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

Section 108-5.6 of the Monroe Township Code, Middlesex County, sets location rules for accessory buildings unless another provision of Chapter 108 says otherwise. An accessory building attached to the principal building has to comply in all respects with the yard requirements the chapter sets for the principal building. A detached accessory building cannot go in a front yard. In a side or rear yard it has to be set back at least eight feet from all lot lines when the zone district regulations do not provide something different. The carve-out for small structures covers storage sheds containing less than 100 square feet of floor area: those can stand not less than three feet from any side or rear lot line.

Size and height are limited separately. In any residential zone, accessory buildings can occupy not more than 25% of the rear or side yard area, and they cannot exceed the lesser of 16 feet in height or the height of the principal building. A detached accessory structure in a residential zone also has to stay at least five feet from the principal building. Every accessory building has to sit on the same lot as the principal use it serves, so a shed cannot be placed on a neighboring parcel to serve the house next door.

Section 108-2.3 defines an accessory building as a building in which an accessory use is contained. Section 108-5.6 defers to the zone district regulations where they speak to accessory setbacks, so the district listing in Article VI and the Schedule of Area, Yard and Building Requirements attached under § 108-6.4 are the second place to look after reading this section. Under § 108-14.1 the Zoning Officer administers Chapter 108, and no development permit is granted for construction or alteration that would violate the chapter.