A carport in Howard County is an accessory structure subject to Section 128.0 zoning rules. Detached accessory garages and sheds have zero-foot side and rear setbacks on single-family detached lots, while other accessory structures must sit five feet from side and ten feet from rear lot lines.
Under Zoning Regulations Section 128.0, the required setbacks from side or rear lot lines for accessory structures on lots improved by single-family detached dwellings are: detached accessory garages or sheds, zero feet; other accessory structures, five feet from the side and ten feet from the rear. A freestanding carport falls under these accessory-structure standards and counts toward the cumulative lot-coverage cap for the lot's zoning district. Because accessory structures may not contain living space, a carport cannot be enclosed into habitable rooms without meeting accessory-apartment rules. Structures attached to the dwelling and building additions are instead subject to the principal-dwelling setbacks in Title 3, Subtitle 1 of the Howard County Building Code. A permit from the Department of Inspections, Licenses
A carport placed within a required setback or exceeding the district lot-coverage cap is a zoning violation subject to correction orders and fines by the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits.
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