Place your shed on firm, level ground behind the dwelling, clear of easements, drainage lines and bushfire overlays. Before you settle on a spot, check three things: council approval rules and setbacks, underground services or easements, and how water moves across your site. Once you’ve confirmed those, a firm, level base is all a resin shed needs to sit securely for years.

TL;DR:

• Most sheds under 10 square meters and 2.4 meters tall are exempt from approval if setbacks and stormwater rules are met, but overlays can require permits.
• Siting in a well-drained, flat area behind the dwelling with proper clearance, access, and away from easements prevents long-term issues and easement violations.
• Building over underground services or in low spots that trap water risks costly repairs or drainage problems later on.
• When in bushfire zones, extra separation and a bushfire management plan may be necessary, even for small sheds.
• For easy installation, a level, firm base slightly larger than the shed footprint, such as a concrete slab or compacted gravel, is recommended.

Table of Contents

• A practical site-selection checklist you can use on your block
• Planning approvals and common setback rules to confirm before ordering or siting a shed
• Site factors that matter most: drainage, slope, sunlight, ventilation and bushfire risk
• Base and foundation options and when each is appropriate
• Sizing, orientation and access: layout tips so doors, shelving and maintenance work easily
• Common siting mistakes and how to avoid them
• Keter practical guidance: product-fit and on-site tips from the manufacturer
• Neighbour consultation and notification: what’s expected before you build
• Security: keeping your shed visible enough to deter theft but easy to secure
• Proximity to utilities: water, electricity and what they mean for shed use
• Quick rules I use on site when choices are constrained
• Turning your chosen spot into a working storage solution
• FAQ
• Sources

A practical site-selection checklist you can use on your block

Walking your yard with a tape measure and a notepad beats guessing every time. A short, methodical walkaround tells you which spots are worth measuring properly and which ones to cross off straight away.

Here’s a simple order to work through:

1. Mark two or three candidate spots with stakes or spray paint, favouring areas behind the house rather than beside the driveway or front fence.
2. Stand at each spot and look for slope: does water run toward the house, away from it, or sit flat?
3. Check for obvious drainage lines, downpipe outlets or boggy patches that show where water naturally collects.
4. Walk the access route from your gate or driveway to each candidate spot, picturing a flat-packed shed box or a loaded wheelbarrow making the trip.
5. Measure clearances to the nearest fence, the house wall and, if relevant, the road frontage.
6. Pull your certificate of title and check council planning records for easements or overlays before you commit to a final spot.

Placing the shed behind the dwelling rather than in front of it also helps keep your streetscape tidy. This matters if your council has rules about what’s visible from the street.

A few measurement habits save headaches later. Allow enough width for your side gate so a flat-packed shed or a loaded trolley can actually get through, not just squeeze past. Leave at least 600 to 900 millimetres of clearance around the shed’s perimeter for maintenance, repainting panels or reaching rear vents. If the shed has double doors, make sure they can swing fully open without hitting a fence, hedge or clothesline.

Pro Tip: Lay a length of garden hose or rope on the ground in the exact shed footprint before you dig or order, then walk around it for a day to see if the spot still feels right.

Planning approvals and common setback rules to confirm before ordering or siting a shed

Most councils let you build a small shed without formal approval, but the thresholds vary and it’s worth confirming yours before you buy anything. Brisbane City Council’s guidance notes that many councils treat sheds under 10 square metres and no taller than 2.4 metres as exempt development, provided they also meet setback and stormwater rules, but this is an example and your own council may set different limits.

Typical rules you’ll run into:

• Exempt development thresholds commonly allow small sheds of typical compact size and modest height, though some councils allow more depending on zoning.
• Front or road setbacks are often around 6 metres, while side and rear setbacks commonly range from 0.9 to 1.5 metres, partly for fire separation between buildings.
• Bushfire, heritage or flood overlays can remove your exemption even if the shed itself meets the size rules.
• Small or narrow lots sometimes trigger approval requirements that wouldn’t apply on a standard block.

Shoalhaven City Council recommends starting from the assumption that you need approval until you can prove otherwise, using a spatial viewer to confirm your zoning and overlays, then preparing a simple site plan showing the shed’s location, dimensions and distances to boundaries. If your plan doesn’t fit the exempt criteria, you’ll need a development application or a complying development certificate, and a private building certifier can tell you quickly which path applies to your block.

Site factors that matter most: drainage, slope, sunlight, ventilation and bushfire risk

The spot that looks flat at a glance isn’t always the spot that stays dry. A short site assessment before you dig or lay a base avoids most long-term problems.

Start with water. Walk the area after rain if you can, or picture where runoff from the roof, a neighbouring slope or a downpipe would travel. Avoid siting directly in a natural drainage line, even a shallow one, since water will keep finding that path regardless of what you build on top of it. Council guidance on stormwater points out that sheds shouldn’t obstruct drainage easements or create runoff problems for neighbouring properties.

