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Mobile, AL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Shed permit rules in Mobile, AL, also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations, set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.

Key Facts

Shed-specific size cap
None found in UDC
Default rule
Must clear required yard setbacks
Garage exception
Alley-loaded garage: no rear-yard limit
Governing table
Table 64-3-5.1 Encroachments

Summary

Mobile's UDC sets no separate size or height limit for sheds; accessory structures must stay out of required yards like any building, except for narrow encroachments listed in Table 64-3-5.1, such as an alley-loaded detached garage.

Except as provided below, yards shall be unoccupied and unobstructed from three (3) feet above the general ground level of the building site upward. ... Garages, attached or detached and loaded from an alley | Rear | No restriction | —

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).

Full Breakdown

Mobile City Code § 64-3-5.B provides that 'except as provided below, yards shall be unoccupied and unobstructed from three (3) feet above the general ground level of the building site upward': the default rule keeping sheds and other accessory structures out of required setbacks, the same as a principal building. Table 64-3-5.1 lists narrow exceptions: a detached garage 'loaded from an alley' may sit anywhere in the rear yard with no restriction. A shed is not a listed exception, so it must meet the district's standard front, side, and rear yard minimums.

Violations & Fines

Placing a shed or storage building inside a required yard without qualifying for a listed exception under Table 64-3-5.1 is a zoning violation and can draw a stop-work order or removal notice from code enforcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mobile set a maximum size or height for backyard sheds?
Not under the UDC sections reviewed: there's no shed-specific size or height cap. A shed is treated as an accessory structure and must sit outside the district's required yards, the same as any building.
Can I build a shed right up to my property line?
Only if it qualifies for a narrow exception in Table 64-3-5.1, like an alley-loaded detached garage; a typical shed must meet the same front, side, and rear setbacks as the principal house.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Mobile

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsADU RulesSome RestrictionsTiny HomesLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Towing & Impound RightsSignificant RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Neighbor Fence RulesSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSignificant RestrictionsFire Regulations: Smoke DetectorsSome Restrictions

All Mobile rules

How Mobile compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Mobile to another location·View the Alabama accessory structures overview

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