Doña Ana County, NM Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Doña Ana County, NM, also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations, set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Key Facts
- D1 size cap
- 5,000 sq ft or 10% of lot, whichever less
- Min. building separation
- 10 feet from other buildings
- Shipping containers
- Building permit required
- Principal building required first
- No accessory building on vacant lot
- Flood hazard areas
- Separate floodplain permit, § 350-604C
Summary
Sheds and other accessory buildings in the D1 Low Density Residential zone are capped at 5,000 square feet or 10% of the lot, whichever is less, must sit at least 10 feet from any other building, and cannot be built before the principal house exists.
In any residential zoning district, an accessory building or accessory structure shall not be allowed except where a principal building is permitted and exists prior to the construction of the accessory building or accessory structure. If a shipping container is used as a structure, an accessory structure, or accessory building, or for any other purpose, a building permit is required. A principal building must exist, or a permit shall be issued prior to the issuance of a permit for the shipping container. ... 7. Accessory Buildings 7.1 Not to exceed 5,000 square feet or 10% of the lot area, whichever is less. 7.2 Accessory buildings shall be at least 10 feet from all other buildings.
Full Breakdown
" Subsection B(10), "Other structures," states "an accessory building or accessory structure shall not be allowed except where a principal building is permitted and exists prior to the construction of the accessory building or accessory structure," meaning a shed cannot go up on a vacant lot before the house does. " Sizing is set by the zone's site-standards table. 2 requires "accessory buildings shall be at least 10 feet from all other buildings" on the lot. 9). 8 sets the accessory building's primary-frontage setback at 25 feet, side at 5 feet, and rear at 5 feet. If the accessory structure sits within a FEMA special flood hazard area, § 350-502B(10) requires a separate floodplain development permit under § 350-604C.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a shed, workshop or converted shipping container before the principal dwelling exists, exceeding the 5,000-square-foot/10%-of-lot cap, or placing it closer than 10 feet to another building or inside its required setback without a permit is a code violation the County can red-tag; a floodplain permit is separately required under § 350-604C for any accessory structure in a mapped flood hazard area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a shed before I build my house?
How big can my shed or workshop be?
How far does a shed have to be from my house or another building?
Do I need a permit to use a shipping container as a shed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Doña Ana County
How Doña Ana County compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Doña Ana County to another location·View the New Mexico accessory structures overview
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