Overall residential shed permits down almost 20%

In 2022, 3,409 permits for sheds were issued across Ontario, down almost 20% from 2021. To require a permit, a shed must be a minimum size, so this category includes large, stylish sheds that have become increasingly popular as a separate living/workspace or backyard getaway.

Despite the overall decrease, there were a few municipalities that experienced increases in the number of shed permits issued. The city of Ottawa was the provincial leader with 122 permits in 2022, an increase of about 14% from 2021. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent saw about a 29% increase in shed permits issued (71 in 2022) but landed in fourth provincially. The City of Cambridge had almost a 107% increase in the number of shed permits issued in 2022 (62), landing them in sixth spot provincially. Finally, the Town of Lakeshore saw a more than 4% increase in shed permits issued in 2022 (45), which put them in ninth.