Long Beach, CA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Long Beach, CA, 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
- Front yard
- Not permitted (Table 31-3)
- Street side yard
- Not permitted
- Interior side yard
- 3 ft to column, 2 ft 6 in to eave
- Rear yard
- 3 ft to column, 2 ft 6 in to eave
- Governing table
- LBMC Table 31-3, Chapter 21.31
- Enclosed garages
- Separate rules under § 21.31.245.A
Summary
Long Beach bars carports outright from the required front yard and street-side yard setbacks citywide. Where the zoning code allows a carport in an interior side or rear yard, LBMC Table 31-3 requires the support column to clear the property line by three feet, with the eave or roof overhang permitted to come only within two feet six inches of the line.
Structure Front(a) Maximum Projection Into the Required Front Yard Side(b) Minimum Distance to Interior Side Property Line Rear(c) Minimum Distance to Rear Property Line Street Side(b) Maximum Projection into Street Side Yard Carports Not permitted 3 ft. to column, 2 ft. 6 in. to eave or roof overhang 3 ft. to column, 2 ft. 6 in. to eave or roof overhang Not permitted
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
31 (Residential Zone Development Standards) lists every structure the Building Official will permit to encroach into a required residential yard, and carports get one of the strictest lines in the table. The 'Front' and 'Street Side' columns both read 'Not permitted' for carports, meaning a carport cannot stand anywhere within the required front yard depth or the street-side yard of a corner lot set by Table 31-2A. In the 'Side' and 'Rear' columns, the interior side yard and rear yard, the standard is 'three feet to column, two feet six inches to eave or roof overhang,' so the load-bearing column must clear the interior side or rear property line by a full three feet, while the roof edge or overhang can come to within two feet six inches of that line.
This carport line sits in the same table as patio covers and porches, which get more generous allowances (five feet or half the required setback to column in front yards), underscoring that carports specifically are treated as open vehicle-storage structures. A, which set a twenty-foot front setback for street-facing garage doors and a 700-square-foot size cap for single-family garages. 31.
Violations & Fines
A carport built into the prohibited front or street-side setback, or that fails to hold the three-foot column clearance in a side or rear yard, is a zoning violation subject to Chapter 1.32's general penalty: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, or an administrative citation under Section 9.65.060 for a Title 21 violation. The City may also declare the encroachment a public nuisance and summarily abate it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a carport in my front yard in Long Beach?
How close can a carport come to my side property line?
Is a carport regulated differently from a garage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
How Long Beach compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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