Pawtucket, RI Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Chapter 410's accessory-use standards, § 410-46A, treat sheds under 100 square feet as a favored small structure: § 410-46A(1) bars most accessory uses from lots under 5,000 square feet but expressly carves out required off-street parking, a private garage, and a shed under 100 square feet, so a small shed can go on an undersized lot where a larger accessory building could not. Placement is restricted throughout Subsection A: no accessory building may sit between the front of the main structure and the street (A(3)), and where an adjoining principal structure sits within 8 feet of the lot line, a new accessory structure must stay at least 8 feet away if one story or 16 feet away if two stories (A(4)).

The dimensional standard applicants ask about most, A(6), lets a detached garage or shed sit in the required rear yard, with its driveway allowed in the side yard, provided the structure stays at least 4 feet from any lot line, no more than one story or 15 feet tall, and no more than 24 feet in depth and width. Sheds and garages may store vehicles, boats, RVs or similar equipment owned by the occupant, but tractor-trailer storage and RV occupancy are prohibited in residential zones under A(8).