Charlotte, NC Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

1 governs all accessory structures, including sheds, unless a more specific rule elsewhere in the article applies. A zoning use permit is required for permanent accessory structures unless a building permit is already required, and no accessory structure may be built before the principal structure or use receives its own building permit or zoning use approval. E bars accessory structures from the established front or corner side setback along a street, with narrow exceptions such as mailboxes and utility poles, or a detached dwelling set back 150+ feet where the accessory structure itself sits at least 50 feet from the right-of-way.

In side or rear setbacks, an accessory structure must sit at least 3 feet from the lot line; once the structure reaches 24 feet or more in height, that jumps to a 15-foot rear setback and the full required side setback for the zoning district. On single-family, duplex, triplex, and quadraplex lots, any accessory structure must also be separated from the principal structure by at least 5 feet measured to the closest architectural feature, except for fences, walls, mechanical equipment, and on-grade surfaces. F caps the cumulative square footage of all accessory structures on a residential lot, excluding accessory dwelling units, at the total heated first-floor area of the principal structure; structures open to the sky, such as pools and tennis courts, are excluded from that cap.