Wauwatosa, WI Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

The city's building and safety division, part of Title 15 of the Wauwatosa Municipal Code, requires a permit before you "construct, enlarge, alter, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of any building or structure," and Section 15.02.120 specifically lists "garages, storage sheds and other accessory buildings" among the work that normally needs a permit. The code then carves out a narrow exemption: "No permit shall be required for storage, play, recreational structures or other accessory structures that do not exceed one hundred square feet in area and twelve feet in height." Cross the 100-square-foot floor area or 12-foot height mark and you must file a permit application with the building and safety division, along with the applicable fee from the city's consolidated fee schedule; failing to pull a permit before starting work doubles the fee under Section 15.02.150.

Applications are good for six months from the date filed, and once issued, a one- and two-family remodeling or addition permit (which covers most detached accessory buildings) expires one year after issuance if the work is not completed, per Section 15.02.120. Even exempt sheds are not maintenance-free: Section 15.32.020 of the Property Maintenance Code specifically calls out "storage sheds, dog houses, flag poles, kennels, rabbit hutches, play houses, tree houses, barbecue pits and planters" and requires that "all accessory structures" be "maintained in good repair and in a clean and sanitary condition." Zoning also constrains where and how large a shed may be built: under Chapter 24.10, accessory structures are generally subject to the same district regulations, including setbacks, as the principal building unless the code states otherwise, and accessory buildings must be built after, not before, the principal building on the lot.