Attleboro regulates carports as accessory structures under the City Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 17 of the City Code). Section 17-3.5(7) governs accessory use regulations. Carports must satisfy the dimensional and setback requirements of the underlying residence district (Single Residence SR or General Residence GR) and must sit on the same lot as the principal dwelling. Building permits are issued under 780 CMR (Massachusetts State Building Code) by Attleboro's Building Department.
Attleboro's zoning ordinance is codified as Chapter 17 of the City Code and is based on Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A. Section 17-3.5(7) of the Zoning Ordinance contains the Table of Accessory Use Regulations, which governs detached and attached accessory structures including carports. Carports - whether open-sided or enclosed, attached or detached - are treated as accessory structures and must comply with the dimensional requirements of the underlying residence district. Attleboro's principal residence districts are Single Residence (SR) and General Residence (GR), each with their own front, side, and rear yard setback minimums set in the Schedule of Dimensional Regulations. An attached carport is part of the principal structure and must meet the principal structure's front, side, and rear setbacks for the SR or GR district. A detached carport is an accessory building and must satisfy the side and rear setback for accessory structures in that zone, must sit on the same lot as the principal dwelling, and generally may not occupy the front yard. Building permits, electrical permits, and structural permits for carports are administered by Attleboro's Building Department under 780 CMR (the Massachusetts State Building Code, currently the Tenth Edition based on the 2021 IBC/IRC). Per 780 CMR §R105.2, one-story detached accessory structures of 200 square feet or less and not used for habitation generally do not require a building permit, but a carport over that threshold or attached to the dwelling does. Variances from the SR/GR setbacks are heard by the Attleboro Zoning Board of Appeals under MGL c.40A, §10.
Building a carport without the required Attleboro Building Department permit, or placing it in violation of the Section 17-3.5(7) accessory-use regulations or the SR/GR dimensional standards, can lead to stop-work orders, code-violation citations, and required removal or after-the-fact permitting. The Attleboro Zoning Board of Appeals hears variance requests when a proposed carport cannot meet the setback or dimensional standards. Civil fines for zoning violations are assessed under MGL c.40, §21D and the City of Attleboro's local non-criminal-disposition schedule.
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