Highlands County, FL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

300 governs sheds, detached garages and other customary accessory uses and detached buildings in the county's residential districts and on one-acre-or-smaller AU agricultural lots. The rule keeps accessory structures out of the front yard, with one carve-out for lakefront lots: an owner may declare the lake side the front yard instead, but then any accessory structure still has to meet that district's normal front-yard setback. Setback-wise, every accessory structure needs at least seven and one-half feet from any lot line, 15 feet from a side street line, and 25 feet from a front street line, regardless of the smaller setbacks a district might otherwise allow.

Height is capped by comparison to the house: an accessory building cannot be taller than the principal structure unless it is architecturally similar, matching roof style and material, in which case it can match the house's height but never exceed 24 feet, measured from the established grade at the center of the building's front to the peak of the roof. The section separately bars converting a mobile home into an accessory structure, closing off a workaround some owners might otherwise use for extra storage or living space.

A shed built taller than 24 feet, placed in the front yard, or set closer than the seven-and-one-half-foot lot line buffer needs either redesign or a variance from the Board of Adjustment before Development Services will approve it.