Building a Shed in the Barossa: What the Council Looks For

Most sheds in the Barossa need development approval before they go up. The Barossa Council says the construction of most sheds, garages and outbuildings needs approval, made up of two parts: planning consent (is this shed right for this block) and building consent (is it built to the National Construction Code). Only a small garden shed that fits the State exemption, 15 m² or less with a few other limits, can skip it.

We build steel sheds across the Barossa Valley from our workshop in Mount Pleasant, so this is the question we hear before almost every job. Here is what the council looks at, drawn from its own Build a shed guide, and how to get your application right first time.

First, check which council you are in

The Barossa Council covers Tanunda, Nuriootpa, Angaston, Lyndoch, Williamstown, Eden Valley, Springton and the towns in between. Around Mount Pleasant it gets tricky, because three council areas meet there. Mount Pleasant itself sits across the Barossa and Mid Murray boundary, Palmer, Tungkillo and Cambrai are in the Mid Murray Council, and Gumeracha and Lobethal are in the Adelaide Hills Council.

The State sets the rules for when approval is needed, and the Planning and Design Code applies across SA, but your zone and the council that assesses your application depend on your exact address. Put it into the PlanSA zoning tool before you do anything else. The rest of this guide is about the Barossa Council area.

What planning consent looks at

Planning consent is assessed against the Planning and Design Code. The Barossa Council lists the key things it will look at for a shed:

• What it is for. The shed has to be used for purposes that go with the house, like storage and parking cars.
• Size and scale. It has to suit the block and the zone (see the size guide below).
• Where it sits. Siting that keeps the visual impact on the neighbours and the street down.
• Materials and colours. Non-reflective, and in keeping with the buildings around it.
• What is underneath. It cannot be built over, or encroach into, your wastewater disposal area or a council easement.

That colour point matters when you pick from the Colorbond chart. A plain unpainted finish shines more than a painted one, and a darker or more muted colour usually sits better in a rural view. If you are not sure, ask the planner before you lock in the colour on your order. The wastewater point catches people on rural blocks with a septic system and an irrigation area, so mark both on your site plan.

How big a shed can you build?

The council gives a general guide by zone:

• Neighbourhood Zone (in the townships): generally under 80 m², with a wall height under 3 m.
• Rural Living Zone: up to about 200 m², with a wall height under 4 m.

These are guides, not guarantees, and every application is assessed on its own. Farming land is a different zone with different policy, so if you are planning a machinery or hay shed on a working property, check what your zone says rather than going by the house-block numbers.

Building a house and a shed at the same time

Plenty of people want the shed up first, to store tools and materials while the house goes up. The Barossa Council says that when you are building a shed and a dwelling at the same time, the dwelling slab must be completed before the shed can be approved. Plan your build order around that.

The Barossa Character Preservation District

Much of the Barossa is protected by the Character Preservation (Barossa Valley) Act 2012, which aims to recognise, protect and enhance the special character of the valley. The Planning and Design Code includes a Character Preservation District Overlay, and the council notes that development must be assessed against it (council report, October 2025). In practice, that is one more reason a shed in the rural parts of the valley gets looked at for how it sits in the landscape.

What building consent needs

Building consent is assessed against the National Construction Code and the Ministerial Building Standards. You can get it through the council or engage a private certifier. The council asks for:

• Structural details for the shed, in line with the building rules.
• Builders indemnity insurance for work valued at $20,000 or more where a licensed builder does the work.
• The Construction Industry Training Board levy for work valued at more than $100,000 (excluding GST) with approval or a start date after 1 January 2025. See the CITB levy page for how it is worked out.

Ask us at quote stage what drawings and engineering your shed needs for the application, and who supplies them, so nothing holds up the lodgement.

How long approval takes

The council quotes the timeframes set in the legislation: 5 business days to verify the planning application and 20 business days to assess it, then the same again for building assessment. Those clocks stop while you answer any request for more information, and they do not include public notification or referrals if your application needs them. Our fabrication time runs on top of that (typically 2 to 6 weeks once the order and deposit are in), so start the paperwork early.

Before you lodge: a quick checklist

1. Check your council and zone in the PlanSA zoning tool.
2. Measure the shed against the State exemption. If it is over 15 m², over 2.5 m high or has a span over 3 m, it needs approval.
3. Mark the shed, the house, boundaries, septic tank, wastewater area and any easements on a site plan.
4. Pick a size that suits your zone, and a non-reflective colour.
5. If you are building a house too, get the dwelling slab down first.
6. Get the structural details for the shed you are actually buying.
7. Lodge through the SA Planning Portal.

The council's development team is on 8563 8444 or development@barossa.sa.gov.au if you want to talk it through. When you are ready, design the shed in the 3D designer, see the steel sheds we build, or call Sean on 0455 579 207. For the exemption itself, condition by condition, read do I need council approval for a shed in SA.