Sussex County, DE Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 115-185(F) governs freestanding accessory buildings that are not part of the main house. It permits such a building to be constructed in a rear yard, but caps it at 600 square feet of area and requires it to sit at least 5 feet from the side lot line and 5 feet from the rear lot line. This rule is separate from the front-yard restriction in § 115-185(A), which bars any accessory building from projecting beyond the required yard line along a street at all, meaning a shed generally cannot go in the front yard regardless of size.

The 600-square-foot cap and 5-foot setbacks in § 115-185(F) apply on top of the base district requirements. Because § 115-185 sits within Article XXV's Supplementary Regulations, which the code says "qualify or supplement the district regulations appearing elsewhere in this chapter" (§ 115-177), a shed must satisfy both this accessory-building rule and the underlying zoning district's general yard table; whichever restriction is stricter controls. A shed larger than 600 square feet does not qualify for this accessory-building allowance and would instead need to meet the district's main-building setback and lot-coverage standards, or a variance from the Board of Adjustment.

Like other structures reviewed under § 115-185, a shed is subject to the county's standard zoning permit process in § 115-224, requiring Director of Planning and Zoning approval, a filing fee under § 115-226, and a plat showing the shed's placement before construction begins.