York County, VA Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 24.1-271(c) permits carports, garages, utility sheds and similar storage facilities customarily associated with residential living, while flatly prohibiting the use of containerized cargo units; portable on-demand storage units get a narrower administrative-permit path capped at thirty consecutive days per placement. Location and size are governed by § 24.1-273: an accessory building generally cannot sit closer to the front lot line than the principal building's façade, though if the house's own front setback exceeds fifty feet, the shed only needs to meet a fifty-foot minimum.

Side and rear yard setbacks default to five feet under § 24.1-273(d), except that fences and walls have no side or rear setback at all. Height is capped at the district's maximum or the height of the principal structure, whichever is less, under § 24.1-273(g), though an accessory building serving a single-story house may reach 1.25 times that height if it sits at least twenty feet from the house with a ten-foot side/rear setback. Section 24.1-273(h) further caps the shed's building footprint at no more than the footprint of the principal residential structure itself, except for barns tied to a bona fide agricultural operation. Planning and Development Services' zoning administrator reviews compliance at permit issuance.