Rochester Hills, MI Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 138-10.102 of the Rochester Hills Zoning Ordinance governs detached accessory structures, which include sheds. The combined floor area of all detached accessory buildings on a parcel cannot exceed the ordinance's table: 1,000 square feet on lots from 0.01 to 0.99 acres, rising in 200-square-foot increments per acre bracket up to 2,000 square feet on parcels of five acres or more, and total accessory building area still cannot exceed the parcel's maximum lot coverage under Section 138-5.100. A detached structure on a residential lot under two acres must sit at least five feet from any side or rear lot line; on lots two acres or larger, that setback jumps to 20 feet, and detached structures are barred from any required side yard altogether.

Sheds cannot be placed in the front yard under any circumstance. Height in the RE, R-1 through R-5, RM-1, RMH, and RCD districts is capped at one story or 14 feet where the roof pitch is under 4/12, rising to 16 feet if the pitch is 4/12 or steeper; other zoning districts allow accessory structures up to the district's principal-building height limit, but only with site plan review. Corner-lot sheds must also meet the additional side-street and front-setback rules of Section 138-10.103. A shed is treated as attached, not detached, if it sits within ten feet of the main house or is joined by a breezeway of at least 70 square feet, which shifts it to the main-building setback and coverage rules instead.