Lacey, WA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Lacey Municipal Code § 16.13.050(D)(5) sets the shed setback rule for the Low-Density Residential District in the City of Lacey. Accessory buildings must comply with the current building setbacks stated in the chapter, with one relief: if the accessory building is less than two hundred square feet, the permitted setbacks are front yard sixteen feet, side yard five feet and rear yard three feet. The ordinary lot standards in the same section are a sixteen-foot front yard, a minimum of five feet on one side with ten feet total for both sides, and a fifteen-foot rear yard for the main building.

Height is tied to the house. Under § 16.13.050(D)(4), an accessory building is limited to the height of the primary building, and structures over sixteen feet in height require design review that shows compatibility with the primary structure and that the building does not dominate the site visually. Section 16.13.020(B)(1) adds that buildings over sixteen feet in height must meet the design requirements of LMC 14.23.071, and § 16.13.040(B) requires accessory buildings to be complementary to the basic architectural character of the main building on the lot.

The building permit question is separate. Lacey Municipal Code § 14.04.016 amends item 1 of R 105.2 so that one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses are exempt from a building permit provided the floor area does not exceed two hundred square feet. The zoning relief says less than two hundred, while the permit exemption says does not exceed two hundred, so a shed at exactly the limit is treated differently by each rule.

Other districts print their own numbers. In the McAllister Springs district, Chapter 16.10 caps accessory building height at sixteen feet and gives the same side yard of five feet and rear yard of three feet for buildings under two hundred square feet, with the front yard the same as required for main structures.