Surry County, NC Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 154.006-15(A)'s Dimensional Table sets a separate, tighter setback line for 'Accessory structures' underneath each district's main lot standards. In the RA, RA-C district, that accessory line reads 12 feet side and 15 feet rear, smaller than the 12-foot side and 25-foot rear that applies to the principal dwelling. STRUCTURE, ACCESSORY is defined at § 154.003-02 as a structure detached from a principal building on the same zoning lot whose use is customarily incidental to the principal building; the definition specifically excludes doghouses, fences and other minor personal property, but a garden or storage shed falls inside it.

Because a shed is a 'structure' rather than an excluded item like a fence, § 154.005-01(C)(2) requires a zoning permit from the Zoning Administrator before it is excavated for, constructed, moved or altered, and that permit is void six months after issuance unless substantial progress has been made. Note (5) to the table layers on stricter overlay-district standards where applicable, and note (1) confirms accessory structures do not include walls or fences, keeping those two items on a separate track from sheds and garages.