Anne Arundel County, MD Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Anne Arundel County, MD, 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
- Permit-free size (residential)
- 150 sq ft, 10 ft tall
- Permit-free size (nonresidential)
- 64 sq ft, 10 ft tall
- Critical Area exception
- Permit required regardless of size
- Small-shed setback break (R2)
- Excluded from 7-ft setback table
- Floor area cap
- Can't exceed principal structure's area
Summary
In Anne Arundel County, a detached shed under 150 square feet and 10 feet tall accessory to a house needs no building permit, unless it sits in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, where a permit is always required regardless of size.
105.2.1.1.1 One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, gazebos, pavilions, and pergolas, provided the average height does not exceed 10 feet and the floor area does not exceed 150 square feet if accessory to a residential structure, except that permits are required for accessory structures located in the critical area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Anne Arundel County's Construction Code lets you skip a building permit for a one-story detached shed, playhouse, gazebo, pavilion or pergola accessory to a house if it's 150 square feet or less and averages 10 feet or less in height: except inside the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, where a permit is always required. The zoning code separately caps any accessory structure's floor area at the principal structure's own and bars it from the road right-of-way setback. In residential districts such as R2, the standard side and rear accessory-structure setback table (7 feet there) explicitly excludes sheds 64 square feet or smaller and 8 feet or shorter.
Violations & Fines
Building without a required permit is a Construction Code violation triggering a notice of violation, a stop-work order under § 114 of the Construction Code, and a civil fine under § 9-2-101; illegal work in the Critical Area can also draw restoration orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a shed in Anne Arundel County?
How close to my property line can I put a shed in Anne Arundel County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
How Anne Arundel County compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Anne Arundel County to another location·View the Maryland accessory structures overview
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