Bloomington, IN Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

030(g)(1). Accessory structures, defined as uses and structures customarily incidental to the home, must comply with all dimensional and development standards for the district regardless of whether a temporary use permit or certificate of zoning compliance is required, per subsection (A). Table 03-4 then sets the cumulative cap: an R1 lot gets up to two enclosed accessory structures totaling 1,000 square feet or half the primary structure's footprint, whichever is less; R2 lots are capped at 840 square feet total; R3 at 580 square feet; and R4 at 400 square feet, all with no stated maximum number in those three districts.

Placement is fixed under subsection (F): a shed must sit at least 35 feet back from the front property line and at least 5 feet from the side and rear lines, unless another UDO provision authorizes something different, and flag poles get a 12-foot front and 1-foot side/rear allowance instead. Any accessory building over 120 square feet also has to pick up the design cues of the house itself, matching materials, scale, colors, architectural details, and roof slope, under subsection (G). Detached garages carry an extra rule requiring them to sit at least 10 feet behind the house's front facade, and chicken flocks kept in a shed-adjacent coop fall under Title 7 (Animals) rather than this section.

The Planning and Transportation Department administers site plan review and issues the certificate of zoning compliance that ties an accessory structure's paperwork to the size and setback figures in Table 03-4.