Leon County, FL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Leon County's Land Development Code (Sec. 802) regulates every accessory structure placed on a parcel outside the City of Tallahassee, from tool sheds to greenhouses. A shed may only be built where a principal structure already exists and is in full compliance with the code (barns tied to a certified agricultural or silvicultural use are the one exception). The default rule places accessory structures in the rear yard, set back at least 7½ feet from any property line, and requires at least six feet of separation from any other structure on the same lot.

Size caps then vary sharply by zoning district: in most urban-service-area districts (excluding RA and RC) a shed cannot exceed one-third of the principal home's floor area; in the Urban Fringe, Lake Talquin Recreation Urban Fringe, and RA districts it can be up to twice that floor area; and in Rural districts outside the Residential Preservation overlay, there is no size limit at all. Storage buildings, utility buildings, and greenhouses carry an added rule: any accessory building used to store hazardous, incendiary, noxious, or deadly materials must sit at least 100 feet from every property line, and travel trailers, RVs, manufactured housing, and mobile homes are barred outright from serving as a storage or utility building.

Sheds cannot encroach into a required landscape buffer, and every square foot counts toward the parcel's impervious surface and stormwater calculations. Any proposed shed must also be shown on the site and development plan application submitted to the county's Development Support and Environmental Management department.