Decks

An easement is an area of land on your property that councils and other authorities are allowed to access. When an easement is obstructed, it can prevent important maintenance work and block the flow of stormwater.

Check your Certificate of Title for any easements. If you don’t have this document, you can get a copy from the Landata website for a small fee.

Check if the:

• area of the structure is 10 sq m or less and it will be built over an easement – you may need permission from the service authority relevant to the easement. Contact the authority for advice.
• structure will be built within 1 m of a water supply – you may need permission from the water supply authority. Contact the authority for advice.

Does your property have any easements?

• If yes, check that your deck plans comply with any requirements, then go to the next step. 
• If no, go to the next step.

Create a Planning Property Report on the VicPlan website by entering the address of your property. This will give you the zone of your property and any overlays (restrictions).

You need a Planning Permit if your property has any of these overlays:

• Heritage Overlay and the deck will be seen from a street (not a laneway) or public park
• Public Acquisition Overlay
• Land Subject to Inundation Overlay
• Environmental Significance Overlay
• Design and Development Overlay (except for Design and Development Overlay Schedule 4)
• Significant Landscape Overlay 
• Special Building Overlay

If your property is on the Victorian Heritage Register, you may also need approval from Heritage Victoria. Contact Heritage Victoria for advice on how to apply for approval.

If your property has a Special Building Overlay, contact our Statutory Planning team for advice on whether you need a Planning Permit.

Does your property have any of these overlays?

• If yes, apply for a Planning Permit then go to Step 4.
• If no, go to the next step.

Check the zone of your property in the Planning Property Report you created in Step 2.

You need a Planning Permit if your property is in a Commercial 1 Zone or a Commercial 2 Zone.

Check if your property is zoned as:

• General Residential 
• Neighbourhood Residential
• Residential Growth
• Mixed Use.

You need a Planning Permit if your property is in one of these 4 zones and any of these apply:

• The area of your property is under 300 sq m and the deck has a finished floor level more than 800 mm above natural ground level. To calculate the area, use the boundary dimensions in your property's Certificate of Title. If you don’t have this document, you can get a copy from the Landata website for a small fee. (Tip: If your property is square or rectangular, calculate the area by multiplying the length of the property by the width)
• The deck will be used for non-residential purposes (for example, if it’s associated with a medical centre).
• The property has more than one dwelling and the deck has a finished floor level more than 800 mm above natural ground level.

Does your deck need a Planning Permit?

• If yes, apply for a Planning Permit then go to the next step.
• If no, go to the next step.

You always need a Building Permit to build a deck.

If you discovered in previous steps that you need a Planning Permit, you must wait for your Planning Permit to be issued before you apply for the Building Permit.

•    Apply for a Building Permit, then go the next step.

You may need other permits, depending on your situation.

If you need to:

• remove, prune or do works within 2 m of a canopy or significant tree during your build, apply for a Tree Works Permit 
• store equipment on a road, footpath or nature strip, apply for a Road or Footpath Occupancy Permit. 

If your works could impact:

• driveway access to your property, apply for a Vehicle Crossing Permit 
• public assets, such as roads, footpath or nature strip, apply for an Asset Protection Permit.

You can apply for these at any time. You don’t need to wait for other permits to be issued before you apply.

You can begin construction:

• after all your permits or permissions have been issued
• if your situation does not require any permits or permissions.