De Pere, WI Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 54-3(f)(2) requires a building permit before constructing, enlarging, altering or repairing any accessory building or structure, and it names sheds, detached garages, roof-covered patios, gazebos, pergolas and fences specifically, alongside a catch-all for any other accessory building or structure. That permit requirement sits inside the broader state uniform dwelling code adoption in Sec. 54-3, which the city enforces through the building inspector, who can enter the site during work hours to check compliance and who must issue a certificate of occupancy before any one- or two-family dwelling addition or accessory use begins.

Section 54-2 defines a 'storage shed' as an accessory structure not attached to the principal dwelling that is 200 square feet or smaller, a size threshold the code uses elsewhere when distinguishing small outbuildings from larger accessory structures like detached garages. Permits for this kind of work are valid for one year from issuance under Sec. 54-10(c), rather than the two-year term given to initial one- and two-family dwelling construction, and renewing an expired permit adds a fee. Applicants pay a fee calculated by resolution of the common council, with square footage on covered accessory space, like an attached garage, rolled into that calculation under Sec.

54-10(b). Separately, Sec. 54-9(a)(3) exempts moving or razing a private accessory shed from that section's building-moving permit, but that exemption does not reach the construction permit required under Sec. 54-3(f)(2).