New Bedford, MA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

New Bedford's Zoning Ordinance defines a storage shed at Section 3028 as a covered structure capped at 200 square feet of floor space, no taller than 12 feet, without plumbing or installed heating, and not affixed to a foundation or slab reaching more than 10 inches below grade. A structure that exceeds any of those thresholds no longer qualifies as a shed and instead becomes a full accessory structure subject to the ordinance's standard setbacks.

Placement is governed separately by Section 2753 (Rear Yards) and Section 2755 (Side Yards). Every lot must otherwise carry a rear yard at least 30 feet deep behind the dwelling and side yards of at least 10 feet on one side and 12 feet on the other. Within that required rear yard, however, a storage shed sited behind the dwelling gets a specific carve-out: it may come as close as 18 inches to the rear lot line, or to within 18 inches of a fence erected along that line if one exists, whichever is closest. The same 18-inch allowance applies to the side lot line for a shed sited behind the dwelling within the rear yard. By comparison, an unattached private garage may only close to within four feet of the rear line, showing the ordinance treats sheds meeting the Section 3028 definition more permissively than other accessory buildings.

Because the shed definition and the yard sections work together, a structure with plumbing, installed heat, a foundation deeper than 10 inches, or more than 200 square feet loses shed status and must instead meet the four-foot garage setback or the full 10/12-foot side yard and 30-foot rear yard depths. The Inspector of Buildings administers these dimensional rules under Section 5110 and reviews shed placement as part of any building permit application.