Walker County, GA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 22-147(b)(1)c of the Walker County Code lists additional requirements that apply only within the R-1 Residential District, on top of the general accessory-use rule in section 22-147(a)(2) that lets accessory structures sit in any district alongside a lawful principal use. Item 1 of that R-1 list requires an accessory building, the category that covers a storage shed, detached garage or workshop, to be located in the rear yard only, never in a front or side yard, and to keep at least 15 feet of clearance from both the side and rear property lines.

The same provision blocks building an accessory structure on a vacant lot, meaning a shed cannot be erected before a principal residence exists on the parcel. R-1 carries companion restrictions in the same subsection: item 2 bars using a trailer, truck bed, or similar unit as a storage building, and item 6 requires junk vehicles to be kept out of sight of the county road right-of-way, inside a garage or storage building or under a tarp. Outside R-1, an accessory building such as a shed still has to satisfy the district's own site development standards under section 22-181, including that district's side and rear setback figures, before the Planning and Enforcement office will sign off on the building permit referenced in section 22-182.