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

1 sets the size and placement rules a Durham homeowner must follow for a shed or other detached accessory structure. The square footage cannot exceed the primary structure on the lot, and the shed generally has to sit behind the front building line of the house, except in the RR district where it may sit in front of the house if it is not in the street yard and the lot is at least two acres. Setbacks differ by district: most residential districts require at least five feet from the rear and side property lines, while lots in the RU and RC districts only need three feet.

On parcels under two acres, sheds are barred from the street yard between the house and the right-of-way (on corner lots this restriction applies to only one street yard). Height is capped at the greater of two stories/32 feet or the height of the primary structure, though Design districts cap height at three stories/40 feet and require the shed to match the house's style, materials, roof form, and details. 4; a shed under 150 square feet meeting those criteria is exempt from the elevation/floodproofing certificate otherwise required.

A shed is still separately subject to Durham's general construction permit requirement (Sec. 10-48) when its cost or scope triggers the North Carolina Building Code.