Shed Permit Requirements by City (2026)

Top 25: Most Regulated

Rankings are based on each city's building code for accessory structures, including the size threshold for permit exemption, setback requirements, permit fees, and inspection requirements.

1. 1

   Oakland, CAHeavy Restrictions

   A carport or attached garage next to an Oakland house must carry its own residential fire sprinklers under Municipal Code § 15.12.030, amending California Fire Code § 903.2.18. The system has to meet CRC § R313 or NFPA 13-D, deliver at least .05 gallons per minute per square foot, and treat the garage door as open space rather than an obstruction.

2. 2

   Bernalillo County, NMSignificant Restrictions3 feet from property line

   In unincorporated Bernalillo County's R-1 and A-1 zones, a carport built into the required front or side yard needs Zoning Administrator approval and must stay at least three feet off the property line.

3. 3

   Burbank, CASignificant Restrictions1-story tool/storage shed 120 sq ft or less (per Title 9 building code)

   Burbank Municipal Code Section 10-1-604 treats detached storage sheds and similar buildings as accessory structures, capping the combined enclosed accessory floor area (excluding garages) at 1,000 square feet, requiring at least 6 feet of separation from other structures, and prohibiting kitchens, sleeping use, and most plumbing.

4. 4

   Federal Way, WASignificant Restrictions

   A storage shed in a required side or rear yard needs discretionary Process III approval in Federal Way, capped at eight feet high, 120 square feet, and a 10-foot facade, under FWRC 19.125.160(9). Front yards are off-limits entirely.

5. 5

   Honolulu County, HISignificant RestrictionsAbout 20 by 20 feet

   A one- or two-car carport or garage may encroach into a required front or side yard on Oahu only with a director-approved zoning adjustment, capped near 20 by 20 feet.

6. 6

   Midwest City, OKSignificant Restrictions750 square feet

   Midwest City caps accessory buildings and sheds at 750 square feet on lots of 10,000 square feet or less, requires a 5-foot side setback, and makes construction subject to a City Council waiver under Code § 9-644.1.

7. 7

   Abilene, TXSome Restrictions200 sq ft or less, Sec. 2.4.4.1(a)(4)

   Abilene lets homeowners build a shed without a building permit only if it stays at 200 square feet or less, though it must still meet every other Land Development Code standard. Larger sheds need a permit and, once past 400 square feet, a Site Plan. Setbacks start at 3 feet and grow with height, and sheds must sit in side or rear yards only.

8. 8

   Acworth, GASome Restrictions5 feet minimum

   Acworth caps every lot at two accessory structures, each no taller than 20 feet, with a combined footprint no larger than half the principal structure's area. Sheds and other accessory buildings must sit to the side or rear of the principal use, at least five feet from side or rear lot lines.

9. 9

   Adams County, COSome RestrictionsGenerally required

   A carport is an accessory structure in unincorporated Adams County and must meet the same setback and 35-foot height limits as other accessory buildings. On a manufactured-home lot, one garage or one attached carport is expressly allowed as an accessory use.

10. 10

    Akron, OHSome Restrictions3 feet from lot line

    Akron caps backyard sheds and other accessory structures at fifteen feet in height and requires at least three feet of clearance from a rear lot line and six feet from any other structure under § 153.260(E). Maximum floor area scales with lot size, from 576 square feet on small lots up to 900 square feet, and all accessory buildings together cannot cover more than 40 percent of the rear yard.

11. 11

    Alameda County, CASome Restrictions

    In unincorporated Alameda County's R districts, a detached shed or accessory building must sit at least six feet from any other building, stay one story, and stay under fifteen feet tall under the county zoning code.

12. 12

    Albany, NYSome RestrictionsMaximum shed size in residential districts: 200 sq ft (USDO Chapter 375)

    Sheds in Albany are regulated as accessory structures under the Unified Sustainable Development Ordinance (USDO), Chapter 375 of the City Code. In residential zoning districts a shed may be no larger than 200 square feet, must be set back at least 2 feet from side and rear lot lines, and must observe the front-yard setback that applies to the principal structure. A City of Albany building permit is required before constructing a new accessory structure or replacing an existing one. New York State separately exempts one-story detached storage sheds 144 sf and smaller from a state building permit under 19 NYCRR §1203.3(a)(1), but that exemption is opt-in by the local code-enforcement program and does not override the local zoning permit Albany requires.

