Lynnwood, WA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

0810 governs sheds, detached garages, and other accessory buildings on residential lots in Lynnwood, a Snohomish County city. A homeowner may build only one Type 1 accessory structure per dwelling unit, capped at a 64-square-foot footprint and 8 feet in height, set back a minimum of 5 feet from the street and 1 foot from interior lot lines. Any number of Type 2 buildings is allowed instead, each up to 480 square feet per unit, up to 15 feet tall, with a 10-foot minimum street setback and a 5-foot minimum interior setback, so long as the primary dwelling plus all Type 2 buildings together stay within the lot's floor area ratio standard.

Both types must sit behind the primary structure's street-facing facade. Attached garages count toward the house's own building footprint rather than the accessory allowance; detached garages are regulated as accessory buildings under this same table. Shipping containers are barred as accessory structures for residential uses altogether, with narrow exceptions for an active, permitted construction project or a commercial property that places one for no more than 90 days in a 12-month period. None of this comes from the repealed Title 21 zoning code; it is current Title 8 Unified Development Code text carried through Ordinance 3507 (2026) and Ordinance 3481 (2025).