Palatine, IL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 6.01 of the Village's zoning ordinance governs every accessory structure, sheds, detached garages, gazebos and similar buildings, placed on a residential lot. Height is limited to one story and 15 feet, and no accessory structure can rise higher than the principal house itself; going taller requires a special use. Distance rules keep accessory buildings away from property lines and the house: at least 10 feet from the principal structure, 5 feet from the side lot line and 5 feet from the rear lot line.

Structures must sit in a rear or side yard, never in an easement, and corner-lot owners cannot place an accessory structure in the side yard that abuts the street. Size is capped two ways. In a rear yard, the combined ground floor area of all accessory structures cannot exceed the lesser of 20 percent of the rear yard's area, 700 square feet, or 50 percent of the principal structure's floor area; in a side yard, the limit drops to 150 square feet total. Swimming pools, hot tubs and spas are addressed in the same section: pools need a 5-foot setback from side and rear lot lines and a 4-foot setback from the house, while hot tubs and spas only have to meet building and electrical code clearances.

The Village also allows portable storage units on residential lots, but caps them at two per zoning lot, 1,100 cubic feet each, and no more than three uses per year of up to ten consecutive days each, unless a building permit extends that window. Homeowners who want a shed taller than 15 feet, or who exceed the size caps, must apply for a special use through the Planning and Zoning Commission and Village Council rather than a standard building permit.