Outdoor Structures near you

Start with what the structure has to do, then let that settle its size, how enclosed it is and which services it needs. Those answers also decide how much foundation work, design and permitting the project involves.

Toronto's permit guidance shows how size, use and connections decide the answer. A building permit is needed for any accessory structure larger than 10 m², with examples such as a detached garage, workshop, carport, pool house or cabana, and for any accessory structure attached to an existing building or containing plumbing, whatever its size. A shed is exempt only if it is not more than 15 m², one storey, detached, used just for storage and has no plumbing. A deck more than 60 cm above the ground needs a permit, which matters for a pavilion on a raised platform. Even without a permit, the zoning bylaw must be followed.

Montreal treats these buildings as outbuildings, and its page lists woodsheds, pool and spa shelters, detached garages, gazebos, garden pavilions, pergolas and private greenhouses. Depending on the type or dimensions, a permit may be needed. The combined area of the house and its outbuildings can't exceed the limit the borough sets, outbuildings can't go in the front yard except in specific cases, and each borough's planning bylaw sets the maximum height and the distances to keep from the house, the lot lines and the street.

Frost is the deciding factor. Wet soil expands as it freezes and lifts whatever rests on it, and a roofed structure that moves unevenly racks its frame, cracks its finishes and jams its doors. How much movement a building can tolerate, and how hard wind can pull on its roof, determine the foundation.

A pool house or pavilion often ends up with lights, outlets, a fan, a fridge or a heater, and sometimes a washroom, an outdoor shower or a bar sink. Each service adds a trade and usually a permit, so plan them together with the structure rather than after it.

Roofs in Canada carry snow that can build up for weeks and drift against walls. Building codes based on the National Building Code of Canada set design snow loads from local climate data, so a kit that suits one region may be undersized in another; ask for the manufacturer's snow rating, or a builder's design, for your location. Open structures also catch wind like a sail, which is why anchoring matters as much as the roof.