Linden, NJ Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

3, Accessory Buildings, inside Chapter 31's general regulations, is Linden's governing provision for sheds, detached garages, and similar structures. It opens with a placement rule: no accessory building may be placed in any required front yard area, meaning a shed has to sit behind the house's front building line. Where accessory buildings do go, in a required rear yard, their combined footprint cannot exceed twenty-five percent of that required rear yard's area, a limit that applies the same way in every zone. Height is capped at fifteen feet for any accessory building in a residential zone under subsection d, and subsection h sets the minimum setback: any portion of the accessory building must sit at least three feet from an adjacent building or from a side or rear property line.

The section also folds in several situational rules: an accessory building physically attached to the house must meet every standard that applies to the principal building itself, rather than the looser accessory rules; on through lots, an accessory building in the rear yard cannot sit closer to the street than the district's minimum front yard setback; and no accessory building may be used as a dwelling or rooming unit, with an exception carved out for security buildings and night-watchman facilities. A building permit for a shed or garage cannot be issued before the permit for the main house is issued, and if house construction does not proceed alongside or ahead of the accessory building, the Building Subcode Official can revoke the accessory permit. Storage of boats, trailers, or recreational vehicles must go in the rear yard, screened by fencing or shrubbery.