Gulfport, MS Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section IV(A)(2)(i) of Appendix A's supplementary regulations sets out the dimensional rules for a detached accessory building like a shed or storage structure. The size limitation chart ties the maximum footprint to lot size: a lot under one acre is capped at 1,000 square feet of accessory building area, while a lot of one acre or more can carry up to 2,000 square feet, and both size tiers carry the same height ceiling, 20 feet or the height of the primary dwelling structure, whichever is lower.

A detached shed also has to clear its own separation distance from the house rather than just the district's ordinary setbacks: at least five feet from the main building on a lot under one acre, and at least ten feet on a lot of one acre or more. The ordinance limits every detached accessory building to a single story regardless of how much height the 20-foot cap would otherwise allow, and bars placing one in an easement or right-of-way unless it sits over navigable water.

A shed still has to meet the zoning district's own setback lines along the front, side and rear property lines, the same lines that apply to the main house, and cannot push the lot's total building coverage past the district's maximum lot coverage standard, which in most residential districts runs 45 percent. A permit is not optional: like any other structure, a shed needs a building permit before it goes up, and the city's general enclosure requirement does not apply to it since sheds are not a listed use requiring interior enclosure.