Old Bridge, NJ Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 250-50 of the Land Development Ordinance sets the size and placement rules for accessory buildings and structures, including sheds, in every residential zone. No accessory building tied to a residential dwelling can exceed 600 square feet of gross floor area, and every detached accessory building must stand at least three feet from the principal house. Ordinarily an accessory structure follows the same side- and rear-yard setback as the main house under the Appendix E schedule, but § 250-50C relaxes that for small sheds: a shed of 150 square feet or less on a lot larger than 5,000 square feet only needs a three-foot side and rear yard, unless the shed houses animals, and a shed of 100 square feet or less on a lot under 5,000 square feet can sit as close as one foot to the side or rear line, as long as no utilities run to it.

Corner-lot owners may also place a shed in the front yard that abuts the street the house does not face, provided it stays under six feet tall; taller front-yard sheds need Zoning Board of Adjustment approval first. On the permit side, the Township's fee schedule in § 250-104P charges $55 for a shed under 100 square feet and $50 for a garage, carport, pole barn or shed larger than 100 square feet, whether attached or detached. The Construction Code Office issues the building permit, while the Department of Community Development's Zoning Officer confirms the shed sits within the reduced setback before the permit is signed off.