Flint, MI Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Flint, MI, 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
- Front yard placement
- prohibited
- Min from lot line (attached)
- 5 feet
- Min from other buildings
- 5 feet
- Min from side-street lot line
- 18 feet
- Detached in side yard needs
- 60 ft from front line
Summary
Flint bars accessory buildings like sheds from any front yard, requires them at least 5 feet from side and rear lot lines and other buildings, and keeps them at least 18 feet from a side-street lot line on corner lots.
An accessory building may be erected detached from the principal building or may be erected as an integral part of the principal building, or it may be connected therewith by a breezeway or similar structure. If connected or attached, the accessory building must be five feet from any lot line. ... No accessory building shall be erected in any front yard. ... In no case shall an accessory building be closer than 18 feet from the side street lot line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2016 Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 3821, passed 3-1-2012).
Full Breakdown
The City of Flint regulates sheds and other backyard structures as "accessory buildings" under § 50-94. No accessory building may go in a required front yard, and if attached to the house it must sit at least 5 feet from any lot line. A detached accessory building may only go in a required side yard if it's set back at least 60 feet from the front lot line. Beyond that, every accessory building must be at least 5 feet from the dwelling and from other accessory buildings on the same lot, at least 10 feet from a dwelling on the next lot, and never closer than 18 feet to a side-street lot line.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a shed or other accessory building in a front yard, or closer than § 50-94's 5-foot or 18-foot minimums, is a zoning violation the Building Inspector can require moved, removed, or brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a shed in my front yard in Flint?
How close to my property line can a shed sit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flint
How Flint compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Flint to another location·View the Michigan accessory structures overview
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