13. 13

    Albuquerque, NMSome Restrictions<= 120 sq ft, one-story, tool/storage shed

    Albuquerque exempts one-story detached storage sheds of 120 square feet or less from a building permit, while larger sheds need a permit; accessory buildings have no required setback from a lot line on interior lots but walls within 5 feet of a property line must be one-hour fire-resistive.

14. 14

    Alexandria, VASome RestrictionsBuilding permit from Dept. of Code Administration

    Alexandria lets homeowners put a shed in the side or rear yard without giving up required yard space, but caps its size. Section 7-202(C)(2) allows sheds up to 100 square feet and 10 feet tall on single- and two-unit lots outside a historic district, shrinking to 65 square feet and 8 feet tall inside the Old and Historic Alexandria or Parker-Gray districts.

15. 15

    Allen County, INSome RestrictionsSmaller than primary building

    In unincorporated Allen County, a detached accessory building such as a shed may not exceed 25 feet in height. On residential lots under two acres with on-site sewage, a new detached accessory building must be smaller than the primary building, and a shed generally requires an Improvement Location Permit.

16. 16

    Allentown, PASome Restrictions1,000 sq ft, or if attached to a house

    In Allentown a storage shed is an accessory structure that generally may not exceed 15 feet in height, may not stand in any front yard, and must be set back at least 3 feet from side and rear lot lines and 10 feet from any street lot line (unless the Article 4 outbuilding tables set a specific figure). A shed of 150 square feet or less may sit on an abutting commonly owned lot. A detached shed not attached to a one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse, or any shed 1,000 sq ft or larger, requires a building permit.

17. 17

    Amarillo, TXSome Restrictions200 square feet or less, one story

    A detached, one-story tool or storage shed on an Amarillo residential lot needs no building permit as long as its floor area stays at or under 200 square feet, per the city's amended residential code. Zoning still applies at that same 200-square-foot line: a shed that size or smaller has no side-yard setback requirement, but anything bigger needs at least a three-foot side yard and, without an alley, a ten-foot rear yard.

18. 18

    Anaheim, CASome Restrictions

    Anaheim caps garden sheds, storage sheds, garages and other accessory structures in single-family zones at one story or 16 feet, whichever is less, under Section 18.04.070.030. Sheds built entirely outside required setback areas that match the main house's design can exceed that limit, and structures encroaching into setbacks face further height limits under the Table 4-J encroachment standards.

19. 19

    Anchorage, AKSome Restrictions100% of house floor area

    Anchorage lets a private carport encroach into a required side or rear setback next to an alley, but its combined floor area with any garage cannot exceed the house's own square footage in most residential zones.

20. 20

    Anderson, INSome Restrictions120 sq ft or foundation

    Anderson's Zoning Code treats a carport as an accessory structure. It must observe the same five-foot side and rear setbacks, the 18-foot height cap, and the 864-square-foot limit that apply to accessory buildings, and needs an Improvement Location Permit at 120 square feet or on a permanent foundation.

21. 21

    Annapolis, MDSome Restrictions30 feet minimum

    Annapolis classifies carports and garages as accessory structures allowed by right, but its bulk regulations table sets numeric yard setbacks for them: in the R1 single-family district: 30 feet front, 8 feet interior side, 20 feet corner side, and 5 feet rear.

22. 22

    Anne Arundel County, MDSome Restrictions150 sq ft, 10 ft tall

    In Anne Arundel County, a detached shed under 150 square feet and 10 feet tall accessory to a house needs no building permit, unless it sits in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, where a permit is always required regardless of size.

23. 23

    Antioch, CASome Restrictions<120 sq ft, <=8 ft tall, no foundation, no utilities

    Antioch Municipal Code Section 9-5.603 caps accessory structures in residential districts at 15 feet tall, requires a five-foot rear and interior side setback, and exempts truly portable storage sheds (under 120 sq ft, under 8 ft tall, no foundation) from permit requirements.

24. 24

    Apex, NCSome Restrictions5 feet minimum from property line

    Apex requires detached carports to stay at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines, 10 feet from the main house, and out of the front yard unless set back 60 feet, per the town's Unified Development Ordinance.

25. 25

    Appleton, WISome Restrictions1,600 sq ft, § 23-43(g)(1)i.2

    Appleton caps a detached shed, garage or gazebo on an R-1A, R-1B, R-1C or R-2 lot at 1,600 combined square feet, 15 feet in height and one story, under Sec. 23-43(g)(1). Detached buildings need a 3-foot rear setback (5 feet off an improved alley) and count toward the district's lot-coverage cap.

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