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

Monroe County Code Section 6-100 sets out a table of work requiring a building permit in the unincorporated county. The 'Sheds' row of that table carries no residential exception at all: the exceptions column reads 'None. ' That places sheds in the same permit-required category as fences, demolition, tie-downs of habitable structures, and any new construction or remodeling of principal and accessory structures. The table's governing note in subsection (a) makes clear that notwithstanding any exceptions elsewhere in the table, permits are always required for work involving electrical, mechanical or plumbing work, or improvements subject to floodplain regulations, and that no exceptions apply at all to work below base flood elevation or within a Coastal Barrier Resource System or flood zones AE or VE, categories that cover much of the unincorporated Keys.

A shed builder must apply through the process in Section 6-101, submitting a completed application and fee to the Building Official, who issues the permit only if it is consistent with the Florida Building Code, Section 6-100, and the Land Development Code as determined by the Planning Director. Unpermitted sheds fall under the unsafe-structure and stop-work provisions of Sections 6-27 and 6-31, and the Building Official can order work stopped immediately if it is proceeding without the required permit.