Key checks for a sound site:

• Look for pooling after rain, soft or boggy ground, or moss growth, all signs of poor drainage.
• Aim for a base that’s level or very slightly raised, since a few centimetres of fall away from the shed helps shed water rather than trap it against the walls.
• Orient the door toward your main access path, and where possible, position the shed so air can move through rather than sit stagnant, which helps reduce condensation inside.
• In a mapped bushfire-prone area, check the relevant overlay before finalising your spot.

A shed sited in a bushfire overlay area may need extra separation and defendable space, according to Victoria’s planning guidance on outbuildings, which recommends checking bushfire overlays early and, in some cases, preparing a bushfire management plan. Even a small, non-habitable shed can carry siting conditions once it’s inside a mapped overlay, so it pays to check this before you measure anything else.

Base and foundation options and when each is appropriate

The right base depends on your shed’s size, weight and how permanent you want the installation to be.

• Concrete slab: the most durable option for heavier or permanent sheds, offering a flat, stable surface that resists settling, though it costs more and takes longer to prepare and cure.
• Compacted crushed rock or paving: a cost-effective middle ground that drains well when properly compacted and graded, suiting most backyard sheds without the wait for curing concrete.
• Timber bearers or sleeper bases: quick to install and fine for smaller resin sheds, but they need good airflow underneath and careful moisture management to avoid rot over time.

Whichever base you choose, make it slightly larger than the shed’s footprint. The extra margin stops water pooling right against the walls and gives you somewhere solid to stand tools or anchor brackets. Anchoring matters too, even with a light resin shed, since a secure base keeps it from shifting in wind.

For a shed like the Keter Oakland Garden Shed 1175, a perfectly flat, firm, well-drained base is generally all that’s needed. There’s no requirement for a full concrete slab unless you’re after maximum permanence, and our pre-installation guide walks through exactly what to check beforehand.

Pro Tip: Use a spirit level across both the length and the diagonal of your base before assembly. A base that looks flat by eye can still be out by several centimetres corner to corner.

Sizing, orientation and access: layout tips so doors, shelving and maintenance work easily

Getting the size and layout right matters as much as picking the spot itself.

1. Resist the urge to automatically double your estimated storage need. Buying twice the shed you think you’ll use often pushes you past exempt development limits, when a well-planned shelving layout inside a smaller footprint does the same job.
2. Face the door toward your main access path, whether that’s a side gate or driveway, so you’re not carrying tools or mower attachments around the long way every time.
3. Leave enough clearance in front of the door for the largest item you plan to store, whether that’s a ride-on mower or a stack of garden furniture.
4. Allow a maintenance perimeter of roughly 600 to 900 millimetres on at least two sides, so you can reach vents, repaint panels or fit a shelf kit later without squeezing past a fence.

A shelf kit fitted inside a slightly smaller shed often beats a bigger shed with empty floor space, and it keeps your footprint within easier reach of exempt development rules.

Common siting mistakes and how to avoid them

A handful of errors show up again and again, and most are easy to avoid once you know to look for them.

• Siting in a low spot that traps water: raise or regrade the base before you build, rather than hoping it dries out on its own.
• Building over an easement or underground service: check your certificate of title and council records first, since sheds built over sewer or stormwater easements are often forced into removal or relocation later.
• Underestimating gate or access width: measure with the actual shed box or its largest contents in mind, not just an empty doorway.
• Assuming exempt development without checking overlays: a shed that meets the size and height rules can still need approval if it falls inside a bushfire, flood or heritage overlay, or pushes total site coverage over the limit.

Keter practical guidance: product-fit and on-site tips from the manufacturer

Once you’ve settled on a compliant, well-drained spot, matching it to the right shed becomes a simple measuring exercise. Some resin sheds are designed to sit on a flat, firm, well-compacted base rather than requiring specialist footings, which keeps installation straightforward for most backyard sites.

• A shed like the Keter Oakland Garden Shed 1175 suits a firm, level base around 3.5 by 2.3 metres, so measure your chosen spot against that footprint before ordering.
• If your site is narrower or you want to keep your footprint inside exempt development limits, the Keter Signature Horizontal Shed in Stormgrey look offers a lower, wider profile that can suit tighter side-yard spots.
• Adding a storage shed shelf kit lets you organise vertically, which often means you can choose a smaller shed than you first planned.
• Before delivery, our step-by-step assembly guide and moisture barrier guide cover base preparation, anchoring and ventilation details worth checking before you dig.

Neighbour consultation and notification: what’s expected before you build

In most cases, a small backyard shed that meets your council’s exempt development rules doesn’t legally require you to notify neighbours, but it’s still worth a quick conversation before you start. Side and rear setback rules exist partly to protect neighbouring properties from overshadowing, water runoff and loss of privacy, so a shed built hard against a shared fence can become a source of friction even when it’s technically compliant.

If your shed sits near a boundary, is taller than a standard fence line, or changes how water drains onto a neighbouring block, a heads-up conversation avoids disputes later. Some councils do require formal notification for larger structures or those seeking a variation to standard setbacks, so check your specific application pathway if your shed doesn’t meet exempt criteria. Where a development application is needed, the council process itself often includes a notification period for adjoining owners, so you may not need to organise this yourself.

