Brookhaven, NY Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Town Code § 85-190B(9), part of the A Residence District's accessory-use standards, opens by settling a threshold question: all storage sheds shall be considered structures, meaning every detached shed, regardless of size, is subject to the chapter's accessory-structure setback and permitting rules rather than being treated as an exempt yard feature. The section then sets two size-and-height bands. Larger sheds, up to 600 square feet of floor area, may reach 12 feet in height above the surrounding grade, but the code does not print a reduced setback for that size class here, so the general accessory-structure setbacks under § 85-190G apply, requiring at least five feet from any side or rear lot line and 50 feet from any street line.

Smaller sheds, 144 square feet or less, get a specific exception: they may be located as close as three feet to a side or rear yard property line, and as close as 15 feet to a secondary front yard, while still capped at 12 feet in height. Every shed, large or small, must still meet the chapter's site-visibility requirements, meaning it cannot be placed where it would obstruct the sight lines protected by the corner-visibility rule in § 85-190B(4)(b). Because a shed counts as a structure, it also needs the same building permit any other detached structure requires from the Building Division before construction, and it counts toward the lot's accessory-building coverage limit of 25% of the required rear yard set out in § 85-190G(1).