Leominster, MA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Leominster's zoning ordinance treats accessory structures differently depending on whether they hold living space. Section 22-37.2 exempts a detached or attached shed, garage or similar structure from the district's full dimensional table as long as it is not used for human occupancy and stands no more than one story: that class of building only needs a five-foot setback from the side or rear lot line. A shed or garage taller than one story, or one converted for living space such as an accessory dwelling unit, instead has to meet the full Table of Dimensional Regulations in Section 22-40 for whichever residential district the lot sits in.

Section 22-37.3 also fixes the gap between the shed and the house itself: a one-story detached accessory structure must stay at least ten feet from the principal building, and a taller one at least fifteen feet. An accessory structure not used for human occupancy may not come closer than ten feet to a side or rear lot line under the same subsection. Section 22-37.4 then limits total footprint: no accessory structure, or combination of them, may occupy more than twenty-five percent of the required rear or side yard area, so a homeowner cannot fill an entire required yard with sheds even if each one individually clears its setback.

Section 22-37.5 bars any accessory structure used for human occupation from the front yard altogether, unless it already existed there before May 1, 2025, in which case Section 22-37.6 allows conversion to an accessory dwelling unit within its existing footprint without adding further dimensional nonconformity.