Kent, WA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Kent, WA, also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations, set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Key Facts
- Setback, rear half of lot
- As close as 2 feet
- Combined footprint cap
- 15% of lot area
- Height limit
- 23 feet maximum
- Height vs. house
- Cannot exceed principal building height
- Design match required
- At 12+ feet, finish/trim/roof match house
- Guest cottages
- One per lot, rear half only
Summary
Kent lets homeowners build a shed or other accessory building anywhere on the lot that meets the principal building's setback, but in the rear half of the lot it can sit as close as two feet from side and rear lines. KCC 15.08.160 caps all accessory buildings combined at 15 percent of lot area and 23 feet in height.
A. An accessory building can be located anywhere on a lot if it conforms with the setbacks required by this title for a principal building. In the rear one-half of a lot the accessory building can be built to within two feet of the side and rear lot lines, except when attached to a principal building, in which case it must have the same setbacks as the main building. Accessory dwelling units are not considered an accessory building subject to this section. ... C. The combined footprint of all accessory buildings on a lot shall not exceed 15 percent of the lot area. D. Accessory buildings shall not exceed 23 feet in height. E. Accessory buildings shall not exceed the height of the principal building.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
KCC 15.08.160 sets the development standards that apply to sheds and other detached accessory buildings city-wide; accessory dwelling units are carved out and governed separately under KCC 15.08.350. Subsection (A) lets an accessory building sit anywhere on the lot if it meets the setbacks that would apply to a principal building in that zone, but grants relief in the rear one-half of the lot: there, the structure can be built to within two feet of the side and rear lot lines. A shed attached to the house instead must meet the same setbacks as the main building.
Subsection (B) allows only one guest cottage per lot, sited on the rear half unless the economic and community development director finds that infeasible due to lot shape or house placement. Subsection (C) caps the combined footprint of every accessory building on a lot, sheds, garages, guest cottages, and any other detached structures, at 15 percent of the total lot area. Height is capped separately in subsections (D) and (E): no accessory building may exceed 23 feet, and none may exceed the height of the principal building on the same lot, whichever is lower. Subsection (F) adds design-compatibility rules once a building reaches 12 feet in height: its exterior finish, trim, and roof pitch must visually match the principal building. The section was last amended by Ordinance No. 4464 in 2023.
Violations & Fines
Building a shed that exceeds 23 feet in height, pushes the property's combined accessory-building footprint over 15 percent of the lot, or sits closer than two feet from a rear or side lot line outside the rear-half exception violates KCC 15.08.160 and is subject to the city's standard zoning code enforcement, including stop-work orders and required removal or modification of the noncompliant structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close to my property line can I build a shed in Kent?
Is there a size limit on how many sheds I can have?
How tall can my shed be?
Do accessory dwelling units follow these same shed rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
How Kent compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Kent to another location·View the Washington accessory structures overview
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Shed & Carport Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle shed & carport rules.