Iron County, UT Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Iron County Code § 17.36.110 allows a building accessory to a residential structure, including a shed, detached garage or barn, to be built as a multiple-story structure up to 35 feet, a limit the county added by Ordinance No. 2011-5 in 2011. Section 17.36.020(H), Maximum Lot Coverage of Accessory Buildings, adds two placement rules: no accessory building may sit in a required front yard, and no accessory building or combination of accessory buildings may cover more than 20 percent of the required rear or side yard on the lot.

Note (4) to the Table of Site Development Standards in Section 17.16.040 sets the minimum setback for an accessory building at five feet from the rear and side property lines unless the county commission determines otherwise; the front-yard setback for an accessory building must match the setback required for the primary building, and an accessory building cannot be placed closer to the front property line than the primary building. Accessory buildings cannot be located within utility easements, and building-separation distances between an accessory building and the primary residence are set by the adopted building code rather than the zoning title.

Because these standards read together, a homeowner planning a shed must first confirm the required front, rear and side yard setbacks for the applicable zoning district under the Table of Site Development Standards, then apply the 5-foot minimum accessory setback and the 20 percent rear/side yard coverage cap. Iron County Planning and Zoning/Building reviews shed and accessory-building placement as part of the building permit process before construction begins.