Monroe Township (Gloucester County), NJ Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

The Township Council regulates sheds through § 175-89 of the Land Management chapter in the Code of the Township of Monroe (Gloucester County), the code that governs Williamstown and the rest of the township. Subsection F makes a storage shed a permitted accessory use in all zones and then sets two tiers by size. Any shed up to 300 square feet must be five feet from the side property line and five feet from the rear property line, excluding corner lots. Any accessory storage building greater than 300 square feet carries a maximum height of 22 feet from ground level to the peak and has to comply with the setbacks of the zone for accessory structures.

Corner lots are handled by subsection B, which requires an accessory building or structure on a corner lot to be set back from the side street to comply with the setback line applying to the principal building for that side street. Subsection B also confines a detached accessory building to side and rear areas, never in front of the home, and subsection G(3) repeats that accessory structures are not permitted in the front yard or in the front of the home.

Several limits apply on top of the shed standard. Under subsection D, the total combined square footage of all accessory buildings or structures on a lot cannot exceed the square footage of the principal building, and farmland structures must meet the setback requirements of the chapter. Subsection E keeps accessory buildings out of required buffer areas, easements and drainageways. Subsection G(1) and (2) call for a shed or garage roof shape, materials, texture and color that are visually compatible with the buildings around it.

Timing matters too. Subsection H says no construction permit can be issued for an accessory building or structure before a zoning and construction permit is issued for the principal building on the same premises. Subsection I carves out a pole barn exception: on a non-subdivision parcel of at least three acres, an accessory building such as a pole barn can reach 2,500 square feet and 24 feet high from the finished first floor, provided it is not larger than the principal structure and meets all setback requirements of its zone.