Do I need a permit for a garage under 108 square feet in Dieppe New Brunswick?

You should plan on needing a building permit even for a small garage under 108 square feet (10 square metres) in Dieppe, because the municipality enforces its own zoning and building permit requirements that may not include a blanket exemption at that size. While some smaller rural municipalities in New Brunswick exempt accessory structures under 10 square metres from building permits, Dieppe is a growing urban municipality within Greater Moncton with its own by-laws and building inspection department, and you should confirm directly with them before assuming any exemption applies.

Even if the building permit itself is not required for a structure below a certain size threshold, there are several other regulatory requirements that almost certainly still apply. Zoning compliance is required regardless of whether a building permit is needed. Your small garage must still meet the setback requirements for accessory buildings in your zone — typically 3 to 5 feet from side and rear property lines in Dieppe's residential zones. It must not exceed the maximum lot coverage percentage when combined with your house and any other structures on the property. And it must not encroach on any easements, drainage corridors, or right-of-ways.

Electrical work always requires a separate electrical permit in New Brunswick, regardless of the size of the building. If your small garage will have any wiring at all — even a single light fixture and outlet — you need an electrical permit and the work must be performed by a licensed electrician and inspected before it is energized. This is a provincial requirement administered through your local building inspection office, and there is no size exemption for electrical permits.

A garage under 108 square feet is quite small — roughly 10 feet by 10 feet — which is adequate for a single small car, a motorcycle, lawn equipment storage, or a small workshop, but it will not accommodate a standard-size pickup truck or SUV. Before committing to this size, measure your vehicle including the length with the doors open and ensure you have adequate clearance. A structure this small also raises practical questions about foundation requirements. Even at this size, the foundation must extend below the frost line in NB — a minimum of 4 feet (1.2 metres) — unless you use an approved floating slab or pier system. A shallow foundation on a small garage will heave just as readily as on a large one, and a heaving garage with a jammed door or cracked slab is not worth the savings from skipping proper frost protection.

Here is what you should do before building. Contact Dieppe's building inspection department directly and describe your planned structure — size, location on the lot, intended use, whether it will have electrical, and your proposed foundation type. They will tell you definitively whether a building permit is required and what zoning rules apply. Bring a copy of your property survey or a site plan showing where you intend to place the garage relative to your property lines and existing structures. This conversation costs nothing and can save you from building a structure that violates setbacks, exceeds lot coverage, or creates problems when you eventually sell your home.

Skipping the permit process to save a few hundred dollars is a false economy. Unpermitted structures can void your homeowner's insurance coverage, create complications during a property sale when the buyer's lender or inspector identifies the structure, and may need to be removed or brought into compliance at your expense. For a small garage project in Dieppe, the permit process is straightforward and relatively quick. If you need help finding a contractor to build even a small garage properly in the Greater Moncton area, New Brunswick Garages can match you with local professionals for free.