Keeping a friendly relationship with whoever lives next door is usually worth more than the ten minutes it takes to mention your plans before the delivery truck arrives.

Security: keeping your shed visible enough to deter theft but easy to secure

A shed tucked completely out of sight can be convenient for tidiness, but it also gives anyone who shouldn’t be there more privacy to tamper with it unseen. Balancing visibility and privacy is worth thinking through at the same time as drainage and access.

A spot that’s visible from a kitchen window or a frequently used path makes it harder for anyone to interfere with the shed without being noticed, while still keeping it out of direct view from the street. Avoid siting a shed in a far corner screened by dense planting on all sides unless you’re confident about boundary fencing and lighting in that area.

Beyond placement, a few practical habits help secure the contents:

• Choose a shed with a lockable door and keep the padlock or latch in good condition.
• Store higher-value tools or equipment toward the back, away from the door.
• Consider motion-sensor lighting nearby if the shed sits in a shadier part of the yard.

None of this requires an elaborate setup. A well-placed, well-lit, lockable shed deters most opportunistic interest without needing anything more than sensible siting and a decent lock.

Proximity to utilities: water, electricity and what they mean for shed use

Where your shed sits relative to water taps and power points affects how useful it ends up being day to day. A spot near an outdoor tap makes rinsing tools, filling watering cans or hosing down equipment far more convenient than carrying buckets across the yard.

If you’re planning to run power to the shed for lighting, charging tools or a small fridge, proximity to your switchboard or an existing outdoor power point reduces cabling costs and complexity. Running underground electrical cable is a job for a licensed electrician, and the route needs to avoid tree roots, existing pipes and any easements you identified during your site check.

Keep in mind that siting a shed too close to utility access points, like a water meter, stopcock or electrical pit, can breach council rules or make routine maintenance access difficult for utility providers. Check the location of any underground services on your property before finalising your spot, since this ties directly back to the easement check covered earlier. A shed that’s a few extra metres from a tap or power point is a minor inconvenience; one that’s sitting on top of a service line is a much bigger problem.

Quick rules I use on site when choices are constrained

On a tight block, I prioritise drainage and access over hiding the shed away. A shed that’s slightly more visible but easy to reach and well drained beats one tucked in a boggy back corner every time.

When approval rules feel unclear, I choose a smaller footprint and a spot that could be adjusted later if plans change. Before ordering, I run three checks: council exemption limits, easements on title, and how water moves across that exact patch of ground.

— Liza

Turning your chosen spot into a working storage solution

Once you’ve worked through drainage, setbacks and access, choosing the shed itself becomes the easy part. We’ve built our range around straightforward DIY assembly and bases that don’t need specialist footings, so the site prep you’ve already done is most of the job.

A few starting points worth checking against your measurements:

• The Keter Oakland Garden Shed 1175 suits a firm, level spot of roughly 3.5 by 2.3 metres and works well behind a dwelling where you have the room.
• The Keter Signature Horizontal Shed in Stormgrey look fits narrower side yards thanks to its lower, wider profile.
• A storage shed shelf kit helps you make the most of a smaller footprint, which keeps your options open if your block has tighter setback limits.

Before you order, measure your chosen site against the shed’s exact dimensions and check our assembly guide for base and anchoring details. You can browse our full range of sheds, outdoor storage and cabinets or explore garden and planter options if you’re planning the rest of the yard around your new shed.

FAQ

Where should a shed be placed in a backyard?

A shed generally works best behind the dwelling, on firm, level ground that’s clear of drainage lines, easements and bushfire overlays. Check your council’s setback and exempt development rules, as explained by Brisbane City Council, before finalising the spot.

What are the most common mistakes people make when siting a shed?

The most frequent errors are building in a low spot that traps water, placing the shed over an easement or underground service, and underestimating gate or access width for delivery. Checking your title, council records and access route before ordering avoids all three.

Which direction should a shed face?

There’s no single mandated direction, but facing the door toward your main access path, whether that’s a gate or driveway, makes day-to-day use far easier. Orienting the shed to allow some airflow through the doorway also helps reduce condensation inside.

Do I need council approval to build a shed?

It depends on your council, but many allow small sheds under around 10 square metres and 2.4 metres in height as exempt development, provided setbacks and stormwater rules are met, according to Brisbane City Council’s guidance. Shoalhaven City Council recommends assuming you need approval until a spatial viewer and site plan confirm otherwise.

Do I need to tell my neighbours before building a shed?

Formal notification usually isn’t required for a small shed that meets exempt development rules, though a quick conversation with neighbours helps avoid disputes over fence-line placement or drainage. If your project needs a development application, the council process typically includes its own notification step for adjoining owners.

Sources

• Building a shed - approvals and requirements | Brisbane City Council
• Garden Sheds | Shoalhaven City Council
• Outbuildings, sheds and similar buildings | Planning Victoria

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