24/06/2026
Rural Farm Shed Hero - Farm sheds that DONT require Council approval.
This is an interesting category!
The optimal design for complying development Farm sheds is around 300m2. You can get good sized sheds approved without council in this space. If on the right zoned property such as a RU1, RU2, etc you can often get 500m2 approved via CDC as well BUT there’s a BUT; when you do a building over 350m2, the license requirement for a certifier changes and a commercial certifier is then required to asses the job and the use of the building will likely change from a Class 10 storage to a Class 7 or similar. It may then need Fire assessments and carparking, landscaping and vehicle swept path considerations which is why 300m is more optimal for an easier approval.**
You have plenty of height to play around with for machinery or hay storage and you can still have lock up sections within the building.
Check with your supplier but most buildings this size are more efficient at 5 or 6m bays. Anything over 6m bays or 6m eave height is likely to be pushing on the engineering limits of cold formed steel and may be beneficial to consider hot rolled if going bigger. The size below however, is completely doable out of cost effective cold formed steel.
Farm Sites have the BEST opportunity for exempt development as well! Find out more by ordering your PlanDAT report to see if you can take advantage of the up to 200m2 exempt farm building guidelines!**
The larger you go, you will begin to need to justify the farm use of the property and building. However, it is normally quite evident to a certifier.
Note : Environmental and conservation zoned properties in NSW can not be approved via private certifier and must be applied via a DA through council.
