Accessory Structures in Dearborn Heights, MI (2026)
3 verified accessory structures rules for Dearborn Heights, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
The City of Dearborn Heights allows one accessory dwelling per residential parcel in the R1 and RM districts, but only inside the principal single-family structure, never in a detached building, per Dearborn Heights City Code Section 36-141(c). The unit needs at least 350 square feet and cannot exceed 30 percent of the principal building's gross floor area, plus a zoning compliance certificate and one extra off-street parking space.
Dearborn Heights Accessory Dwelling Rules
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Heights City Code § 36-141(c)(1)-(3)
(c)Dwellings units accessory to detached single-family dwellings. The following shall apply to dwelling units accessory to detached single-family dwellings in the R1, single-family residential and RM, multiple dwelling residential districts:(1)A maximum of one (1) accessory dwelling shall be permitted on a residential parcel.(2)All accessory dwellings shall be located entirely within the princi...
ADU Owner Occupancy
In the City of Dearborn Heights, an accessory dwelling can only be added to a home that is the owner's actual primary and permanent legal residence, per Dearborn Heights City Code Section 36-141(c)(4). The unit must remain clearly secondary to the principal single-family use, which rules out renting the main house separately while housing an accessory unit for a non-owner occupant.
Dearborn Heights ADU Owner-Occupancy Rule
Significant RestrictionsDearborn Heights City Code § 36-141(c)(4)
(4)The principal building on the parcel shall be the primary and permanent legal residence of the owner(s) of the property. A permitted accessory dwelling shall be clearly secondary to the use of the building as a single-family residence.
Shed & Carport Rules
In the City of Dearborn Heights, City Code Sec. 36-251 caps a shed at 200 square feet of floor area, counted toward an 800-square-foot ceiling on all accessory buildings combined. Sheds and other accessory buildings must sit at least two feet from side and rear lot lines, stay under fifteen feet in height, and cannot cover more than a quarter of the required rear yard.
Dearborn Heights Shed Size and Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsDearborn Heights City Code § 36-251(b), (c), (d)
(b)Lot coverage. The total floor area of all accessory buildings shall not exceed eight hundred (800) square feet. Sheds shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet in floor area.(c)Location and setbacks. Accessory buildings shall be located to the rear of the principal building except when structurally attached to the principal building.(1)Accessory buildings shall not be erected in any req...
Looking for Wayne County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dearborn Heights city rules.
Accessory Structures in Wayne County →