BackyardPlans

Sleepouts you can build without a consent.

Three ready-to-build sleepout designs, each under 10m² and drawn to fall inside NZ's no-consent threshold for small structures. Pick a design, download the plan set, hand it to your builder — or build it yourself.

Under 10m²no building consent required*
NZS 3604framing referenced throughout
PDF plan setselevations, framing, materials list

Three designs to start with

The Kauri is modelled in full below — Totara and Rimu are still being drawn up, shown with the Kauri model as a placeholder for now.

3D preview

The Kauri

Classic gable, straightforward build
  • Footprint3.6m × 2.7m
  • Floor area9.72m²
  • RoofGable, 15°
  • Sleeps1–2

The straightforward option — a traditional gable roof that's easy to frame and cheap to clad. Good first build if you're doing the work yourself.

Kauri shown — Totara model coming soon

The Totara

Mono-pitch, studio-style
  • Footprint3.0m × 3.0m
  • Floor area9.0m²
  • RoofMono-pitch, 3°
  • Sleeps1–2

A square footprint with a low mono-pitch roofline — reads more like a studio than a shed. Suits a home-office or teenager's retreat as much as a guest bed.

Kauri shown — Rimu model coming soon

The Rimu

Compact skillion, tight sites
  • Footprint3.9m × 2.4m
  • Floor area9.36m²
  • RoofSkillion, 5°
  • Sleeps1

Narrower and longer, built for sites where width is tight against a boundary. The skillion roof keeps the high side away from the neighbour's fence line.

How this works

Choose

Pick a design

Compare footprint, roofline, and layout across the three sleepouts and choose the one that fits your section.

Download

Get the plan set

A PDF pack with floor plan, elevations, framing details, and a materials list — ready to hand to a builder or use yourself.

Check

Confirm with your council

Exemption conditions (boundary distance, height, site coverage) vary by council — confirm your specific site before you build.

Plans aren't live yet.

Designs are still being drawn up. Leave your email and which design you're after, and you'll be first to know when plan sets are ready to download.

No design selected yet — pick one above, or just get notified generally.
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