Glenn County, CA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Under Glenn County Code Title 15, a 'gardening shed' is one of the accessory buildings expressly permitted as an accessory use 'customarily used in conjunction with and incidental to a principal use or structure' in the residential and rural-residential zones (for example, Sections 15.350.010 and 15.370.030). Section 15.220's definitions define an 'accessory building' as a building or structure detached from the main building whose use is incidental to that of the main building on the same lot. Setbacks depend on the zoning district. In the RE (Rural Residential Estate) zone, Section 15.350.060(D) provides that the side yard of an accessory building exceeding 1,000 square feet must be the same as required for the main building, while any accessory building less than 1,000 square feet needs a minimum 5-foot side yard and rear yard.

In the R-1 Single-Family Residential zone, Section 15.370.070 requires accessory buildings to meet the main building's side yard and to sit at least 5 feet from the rear property line. Maximum height for accessory structures is 15 feet in the R-1 and R-M zones (Sections 15.370.080 and 15.380.080); in the RE zone, agricultural buildings may reach 50 feet but accessory buildings using the reduced 5-foot setback are limited to 20 feet at the ridge (Section 15.350.070). A building permit is administered separately by the county Building Division; the code does not exempt sheds from zoning setbacks even where a small structure may be building-permit exempt under the California Building Code.