Medford, MA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 94-4.3 of the Medford zoning ordinance (Ord. No. 867) sets the dimensional standards a homeowner must meet before placing a shed, detached garage, or other accessory structure on a residential lot. Height is limited to 15 feet for structures accessory to one- and two-family dwellings; accessory structures serving other uses cannot exceed the height limit of the principal structure on the lot. On placement, residential-district accessory structures cannot be located in the required front or side yard or in any court; the rear yard is the only permitted location, and even there placement is subject to the rear-yard rules of section 94-4.2.5, which caps accessory coverage of the rear yard at 25 percent for one- and two-family lots.

Setbacks from rear and side lot lines are a minimum of three feet, reduced to one foot only if the structure is built with fire-resistance wall assemblies as defined by the state building code. A swimming pool counts as an accessory structure for this purpose and carries its own, stricter setbacks: six feet from rear and side lot lines measured from the water's edge, and 12 feet for any pump equipment. Commercial and industrial districts are stricter still: no accessory structure is permitted within any required yard at all. The community development board and building commissioner administer these standards through the building permit process for new construction under Chapter 10 of the code.