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

130 sets the standard the planning department applies to every backyard shed, workshop, or detached structure built in a residential zone or residential-type project. Subsection A gives small accessory buildings a break: if the structure is 7 feet tall or less and covers 120 square feet or less, it may be located right up against the interior side or rear yard area with no minimum setback from those lines. Cross that 7-foot height or 120-square-foot area threshold, though, and subsection B kicks in, the structure must then be set back at least 5 feet from any interior side or rear property line, the same buffer larger detached structures need for fire access and neighbor separation.

Subsection D is a flat prohibition: no accessory building or structure of any size may be located within a required street side yard or front yard area, full stop. 110(B). Commercial and industrial zones don't get the small-shed exemption at all, subsection C routes any accessory building or structure in those zones straight to the full development standards of the underlying commercial or industrial zone district, meaning setbacks, height, and coverage all track the primary zone rather than this residential carve-out. 080 requires the location, height and material of proposed structures to be shown on the application. 130 dates to a 2012 amendment (Ord. 4680), it reflects the city's current standard rather than an older prior-code figure.