Lee County, AL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Lee County, AL, 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
- Governing law
- Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, Art. 4 § B(7)
- Applies in
- FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas only
- Permit needed
- Floodplain Development Permit before construction
- No-variance size cap
- One-story, two-car garage or smaller
- Larger sheds
- Case-by-case variance, Art. 5 § D(3)
- Outside flood zones
- No county shed size/setback rule (Sec. 3.8 reserved)
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor plus stop-work order
Summary
Lee County's Zoning Regulations don't set a size, setback, or permit rule for sheds anywhere in the county (Sec. 3.8 is reserved). But inside a FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance requires a Floodplain Development Permit before any shed or agricultural structure goes up below the design flood elevation, and oversized sheds need a variance.
Accessory and Agricultural Structures - When an accessory structure meets the requirements outlined below, these structures may be wet-floodproofed and do not have to be elevated to one foot above the BFE as required in Article 4, Section B(1). A Floodplain Development Permit shall be required prior to construction or installation of any accessory structures and any agricultural structures built below the DFE and the following provisions apply... Floodplain Development Permits for small accessory structures may be issued to provide wet floodproofing measures in accordance with the standards described in subsections (i) through (iv) below without requiring a variance. Before issuing Floodplain Development Permits for small accessory structures, the Floodplain Administrator must verify: (i) Use is limited to parking of vehicles or storage; (ii) Size is less than or equal to a one-story, two-car garage for all A zones... Floodplain Development Permits for accessory structures larger than the size allowed for in subsection (7)(h) above, shall require a variance to be granted on a case-by-case basis in accordance with Article 5, Section D(3).
Full Breakdown
Under Article 4, Section B(7) of the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, a shed or other accessory structure built below the Design Flood Elevation (DFE) inside a Special Flood Hazard Area can skip full elevation to one foot above the Base Flood Elevation if it is wet-floodproofed instead, but only after the Floodplain Administrator issues a Floodplain Development Permit. To qualify without a variance, the Administrator must confirm the shed is used only for parking or storage, is no larger than a one-story two-car garage in all A zones, is a minimal-investment structure with low damage potential, will never house people, has an unfinished interior built of flood-damage-resistant materials, includes adequate flood openings, and keeps any mechanical or utility equipment elevated to or above the DFE.
Hazardous or toxic materials may never be stored below the DFE. A shed larger than the two-car-garage threshold, or any new agricultural structure, does not get this automatic path: it needs a case-by-case variance from the Variance and Appeals Board under Article 5, Section D(3), and the ordinance bars blanket variances for whole subdivisions. '
Violations & Fines
Building or installing a shed in a flood hazard area without the required Floodplain Development Permit is a misdemeanor under Article 2, Section H. The Floodplain Administrator can issue a stop-work order effective immediately and a written Notice of Violation by certified mail; if you don't correct the problem, the county attorney can sue to force compliance or block occupancy, and if the county wins, you pay its court costs and attorney fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a shed anywhere in unincorporated Lee County?
How big can my shed be without needing a variance?
What if my shed is bigger than that?
What happens if I build without the permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
How Lee County compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Lee County to another location·View the Alabama accessory structures overview
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