Shed permit rules in New York, NY — also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations — set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
New York County is Manhattan, governed entirely by the consolidated City of New York. Backyard storage sheds are regulated by NYC Zoning Resolution Section 23-44, which permits one accessory shed in a required rear yard with a maximum height of 10 feet above the rear-yard level. Under 1 RCNY Section 101-14, a temporary, portable, freestanding shed not exceeding 120 square feet in area and 7 feet 6 inches in height may be installed without a Department of Buildings permit, limited to one per tax lot. Larger or permanent sheds require a DOB permit and must comply with the NYC Building Code.
Manhattan has no independent county government — the NYC Department of Buildings, the NYC Department of City Planning, and the NYC Construction Codes (Title 28 of the NYC Administrative Code) handle all permitting. Sheds, tool rooms, and similar accessory storage buildings are explicitly listed as permitted obstructions in required rear yards or rear-yard equivalents in NYC Zoning Resolution Section 23-44, provided their height does not exceed 10 feet above the level of the rear yard. Section 23-44 also restricts the total area of such accessory structures within the required rear yard. The Rules of the City of New York at 1 RCNY Section 101-14 list categories of minor work that do not require a DOB permit: a temporary, portable, freestanding shed used for domestic storage may be installed without a permit if it is no larger than 120 square feet, no taller than 7 feet 6 inches, and there is no more than one such shed on the tax lot. A shed that is larger, taller, electrified, plumbed, or affixed to a permanent foundation falls outside this exemption and requires a DOB-issued permit, plans filed by a registered design professional, and compliance with the 2022 NYC Building Code. Manhattan rooftops with shed-like equipment enclosures are subject to NYC BC Chapters 15 and 16 and Zoning Resolution rooftop-obstruction rules. Confirm site-specific rules with NYC DOB at 311 (or 212-639-9675 from outside NYC).
An over-sized or permanent shed installed without a permit is subject to OATH/ECB violations under NYC Admin. Code Sec. 28-213.1.1, civil penalties typically ranging from $800 to $10,000, a Stop Work Order, and an order to remove the structure.
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