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

15 of the Land Development Code governs accessory uses and structures countywide, and a tool or garden shed falls squarely within its list of permitted accessory structures alongside pump houses and barbecue pits. Subsection (A) sets the baseline size limit: an individual accessory structure's square footage cannot exceed the footprint of the principal (main) structure, though that cap disappears entirely on any lot with one acre or more of upland area, freeing up rural and larger residential parcels for bigger sheds and outbuildings. Placement is governed by subsection (B): accessory structures generally cannot sit in a required front or side yard, but in residential and Open Rural districts where a residence is the primary use, a detached shed separated from the house by at least ten feet and under 20 feet in height (single story) can go in a required side or rear yard, provided it stays at least six feet from any lot line and clear of any recorded easement.

Subsection (D) lists sheds among the accessory uses permitted outright in any residential or Open Rural district, alongside greenhouses, garages and carports, so a qualifying shed doesn't need a separate conditional use application, only compliance with the size and setback standards above and, per subsection (H), a principal building already on the lot. On corner and double-frontage lots, subsections (F) and (G) require a detached accessory building to observe front yard setbacks on every street frontage and to stay farther from a side street than the house itself.