Lubbock, TX Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

2, Residential accessory uses and structures, governs sheds, tool houses, greenhouses, garages, and storage buildings on residential lots. The structure must sit behind the front facade of the main house; on a through lot it has to meet the rear-street setback too. Detached accessory structures need a minimum five-foot side and rear setback. A garage with vehicular access fronting an alley needs a 20-foot setback from the alley right-of-way or easement line, though in the RE, SF-1, SF-2, MDR, and HDR districts an accessory structure with paved alley access can come within 18 inches of the rear lot line, and a one-story carport without solid side walls only needs a five-foot alley setback.

Total accessory floor area cannot exceed 10 percent of the lot, and on lots under half an acre the accessory building's floor area cannot exceed the floor area of the main house. Subsection A of the same section requires the structure to meet applicable City Building Codes and receive a permit before construction, and bars using it as a dwelling. 062(1), lets a one-story detached shed, playhouse, or similar structure skip the building permit if its floor area stays under 200 square feet; anything larger, or any structure used as living space, needs a permit reviewed by the Building Official. That permit exemption does not waive the UDC setback and floor-area limits above; both apply regardless of whether a permit is pulled.