Tigard, OR Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)
Shed permit rules in Tigard, OR, 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
- Size, lots under 2.5 acres
- 528 square feet maximum
- Size, lots 2.5 acres or larger
- 1,000 square feet maximum
- Maximum height
- 15 feet
- Front setback
- Prohibited in the required front setback
- Side, street side, rear
- Minimum five feet from property lines
- Penalty
- Class 1 civil infraction, up to $250 per day
Summary
In the City of Tigard, Oregon, an accessory structure on a small form residential lot is limited to 528 square feet on lots under 2.5 acres and 1,000 square feet on lots of 2.5 acres or more, 15 feet in height, with no placement in the front setback and a 5 foot minimum from other lot lines.
Accessory structures are allowed on all lots with small form residential development subject to the following standards: A. The maximum size of accessory structures is 528 square feet on lots less than 2.5 acres and 1,000 square feet on lots 2.5 acres or larger; B. The maximum height of accessory structures is 15 feet; C. Accessory structures may not cause the lot to exceed the maximum lot coverage allowed in the base zone; D. Accessory structures are prohibited in the required front setback; and E. Accessory structures may be located in the required side, street side, or rear setback provided they are a minimum of five feet from the side, street side, or rear property lines, except for garages and carports, which are subject to specific setback standards for the side of the structure designed for vehicle access, as provided in Table 18.290.1.
Full Breakdown
Section 18.290.050 of the Tigard Municipal Code sets the shed and accessory building standards for lots with small form residential development in the City of Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. Section 18.290.050.A caps size at 528 square feet on lots less than 2.5 acres and 1,000 square feet on lots 2.5 acres or larger. Section 18.290.050.B caps height at 15 feet, measured under Section 18.40.040. Section 18.290.050.C bars any accessory structure that would cause the lot to exceed the maximum lot coverage allowed in the base zone, which Table 18.290.1 lists as 80 percent in RES-A through RES-E and 90 percent in MUC-1. Section 18.290.050.D prohibits accessory structures in the required front setback. Section 18.290.050.E lets them sit in the required side, street side or rear setback if they are a minimum of five feet from the side, street side or rear property lines. Garages and carports are the exception: they follow the specific setback standards for the side of the structure designed for vehicle access in Table 18.290.1, which sets a garage setback of 20 feet.
Other housing types carry their own accessory structure sections. Apartment sites under Section 18.230.060 prohibit accessory structures in the required front or street side setback and allow the side or rear setback only at a minimum of five feet and a maximum of 15 feet in height. Rowhouse lots under Section 18.280.050 allow 528 square feet, quads under Section 18.270.050 allow a total floor area of 528 square feet with garages and carports excluded, and cottage clusters under Section 18.240.080 use the same 528 square foot total with garages and carports excluded.
Sensitive lands add a layer. In the drainageway, steep slope, unstable ground and floodplain provisions, accessory structures under 120 square feet are exempt from sensitive lands review except in a water quality sensitive area or vegetated corridor. Building permits for accessory structures of 120 to 528 square feet go through a Type I administrative review, and structures over 528 square feet go through a Type II procedure or, in the floodway fringe, a hearings officer.
Violations & Fines
Section 6.02.140 of the nuisance title declares constructing, placing or maintaining an accessory structure in violation of the accessory structure provisions of the Community Development Code, 18.290.050, to be a public nuisance. Section 6.01.040 makes a violation of Title 6 a Class 1 civil infraction processed under Chapter 1.16, with each day a separate infraction. Section 1.16.640.A.1 sets the penalty at an amount not to exceed $250 per day, and the responsible party must still abate the violation under Section 6.01.040.D.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tigard
How Tigard compares: Shed Permit Requirements by City·Compare Tigard to another location·View the Oregon accessory structures overview
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