Bolingbrook, IL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Sec. 54-222(1)b sets the size caps for an accessory storage shed: a single-family lot may have one shed or storage structure per zoning lot up to 12 feet in height and 200 square feet of building footprint, while a multiple-family lot is limited to one shed per dwelling unit up to 12 feet in height and 100 square feet of footprint. A shed that exceeds either the height or footprint cap does not become illegal outright; Sec. 54-222(2) routes it into the special-use process under article IX of the zoning chapter, which requires a public hearing before the village board.

Regardless of size, Sec. 54-223(4) makes it unlawful to construct, install, alter, or enlarge any accessory structure, including a shed, without first obtaining a building permit, and Sec. 54-223(1) bars building the shed before the main house is complete. Location is set by Sec. 54-225: a detached accessory structure needs a minimum five-foot rear yard and five-foot side yard, and cannot sit closer than ten feet to the principal structure on the lot. Sec. 54-223(2) also requires that, outside a narrow exception for playhouses and similar structures, the shed sit behind the front wall setback line of the house that is farthest from the front property line, so it cannot be placed in front of the home.

Because sheds are treated as accessory structures under article III of the zoning code, they must also comply with the bulk regulations of the underlying zoning district per Sec. 54-224, on top of the specific dimensional caps above.