Steel canopy – notification or building permit? 

We focus on what matters most to our clients: canopies and agricultural buildings up to 300 m² that can be built without a building permit.

Free-standing canopy up to 50 m² – notification only

Under the Polish Construction Law, a free-standing canopy with a footprint of up to 50 m² does not require a building permit – a notification is enough. However, there are restrictions:

• • a maximum of 2 such canopies per 1000 m² of plot,

• • intended for private recreational use (e.g. a carport or log store),

• • they must comply with the planning conditions and the local zoning plan.

For small domestic needs, a lightweight carport is usually enough – we have a separate offer for this. A MatBud steel canopy made from IPE I-beams is a “premium” structure. That is why it is most often chosen by business clients and farmers who need a building that will work for decades.

Agricultural canopies and buildings up to 150 and 300 m² without a permit – notification only

For several years now, regulations have allowed farmers to build a sizeable canopy or building on the basis of a notification – without a building permit. Specifically, on a farm you can build:

• • free-standing, single-storey utility buildings (including canopies and garages) with a footprint of up to 150 m² and a structural span of up to 6 m – on notification (Art. 29(1)(33) of the Construction Law),

• • free-standing, single-storey agricultural buildings (e.g. canopies, buildings for straw, feed, machinery or crops) with an area of up to 300 m² and a span of up to 7 m – also on notification, if they stand on a farm (Art. 29(1)(32) of the Construction Law).

This opens up huge possibilities for farmers who need storage for straw, feed, machinery or crops and want to avoid a permit procedure lasting many months. At MatBud we sell a great many such buildings. Customers appreciate that they are buying a building that only requires a notification, rather than full building documentation with an architect and a complete set of approvals. The whole process – from the purchase decision to the finished building – can take 2–3 months.

What if the canopy is bigger? An example from our practice

Let's get specific. A 7×24 m canopy has a footprint of 168 m². What about the formalities?

• • on an ordinary (non-agricultural) plot – it requires a building permit, because it exceeds the 50 m² limit for free-standing canopies,

• • on agricultural land, as an agricultural building with a span of up to 7 m – it falls within the 300 m² limit, so it qualifies for notification only.

In practice, the same building may require a full permit in one case and only a notification in another – the land designation and the investor's status are decisive. So don't buy a canopy based on a Facebook ad – check what plot it is going on and what your local zoning plan allows. We will help you interpret the regulations and choose the dimensions so as to avoid an unnecessary procedure.

Snow and wind zones – they also apply with a notification

A steel canopy, even one built on notification, must meet load standards. Poland is divided into 5 snow zones and 3 wind zones. A canopy in zone III or IV (mountains, foothills) requires a much heavier structure than the same canopy in zone I (Greater Poland, Łódź region). The difference in steel weight can reach 30–40%, which of course affects the price.

We offer two solutions: structures available from stock for those who want to move quickly, and buildings designed individually for a specific location – with calculations for the snow and wind zones of your plot. In both cases we give a 10-year warranty on the zinc coating.

What else is worth knowing before submitting a notification?

Before you submit the documents to the district authority (starostwo), check three things:

• • whether the plot is covered by a local zoning plan and what it allows in terms of utility buildings,

• • whether the required distances from the plot boundary are kept (usually 3 m for a wall without openings, 4 m for a wall with a window or door),

• • whether the building requires approvals from the heritage conservation officer, environmental authorities or utility providers.

These three issues often decide whether the notification goes through without comments or the district authority asks the investor to supplement it.

Want to know what you can build without a permit?

Call: +48 780 770 705 or +48 517 777 712. We will help you analyse your plot, choose dimensions that fit within the notification procedure and calculate the structure. The quote is free – you can also use our configurator. Remember: saving time on formalities often means your investment can get off the ground several months sooner.