In the excitement of choosing and ordering your first gazebo, it may be easy to overlook the council regulations and bylaws. Doing so can spell doom for your project so make sure that you find out about council approval before you proceed. http://www.summerhouse.net.au

1. When is Building Permission Required?
When erecting a gazebo, it should be kept in mind that, although not large, it is a structure,
and, because of this, you may need approval from the council in order to build it. It is
important to check exactly where you stand or you may find that you will be required to pull
the gazebo down or may face fines from the council.
Naturally, council regulations vary from place to place so getting authorisation for pergolas
Sydney may be very different from getting authorisation for those in Melbourne. You need
to check with your local council for the best advice or refer to the manufacturer of your
chosen pergola – they should be able to give you advice on the council regulations
pertaining to pergolas in your area.
In general, though this is not necessarily the final word, many councils classify building
projects in terms of three broad categories – Exempt Development, Complying Development
and Development Application. Should you be going for a gazebo that meets all the criteria
laid down by the government, then you will not need to ask for council approval at all. This
is generally the case for all standard gazebos.) Should you need something that is slightly
outside these guidelines but that can still be assessed by a private certifier, the project will
be likely to be considered a Complying Development. In this case, the approval process is
much less involved and so is a lot shorter. (Usually less than two weeks.) You would not
need to notify your neighbours in this case.
For cases that do not fall under the ambit of either of the two mentioned above, you will
need to complete a Development Application. You will find that this will entail everything
that you would have to provide for a major development, from building plans to
environment impact reports, etc. This is a lengthy process and can take three to four
months to complete. Fortunately, however, a gazebo is seldom going to fall into the
category of a major development. If you are unsure of where your gazebo fits into this
spectrum, consult experts in the gazebos Melbourne profession and get their advice.
Overall, as mentioned before, it is unlikely that a gazebo is going to be considered a major
development. If anything, you are more likely to find that they are Exempt Developments.
Still, it is best to consult your local council for confirmation. Be sure to give them the vital
statistics of the gazebo in question, especially if it is not a standard one.
http://www.summerhouse.net.au