Spring Hill, TN Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 12-401 adopts the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2018 edition, and § 12-402 then amends it for the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee. Subsection 12-402(B)(1) rewrites the Section R105.2 list of building work exempt from the permit requirement. Exemption 1 reads: portable one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed 32 square feet. Three conditions sit in that sentence: the structure is portable, it is one story, and the floor area does not exceed 32 square feet.

A shed that fails any of them is outside the exemption printed in the code. Chapter 4 of Title 12 prints no setback distance, height limit or lot-coverage cap for sheds, and Title 14 of the code is only a short pointer to zoning, so those numbers are not in the code text the city publishes here. A shed that needs a permit follows the rest of § 12-402. Section 12-402(C) makes a building permit expire 180 days after issuance unless voided earlier for suspension, abandonment or failure to commence the work, and the Building Official can extend that by up to 180 days on a written request showing circumstances beyond the applicant's reasonable control. Under § 12-801, the permit fee pays for the first inspection of each construction phase, and extra re-inspections cost money.