Asheville, NC Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Sec. 7-14-1(a)(1) sets the baseline placement rule for every accessory structure in the city: it cannot sit inside a required front setback area at all, and while it may encroach into a required side or rear setback, it may not be located closer than six feet to the side or rear property line. That six-foot buffer is the floor for a backyard shed, detached garage, or similar structure regardless of how close the zoning district's principal-building setback otherwise runs. Height is capped separately in Sec.

7-14-1(b)(4)c: accessory structures cannot exceed 25 feet, but the code allows that ceiling to rise, one foot of height for every additional foot of side and rear setback provided, up to a hard maximum of 40 feet. Placement within the lot is also restricted by Sec. 7-14-1(b)(4)d, which keeps accessory structures, other than detached garages, in the side or rear yard on non-corner lots rather than in front of the principal structure; lots larger than three acres get more flexibility to place a structure toward the front, though still outside the required front setback.

Detached garages get a narrow exception: the planning and development director can approve a front-yard location if topography, lot width, or similar physical constraints make a side or rear placement impractical, provided the garage is kept out of the front setback and is designed to read as clearly subordinate to the house. The code also caps total accessory structure footprint against lot area through a table referenced in Sec. 7-14-1(b)(4)b, though that table is published as an embedded graphic rather than as codified running text.