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La Grange, MO Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Shed permit rules in La Grange, MO, 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

Permit-exempt cost (outside fire limits)
$1,000 or less
Enclosed shed cap (fire limits)
150 sq ft / 8 ft height
Open-sided shed cap (fire limits)
500 sq ft / 15 ft height
Setback (fire limits)
5 feet from lot lines
Fire limits area
Front-Second St, Monroe-Lewis St

Summary

A shed, chicken house or one-car garage built outside La Grange's fire limits needs no city permit as long as it costs $1,000 or less. Inside the fire limits, the same small outbuildings face size and setback limits instead.

B. Ordinary repairs and minor alterations not involving any change in major structural parts such as walls, beams, girders, chimney and flues, or involving a cost of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), or erection of detached outbuildings outside the fire limits (such as sheds, chicken houses and one (1) car private garages) costing not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), or minor changes or repairs in electrical wiring or equipment shall not require the issuance of a permit.

Full Breakdown

Section 500.020(B) of the La Grange City Code exempts detached outbuildings outside the fire limits, naming sheds, chicken houses and one-car private garages specifically, from the general building permit requirement so long as the cost of erecting them does not exceed $1,000. That threshold is the same one applied to ordinary repairs and minor electrical work elsewhere in the subsection, so a modest shed built on an ordinary residential lot away from the downtown fire-limit area typically needs no city sign-off at all. Inside the fire limits described in Section 500.010 (Front Street to Second Street, Monroe Street to Lewis Street), Section 505.020(A)(5) instead lists small detached outbuildings and sheds as one of the limited wood-frame structures still allowed despite the fire limits' masonry requirement, capping them at 150 square feet and 8 feet in height when fully enclosed, or up to 500 square feet and 15 feet in height when open on at least one long side, and requiring at least 5 feet of separation from adjoining property lines.

A shed that exceeds the $1,000 cost threshold, or that sits within the fire limits and exceeds those size and setback figures, falls outside both exemptions and needs a permit under Section 500.020(A) like any other structure.

Violations & Fines

Erecting a shed or similar outbuilding that exceeds the $1,000 cost exemption without a permit, or building one inside the fire limits larger than the 150-square-foot enclosed (or 500-square-foot open-sided) and 5-foot setback limits of Section 505.020(A)(5), is treated as unpermitted construction under Section 500.020 and can be ordered removed at the owner's expense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to build a shed in La Grange, Missouri?
Not if it sits outside the downtown fire limits and costs $1,000 or less. Section 500.020(B) names sheds, chicken houses and one-car private garages specifically among the outbuildings exempt from the building permit at that cost threshold.
Are sheds allowed inside La Grange's fire limits?
Yes, but only small ones. Section 505.020(A)(5) allows sheds up to 150 square feet and 8 feet tall when fully enclosed, or up to 500 square feet and 15 feet tall when open on one long side, each set back at least 5 feet from adjoining lot lines.
What are La Grange's fire limits?
Section 500.010 defines the fire limits as the area between the east line of Front Street and the west line of Second Street, and between the north line of Monroe Street and the south line of Lewis Street.

Sources & Official References

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How La Grange compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare La Grange to another location·View the Missouri accessory structures overview

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