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

073(A) of the Carver County Code of Ordinances governs accessory storage structures, including sheds, attached and detached garages, detached porches, recreational buildings and hobby structures, in the Agriculture District. These structures may be used only for personal storage, hobbies, recreation, entertainment, family uses, maintenance activities and keeping animals; guest quarters or additional dwelling units are strictly prohibited, and no goods or services may be sold from them except under a permitted home occupation. The code sets a sliding scale of allowed combined square footage by parcel size: 1,250 square feet on parcels under one and a half acres, 2,500 square feet on parcels from one and a half up to two acres, 4,000 square feet on parcels over two up to five acres, 5,000 square feet on parcels over five up to ten acres, and 7,000 square feet on parcels larger than ten acres.

For the two smallest tiers, detached accessory structures are also capped at a 12-foot maximum sidewall height and 17 feet total height from average grade, and the roof and exterior must be new material, or material with the appearance of new material, that is painted, stained, coated or otherwise finished. Every residential parcel receives a 624-square-foot personal storage credit representing a standard 24-by-26-foot two-car garage, which is not counted toward the storage total, and an attached garage's footprint cannot exceed 125% of the related dwelling's footprint.

These standards apply unless a conditional use permit was issued before August 1, 2021, or a variance allows additional square footage, and all structures must be built to the Minnesota State Building Code.