Accessory Structures in Kansas (2026)
24 rules on the books across Kansas, 9 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
ADU Rules
Rules for building accessory dwelling units (granny flats, in-law suites) including size limits, parking requirements, and owner-occupancy rules.
Overland Park
Significant RestrictionsOverland Park allows accessory dwelling units only within land zoned PRN, Planned Residential Neighborhood District…
Read full rule →Shawnee County
Significant RestrictionsShawnee County's RA-1 Rural Agriculture District zoning bars a second permanent dwelling on one lot. The only path to a…
Read full rule →Wichita
Significant RestrictionsWichita allows one accessory apartment per single-family lot, but only as a Conditional Use approved by the Planning…
Read full rule →Olathe
Some RestrictionsOlathe allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in residential, downtown, and planned districts, capped at 1,000…
Read full rule →Sedgwick County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Sedgwick County, the Wichita-Sedgwick County Unified Zoning Code allows one Accessory Apartment on a…
Read full rule →Topeka
Some RestrictionsTopeka allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot as an accessory use to a single-family home, capped at 800 square…
Read full rule →Wyandotte County
Some RestrictionsWyandotte County's Unified Government zoning code caps an accessory dwelling unit at half the finished square footage…
Read full rule →ADU Owner Occupancy
Whether the property owner must live on-site to operate an ADU, deed-restriction requirements, and recent state-law changes lifting owner-occupancy rules.
Topeka
Some RestrictionsTopeka lets a single accessory dwelling unit sit on a lot with a single-family home, but only if an owner actually…
Read full rule →Wyandotte County
Some RestrictionsWyandotte County's zoning code defines a "primary" accessory dwelling unit as the one the property owner actually lives…
Read full rule →Shed & Carport Rules
When a storage shed or carport needs a permit, the square-footage exemption thresholds, and the setback and height limits that apply either way.
Lawrence
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Lawrence, a one-story detached accessory shed, playhouse or similar storage structure does not need a…
Read full rule →Lenexa
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Lenexa, Kansas, a residential accessory building such as a shed cannot exceed 25 feet in height. In the…
Read full rule →Olathe
Some RestrictionsOlathe caps detached sheds at 210 to 400 square feet by lot size and keeps them at least 5 feet from rear or side…
Read full rule →Overland Park
Some RestrictionsDetached sheds and accessory buildings in Overland Park must sit in the rear yard, at least 3 feet from interior lot…
Read full rule →Sedgwick County
Some RestrictionsGarages and carports are permitted residential accessory uses under the Unified Zoning Code. As accessory structures…
Read full rule →Shawnee County
Some RestrictionsA shed or other detached accessory building in unincorporated Shawnee County needs a building permit once it exceeds…
Read full rule →Topeka
Some RestrictionsIn Topeka's R-1 single-family district, a detached shed must sit back at least 30 feet from the front lot line, 3 feet…
Read full rule →Wichita
Some RestrictionsDetached sheds and other accessory structures in Wichita must sit at least 5 feet off the rear lot line (10 feet from…
Read full rule →Wyandotte County
Light RestrictionsA detached storage shed, playhouse, or similar one-story accessory structure serving a one- or two-family home in…
Read full rule →Garage Conversions
Rules for converting a garage into living space, including whether you need to replace the lost parking and what building codes apply.
Sedgwick County
Some RestrictionsNo single UZC section is titled 'garage conversion.' Turning a garage into living space is regulated as a change of use…
Read full rule →Shawnee County
Some RestrictionsConverting a garage into living space in unincorporated Shawnee County requires a building permit from Land Use &…
Read full rule →Tiny Homes
Zoning rules for tiny houses on wheels and foundations, including minimum square footage requirements and where they can be placed.
Kansas: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsKansas has no statewide minimum-house-size law banning tiny homes, but the Kansas Manufactured Housing Act classifies…
Read full rule →Overland Park
Heavy RestrictionsOverland Park sets a hard minimum of 864 square feet of livable floor area for any single-family dwelling, and the…
Read full rule →Lawrence
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Lawrence, Appendix Q, "Tiny Houses," of the 2018 International Residential Code is specifically adopted…
Read full rule →Sedgwick County
Some RestrictionsA permanent dwelling in a residential district must meet the Unified Zoning Code's Residential-Design Manufactured Home…
Read full rule →