Rancho Cordova, CA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

734 sets the development standards for detached accessory structures such as sheds on residential lots. 030(A), a shed stays exempt from the chapter's plan-check requirement only if it is enclosed or solid-roofed, smaller than 120 square feet, and no part of it reaches 8 feet in height; that exempt shed cannot sit in a required front yard and must keep a minimum 3-foot setback from the side and rear property lines with at least 6 feet between it and any other structure. Any shed that exceeds either threshold, 120 square feet or 8 feet tall, goes through a simple plan check (zoning certification) at building permit issuance under the chapter's introductory permit clause.

734-1 sets a 5-foot rear and side setback at 8 feet of height, adding another half-foot of setback for every half-foot the structure climbs above 8 feet. 040(B) bars any accessory structure over 120 square feet outright in the R-10, RD-15, RD-20, RD-25, RD-30, MDR, HDR, and RMH residential zones, regardless of setback compliance. 030(D). Total accessory square footage on a lot under half an acre cannot exceed 30 percent of the primary home's habitable floor area; on lots half an acre or larger the cap rises to 50 percent. 401(A).