Redwood City, CA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

5 governs every accessory building in every zoning district, including sheds, detached garages and storage buildings. An accessory building cannot project past the front wall line of the main house. It must meet a front setback equal to the underlying zoning district's front yard requirement, a minimum 4-foot interior side setback, the district's exterior side setback where one applies, a 4-foot rear setback, and a 6-foot separation from any other building on the same lot. Total height tops out at 16 feet, and the wall height on flat or shed roofs facing the side or rear property line is capped at 9 feet.

Small sheds under 120 square feet with no foundation get a break: they can sit inside the rear setback, behind the main house's front wall, in a required side or rear yard, provided they stay at 7 feet or under, or the maximum fence height allowed in that setback if that is lower. Every accessory building still counts toward the lot's overall lot coverage limit, and no combination of sheds, garages or an accessory dwelling unit can cover more than 50 percent of the required rear yard.

Roof decks are flatly prohibited on top of any accessory structure. The Zoning Administrator, under the Planning Director, enforces these standards and every City department must refuse a permit that conflicts with them.