Shed permit rules in Hennepin County, MN β also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations β set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Hennepin County has no county shed ordinance; the county is fully incorporated, so shed rules come from each city. The 2020 Minnesota Residential Code (MN Rules Ch. 1309, adopting IRC R105.2) exempts one-story detached storage sheds 200 sq ft or smaller from a building permit statewide, but city zoning still applies. In Minneapolis, sheds fall under Zoning Code Chapter 537 with the same setback and lot-coverage rules as other detached accessory structures.
Because Hennepin County is fully incorporated, there is no county-administered shed permit. The Minnesota State Building Code (MN Rules Ch. 1309) adopts International Residential Code Section R105.2, which exempts one-story detached accessory buildings used as tool or storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses from the building permit requirement when the floor area does not exceed 200 sq ft. This exemption is statewide and confirmed in the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry storage-shed fact sheet. The exemption is from building permits only β zoning setback, height, lot coverage, and design rules still apply, and the structure must still meet MN Rules Ch. 1315 if it contains electrical wiring. In Minneapolis, sheds are detached accessory structures regulated by Zoning Code Chapter 537. Detached accessory structures must respect: 800 sq ft or 10 percent of lot area max (whichever greater), 13 ft height by right (16 ft administrative review), 6 ft from the principal dwelling, 10 ft from neighboring habitable space, and reduced rear-yard setbacks down to 1 ft only when located in the rear 40 ft or rear 20 percent of the lot, with eaves no closer than 6 inches to a lot line. Other Hennepin County cities have similar but not identical thresholds β Bloomington, Plymouth, and Edina each set their own size, setback, and design standards in their zoning codes. Confirm with your city before construction even when the state building permit exemption applies.
A shed that exceeds local zoning size or setback rules is a zoning violation enforceable by the host city, even if the structure was exempt from a state building permit. Sheds over 200 sq ft built without a permit also violate the Minnesota State Building Code under MN Stat. 326B.121. Enforcement includes orders to relocate or remove the structure, civil citations, and per-day administrative fines under each city's enforcement chapter (in Minneapolis, City Code Title 4).
Hennepin County, MN
Hennepin County is fully incorporated - all 45 cities including Minneapolis enforce their own noise ordinances and the county does not have its own countywid...
Hennepin County, MN
Aircraft noise around Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is governed by federal FAA rules and the Metropolitan Airports Commission, with mitigation p...
Hennepin County, MN
Hennepin County has no countywide fence-height ordinance because all land is within an incorporated city; each of the 45 cities sets its own fence rules. In ...
Hennepin County, MN
Hennepin County is a Welcoming County that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. State law under Minn. Stat. 626.8474 bars local police fr...
Hennepin County, MN
Minnesota's statewide Earned Sick and Safe Time law at Minn. Stat. 181.9445 took effect January 2024, requiring all Hennepin County employers to provide paid...
Hennepin County, MN
Minnesota does not preempt local minimum wages under Minn. Stat. 177.24, allowing Minneapolis and Saint Paul to set higher floors. The Minnesota state minimu...
See how Hennepin County's shed rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.