Loudoun County, VA Accessory Structures: Carport Rules (2026)

Loudoun County's current Zoning Ordinance was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 13, 2023, replacing the 1993 Revised 1972 Zoning Ordinance. Carports are defined in the Chapter 12 Glossary as a space outside a building and contiguous thereto, wholly or partly covered by a roof, used for shelter of motor vehicles. Treatment depends on whether the carport is attached or detached. An attached carport is part of the principal structure and must meet the front, side, and rear yard setbacks of the zoning district (e.g., R-1, R-2, R-4, AR-1, AR-2, JLMA). A detached carport is treated as an accessory structure and is governed by the development standards in Chapter 5 (formerly Article 5, Section 5-100) of the prior ordinance and the equivalent standards in the rewritten ordinance: a detached accessory building may be located 5 feet from side and rear lot lines provided there are no windows or doors on the portion that encroaches into the required yard. Accessory structures may not be placed in front yards in most residential districts, and the combined size and height of accessory structures is limited by district. The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), enforced by Loudoun County Building and Development, requires a building permit for any roofed structure regardless of whether walls are present; the USBC's exemption for accessory structures under 256 square feet applies to detached one-story sheds without electric or plumbing and does not categorically exempt carports. Lots in the Mountainside Development Overlay, Steep Slope, or Limestone Overlay districts and lots within Historic and Cultural Conservation Districts (e.g., Aldie, Hillsboro, Lincoln, Middleburg, Waterford) require additional review. HOA-governed neighborhoods (Brambleton, Broadlands, Ashburn Farm, Lansdowne, One Loudoun) typically require Architectural Review Committee approval before any carport is installed.