Shed permit rules in Auburn, AL — also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations — set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Sheds and other detached accessory structures in Auburn need a zoning certificate and must follow Section 511. They sit at least 10 feet behind the front building line, at least 5 feet from property lines, and at least 10 feet from the main house, and all accessory structures together cannot exceed 50 percent of the home's floor area.
Auburn's Zoning Ordinance Section 511 (Accessory Uses) governs storage sheds, gazebos, greenhouses, and similar detached structures. Section 511.02 requires a zoning certificate before any accessory structure is established or constructed. Several siting limits apply under Section 511.03: an accessory structure may not be built before substantial completion of the principal structure (511.03.B, with an agriculture exception in the Rural district); it must be placed no less than 10 feet to the rear of the front building line (511.03.G); it may not sit within a required bufferyard or closer than 5 feet to a property line where no bufferyard is required (511.03.H); and on corner lots it may not be located within the required street-side setback (511.03.I). Section 511.03.E requires that no accessory structure be closer than 10 feet to a principal structure or 5 feet to any other accessory structure unless attached by fully enclosed living area. A total-size cap in Section 511.03.J limits the combined accessory floor area of all structures on a residential lot to 50 percent of the principal structure's floor area (counting open carports, gazebos and greenhouses, but not pools); lots of three acres or larger in the Rural (R) district are exempt. Accessory structures must also comply with all area, bulk, and yard regulations (511.03.F) and may not push impervious surface over the site maximum (511.03.C). A building permit may also apply depending on size.
Installing a shed without a zoning certificate, too close to a property line or the house, or in a way that exceeds the 50 percent accessory floor-area cap or the site's impervious surface limit can result in code-enforcement notices, required relocation or removal, and corrections before approval.
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