Shed permit rules in Erie County, NY — also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations — set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Under the NYS Uniform Code, a detached one-story shed of 144 square feet or less may be exempted from a building permit, but each Erie County municipality decides whether to honor that exemption and applies its own zoning setbacks.
New York's Uniform Code sets the statewide shed permit threshold. Per 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1), a one-story detached structure not exceeding 144 square feet, used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse, or similar use, may be exempted from the building-permit requirement. The state stresses this is a permission, not an automatic exemption: code users must examine the local law of the municipality to determine when a permit is actually required, and the exemption does not waive Uniform Code construction standards. Because Erie County does not run building departments for its municipalities, the permit decision and zoning rules (setbacks, size, height, coverage) are handled locally. A shed over 144 square feet generally needs a permit statewide.
A shed built without a required permit, or violating local setbacks or size limits, is enforced by your municipal code-enforcement officer. Remedies include a stop-work order, retroactive permit, fines, or removal. Erie County does not enforce shed rules.
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