Cape Coral, FL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 5.2.13 of the Cape Coral Land Development Code sets the standards accessory sheds and greenhouses must meet in addition to any building permit the Department of Community Development requires. Height is capped at 15 feet overall, and floor area cannot exceed 200 square feet, regardless of zoning district. Sheds and greenhouses are only allowed in the R1, RML, RE, and A zoning districts, and a single lot may hold no more than one shed and one greenhouse at a time.

Placement in a side yard is allowed only if the structure is screened from the right-of-way and from the nearest adjoining residential property. Owners can meet the screening requirement with a six-foot opaque wall or fence built of wood, vinyl, or masonry (unfinished concrete block is barred), or with a shrub row planted along both sides of the shed that extends at least five feet beyond its walls. Screening shrubs must start at a minimum height of 32 inches in a seven-gallon container, be spaced no more than three feet apart on center, and be maintained at a mature height of six feet for as long as the shed needs screening. A shed already hidden by an existing fence, wall, or landscaping is exempt from these extra screening rules, but if that cover is removed the shed must be brought into compliance or relocated. On double frontage lots, sheds and greenhouses in the rear yard must be screened from both rights-of-way and set back to match the front setback of neighboring non-double-frontage lots.