Kingsport, TN Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Kingsport Code § 114-133 controls the location, size and height of accessory buildings, including sheds and detached garages. Under subsection (1), no accessory building can be erected in any required court or yard other than a rear yard, and under subsection (2) none can be erected in a required front or side yard, with an exception for garages on steep lots in subsection (3). Accessory residential structures have to be on the same lot as the principal residential structure.

Size is capped two ways. On property zoned residential, the floor area of accessory structures cannot exceed 30 percent of the floor area of the principal structure, or 1,100 square feet, whichever is greater. Lots that are two acres in size or larger can instead use a calculation of a maximum of two percent of total parcel area but never more than 5,000 square feet.

Height and spacing follow. Accessory structures cannot exceed the height of the principal structure or 35 feet, whichever is less, and both heights are measured under the current building code in article III of chapter 22. Accessory structures must be at least three feet from all lot lines and five feet from any other building on the same lot. Two adjoining owners can build a double garage on the shared property line by securing a building permit with written agreements signed by both parties submitted to the zoning administrator.

Some structures do not count. Swimming pools not covered by a permanent roof, tennis courts, pet enclosures not exceeding 100 square feet of floor area, and satellite dish antennas are not subject to the size or height restrictions in the section and are left out of the floor area calculation. Other sections layer on top. Section 114-182(e) caps lot coverage in the R-1A district at 30 percent including accessory buildings, and the R-1B district uses 30 percent and R-1C uses 40 percent on the same basis. Section 114-134 bars any fence, structure or planting within ten feet of the intersection of the two street pavement edges on a corner lot in a residential zone. Section 114-135 removes height, yard and location requirements for agricultural buildings on land used solely for agriculture.