Shed permit rules in Johnson County, IA — also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations — set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
In unincorporated Johnson County a detached shed of 200 square feet or less needs no building permit, but it must still sit in the rear yard behind the house and meet the zoning setbacks.
Johnson County's Building Services division exempts a one-story detached shed of 200 square feet or less from a building permit, as long as it is used only for storage or a similar non-habitable purpose. The exemption is from the permit, not from zoning: the shed must sit in the rear yard behind the principal structure and meet the district's setback, height, and lot-coverage limits under the Unified Development Ordinance. Anything larger, or any electrical service run to it, needs its own permit. Storm shelters and safe rooms, common in tornado-prone Iowa, must meet FEMA 320 or 361 standards. Set footings below the 42-inch frost line.
A shed over 200 square feet built without a permit, or any shed placed inside a required setback, is a violation subject to a correction notice, relocation, or removal.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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