West Hartford, CT Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 177-20E limits accessory buildings placed in a required rear yard to 15 feet in height, bars them from covering more than 25% of the required rear yard, and requires at least two feet of clearance from any lot line and six feet from any dwelling on the property. A garage may be built right up against a rear or side lot line only with a plan approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, and if a neighbor later builds a garage against that same line, it must either match the placement or stay at least four feet off the line.

Section 177-23 adds construction standards: accessory buildings must use durable, permanent materials such as wood or metal framing, wood, metal or vinyl wall panels, and wood, fiberglass or asphalt roofing materials. Temporary accessory structures, such as tents, freestanding awnings, canopies, hoop houses or cold frames, are exempt from that materials rule but cannot stand for more than 60 days in a calendar year without a special use permit from the Plan and Zoning Commission under Section 177-42A; convenience or expense alone will not justify one.

An accessory building attached to the house by a breezeway or roofed passageway must instead meet every standard that applies to the main building, including its full setbacks and height limit.