Washington County, MD Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

5, the minimum distance to a lot line in any District from a single-story utility or storage shed not exceeding 100 square feet is eight (8) feet. That 8-foot figure applies countywide, in every zoning district, to a shed at or under the 100-square-foot threshold. 5(b), otherwise requires that in any district where single-family or two-family dwellings are permitted, an accessory structure not attached to the principal building sit back from the side or rear lot line by a distance equal to either its own longest horizontal dimension or the district's standard accessory setback, whichever is less.

That means a shed larger than 100 square feet, or one built taller than a single story, falls back to the longest-dimension test rather than the flat 8-foot minimum. 8 lets subdivisions with an approved concept plan or an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance agreement follow the setbacks shown on that approved plan instead of Article 23. Article 26 enforcement applies here the same as elsewhere in the Ordinance: the county's Permits and Inspections Department can act on a shed built closer to the line than these standards allow, and correction can be compelled through injunction or civil citation.