Scranton, PA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Scranton, PA, also referred to as storage shed, backyard shed, or accessory building regulations, set size limits, setbacks, and when a building permit is required.
Key Facts
- Shed classification
- "Accessory structure" under § 445-8
- Front yard
- Sheds barred except signs, lighting
- Setback rule
- Follows each zoning district's own table
- Sight triangle limit
- No object over 3 feet at intersections
- Governing section
- Scranton City Code § 445-28
Summary
Scranton's Zoning Ordinance defines a storage shed as an "accessory structure" and regulates it at § 445-28: it must sit on the same lot as the main house, follow the district's normal setback table, and cannot stand in the front yard except for signs and lighting. Objects over three feet are also barred from street-corner sight triangles.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE: ... A structure, such as a private garage, storage shed, gazebo, or greenhouse, serving a purpose customarily incidental to the use of the principal building and located on the same lot as the principal building. § ... 445-28. ... Accessory structures/uses. A. Accessory uses, buildings, and structures are permitted only in conjunction with an established principal use and must be located on the same lot as said principal use. B. No structure accessory to a principal use, other than signs and lighting fixtures, shall be located in the front yard setback. C. Setbacks for accessory structures shall comply with the requirements specified in each zoning district, unless otherwise regulated in this chapter. D. No object exceeding a height of three feet, unless otherwise permitted by this chapter, shall be temporarily or permanently placed, erected, installed, or parked within the clear sight triangle required at the intersection of streets or the intersection of a driveway or private lane with a public street.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4719898; v25 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 445 defines an ACCESSORY STRUCTURE at § 445-8 as "a structure, such as a private garage, storage shed, gazebo, or greenhouse, serving a purpose customarily incidental to the use of the principal building and located on the same lot as the principal building," which directly covers backyard sheds. Section 445-28 then sets the operating rules: accessory structures are "permitted only in conjunction with an established principal use and must be located on the same lot as said principal use," and "no structure accessory to a principal use, other than signs and lighting fixtures, shall be located in the front yard setback," so a shed has to sit in the side or rear yard.
Setbacks for the shed itself "shall comply with the requirements specified in each zoning district," meaning the minimum distance from the property line varies by which of Scranton's residential, commercial, or industrial districts the lot sits in rather than one citywide number, and a homeowner must check the bulk table for their specific district (R-6 through R-11, for example) before siting a shed. Section 445-28D bars any object taller than three feet, a shed included, from the clear sight triangle at a street or driveway intersection, protecting visibility for drivers.
Because a shed is a structure under § 445-5A, its erection also has to conform with the general zoning-permit and use-conformity requirements of that section, and the Zoning Officer can require relief through the Zoning Hearing Board by variance or special exception if a homeowner cannot meet the district's setback.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 445 does not set a standalone shed penalty; a shed erected in violation of § 445-28's setback, front-yard, or sight-triangle rules is enforced the same as any other zoning violation, subject to the Zoning Officer's stop-work and correction authority and to the general zoning enforcement and appeal procedures under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq., which the ordinance itself is enacted under at § 445-1A.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a storage shed in my front yard in Scranton?
How far from my property line does a shed have to sit in Scranton?
Does a shed count as an accessory structure under Scranton's zoning code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scranton
How Scranton compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Scranton to another location·View the Pennsylvania accessory structures overview
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