Shed permit rules in Baltimore, MD — also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations — set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Baltimore Building Code Section 105.2 exempts one-story detached accessory structures used as tool/storage sheds or playhouses from a building permit when floor area is 120 sq ft or less. Article 32 Sec. 15-501 still limits height to 15 ft and rear-yard coverage to 50%.
Baltimore City's adopted 2018 IBC, codified in the Building Code, exempts one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses from a construction permit when the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet (Section 105.2). Permit exemption does not waive compliance with the Zoning Code or any other applicable code. Article 32 (TransForm Baltimore) Sec. 15-501 sets the dimensional and locational standards that always apply: an accessory structure must be on the same lot as the principal structure, may not occupy more than 50% of the area of a required rear yard, may not exceed 15 feet in height, must comply with the yard requirements of the underlying district, and may not be erected before construction of the principal building. Sheds with electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work require the relevant trade permits even when the structure itself qualifies for the size-based building-permit exemption. Sheds larger than 120 sq ft, those exceeding 15 ft in height, or those built before the principal house require a building permit and zoning review through the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Sheds exceeding 120 sq ft, taller than 15 ft, encroaching into required setbacks, covering more than 50% of the required rear yard, or installed before the principal dwelling are Code violations enforceable by DHCD and the Zoning Administrator. Penalties include stop-work orders, citations, and orders to remove or modify the structure. Adding electrical or plumbing without trade permits triggers separate enforcement under the Building Code.
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