issued by Nova Scotia Environment (if you are connecting to an existing system a letter from a Qualified Person indicating the system is acceptable for the additional use is required).
  • If you are building within 328ft (100m) of any provincial road you require a Working Within the Right of Way permit for the construction of a building within the right of way issued by the provincial Department of Transportation. If you are building further than 328ft from a provincial road you can fill out our NSTIR Exemption Form.
  • Building plans and structural details – ALL applications must include a cross-section, labelled floor plan (showing window & door sizes), and four elevations (showing windows & doors)
  • Please note that any storage building on a structural slab foundation that is over 800 square feet or has a second storey MUST have the slab designed by an engineer licensed to practice in Nova Scotia and the stamped engineered drawing along with the Form 4 from the engineer as well as the Form 1 from the property owner. *Other aspects of construction may require engineering*

*If you have any questions regarding requirements that would apply to your specific project, please contact our Building Permit Department at 902-541-1325 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.