Blaine, MN Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Blaine's citywide accessory-building rule, City Code § 100-5, applies before any district-specific numbers come into play. It bars building or using an accessory structure before the principal building has its own permit, keeps detached accessory buildings and garages out of required front or side yard setbacks, requires every accessory building to comply with its zoning district's regulations, and caps accessory building height at the principal building's height everywhere except the Agricultural (AG) district.

The Single-Family (R-1) district, covering most of Blaine's platted subdivisions, layers on the specifics in § 109-120. A lot may keep up to two private garages or accessory buildings by right under § 109-118, with a third requiring a conditional use permit under § 109-119. Setback-wise, garages and accessory buildings need at least a five-foot rear and side yard setback, except that accessory buildings under 120 square feet only need a one-foot setback, and any accessory building on a corner lot needs a 20-foot corner yard setback. Structures placed inside that five-foot buffer and inside a drainage and utility easement sit there at the owner's risk of removal.

Section 109-120(12) requires the home's garage to be at least 400 square feet with no dimension under 20 feet, and caps total combined garage, carport and accessory building space at 1,000 square feet unless a conditional use permit authorizes up to 1,200 square feet. A shed other than a garage generally has to sit in the rear yard; a single-story shed may go in the side yard only with zoning administrator approval and a screening plan of privacy fencing or landscaping, and only where the house has a living-space door on that same side.