Tallahassee, FL Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Land Development Code Section 10-411(a) sets the baseline rules for every accessory structure on a Tallahassee lot, sheds included. A permitted principal structure must already exist on the parcel before an accessory structure goes up, and the accessory structure must sit back at least ten feet from any property line, unless the principal structure's own setback is smaller, in which case the shed can match that tighter line instead. Accessory structures cannot go in a required landscape buffer, the front yard, or the side corner yard, and each one must stay at least six feet from any other structure on the same lot.

Sheds also count toward the lot's impervious surface and stormwater runoff calculations, the one exception being the water surface of a swimming pool, which is not counted as impervious surface. Larger or more sensitive accessory uses draw extra distance requirements under Section 10-411(b): accessory buildings storing hazardous, incendiary, noxious, or deadly materials must sit at least 100 feet from any property line, and vehicles, travel trailers, and manufactured or mobile homes cannot be used as storage or utility buildings at all. 1, and has been amended through Ordinance No. 21-O-15 in 2021.