Owensboro, KY Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Owensboro's joint zoning ordinance treats a shed as an accessory structure and regulates it in Appendix F, Article 3. Under Section 3-6(c), on any lot smaller than one-half acre the accessory structure cannot exceed the square footage of the principal building's ground floor, and the Owensboro Metropolitan Board of Adjustment must grant a variance before a larger structure is allowed. Section 3-6(b) caps accessory building height at whatever height limit applies to principal buildings in that zone, with narrow exceptions for features such as flag poles and chimneys that do not apply to sheds. Section 3-6(d) folds accessory structures into the lot's overall maximum lot coverage figure, so a large shed can push a lot over its limit even if the shed alone meets the size test.

Setback treatment depends on whether the shed is enclosed. Section 3-7(b) classifies a roofed, walled shed as an "enclosed accessory building" that may sit in a required rear yard but must stay at least three feet from lot lines adjoining freeways, expressways, alleys, or other lots, and at least six feet from the principal house or any other enclosed accessory building on the lot. A shed built without walls, such as an open-sided pole structure, instead falls under the "unenclosed accessory building" rules of Section 3-7(c), which apply the same three-foot minimum along rear lot lines. No accessory building may be used for human occupancy under Section 3-6(a), and a building permit from the Zoning Administrator under Section 5.2 is required before any shed is erected, moved, or structurally altered; a permit becomes invalid if work is not started within 180 days.