Huntington, NY Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Two chapters govern sheds: Chapter 87 decides when a permit is required, and Chapter 198 zoning sets where and how large the structure can be. Under § 87-14(D)(2), a detached tool or storage shed on a one- or two-family lot needs no building permit if its 'gross floor area does not exceed one hundred forty-four (144) square feet,' its height 'does not exceed twelve (12) and one-half feet from grade,' and no more than two such accessory structures, only one of them a shed or greenhouse, sit on the property at once.

That exemption still carries placement limits: on an interior lot the shed cannot sit in the required or existing front yard setback, or within two feet of the side and rear lot lines; a corner lot applies the same two-foot buffer to the interior side and rear lines, and a through lot applies it to the side lines. Zoning's own accessory-building rules in § 198-59 apply above that threshold and set the same two-foot line for any 'shed under two hundred (200) square feet,' meaning a shed between 144 and 200 square feet needs a permit but keeps the tight two-foot setback.

Once a shed or accessory structure reaches 200 square feet, the buffer jumps: in the R-80, R-40, R-20 and R-15 Districts it must stand at least ten feet from a side or rear lot line, while in the denser R-10, R-7 and R-5 Districts the buffer stays at two feet. Height and bulk are capped too: detached accessory buildings in residence districts may not exceed twenty feet in R-80, R-40 and R-20, or fifteen feet in R-15, R-10, R-7 and R-5, and their combined floor area is capped at 1,200 square feet on the largest lots down to 750 square feet on one-family R-5 lots.