Loveland, CO Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

02 sets the standards for any accessory structure in Loveland, Larimer County, Colorado, that is not separately addressed elsewhere in the code, covering detached garages, carports and storage buildings on residential lots. Setbacks are five feet from the interior side and alley lot lines; the interior rear setback is five feet or one foot for every four feet of building height, whichever is greater, so a 12-foot-tall shed needs a nine-foot rear setback. The front and street-side setbacks track the principal dwelling. To count as an accessory structure rather than a principal building, a detached garage, carport or storage building's footprint is capped at the greater of ten percent of the total lot area or 500 square feet, calculated cumulatively with every other accessory structure on the lot (ADUs excluded from that count).

Roof pitch, materials and style must match the principal building, and exterior materials and colors must be similar; metal cannot be the primary material unless the Director determines it fits the property and neighborhood. Storage buildings that are exempt from a building permit are exempt from these design-matching standards. Temporary accessory structures under 36 inches in height are exempt from the setback rules, and the Director may reduce setbacks further for other temporary structures if there is no detrimental impact. Except for permitted temporary structures, accessory structures cannot encroach on an easement, right-of-way, or a required street-corner sight triangle.