Do I Need a Permit for a Shed?

Sometimes. It depends on the shed's size, where it sits on the lot, and the rules of your city, county and homeowners association. This page explains the patterns we see across the country; the only answer that counts is the one from your own building department.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by state, county, city and even by zoning district within a city, and they change. Before you order a shed, call your local building or planning department, or check its website, and ask what applies to an accessory structure at your address.

The size threshold

Most U.S. jurisdictions exempt small "accessory structures" from a building permit below a certain floor area. The model International Residential Code, which most states adopt in some form, exempts one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet. Many cities lower that number locally, and 100, 120 and 150 square feet are all common thresholds. A few places require a permit for any structure with a roof, and some rural counties require none at all.

Where the sheds we currently sell fall:

Under 100 sq ft (usually no permit, but setbacks still apply): Suncast 22 cu ft Vertical Resin Outdoor Storage Shed (5.7 sq ft), Keter Store-It-Out Prime 4.3 x 2.3 ft Resin Storage Shed (31 cu ft) (10.1 sq ft), Lifetime 53 cu ft Vertical Polyethylene Storage Shed (10.2 sq ft), Keter High Store+ (Plus) 50 cu ft Vertical Resin Storage Shed (11.1 sq ft), Lifetime 53 cu. ft. Vertical Storage Shed (11.3 sq ft), Suncast 54 cu. ft. Large Vertical Storage Shed (12 sq ft), Keter Store-It-Out MAX 4.8 x 2.7 ft Horizontal Resin Storage Shed (42 cu ft) (12.7 sq ft), Outdoor Living Today 6 ft. x 3 ft. Western Red Cedar Garden Chalet (Grand Garden Chalet) with Cedar Roof (21.5 sq ft), Keter Factor 6 ft. x 3 ft. Resin Outdoor Storage Shed (21.6 sq ft), Suncast 6 ft. x 4 ft. Extra Large Vertical Shed with Shelf (106 cu. ft.) (21.7 sq ft), Suncast Stow-Away 70 cu. ft. Horizontal Storage Shed (21.7 sq ft), Lifetime 75 cu. ft. Horizontal Storage Shed (22.2 sq ft), Lifetime 75 cu ft Horizontal Storage Shed, Gray, Rough Cut (22.2 sq ft), Keter Cortina Mega Horizontal Storage Shed (22.4 sq ft), Keter Signature Horizontal Storage Shed (22.4 sq ft), Rubbermaid Big Max Junior 3 ft. 5 in. x 7 ft. Resin Storage Shed (23.9 sq ft), Cedarshed Bayside 6 ft. x 3 ft. Western Red Cedar Lean-To Shed Kit (24.9 sq ft), Keter Manor 4 ft. x 6 ft. Resin Outdoor Storage Shed (26.9 sq ft), Rubbermaid Large Vertical Resin Storage Shed (5 ft. x 6 ft.) (29 sq ft), Palram-Canopia SkyLight 6 ft. x 5 ft. Storage Shed Kit (30.7 sq ft), Suncast Glidetop 5 ft. x 7 ft. Horizontal Storage Shed (31.8 sq ft), Suncast Glidetop 6 ft. 8 in. x 4 ft. 10 in. Horizontal Resin Storage Shed (98 cu. ft.) (31.8 sq ft), Heartland Scottsdale 8-ft x 4-ft Lean-to Wood Outdoor Storage Shed (32 sq ft), Suncast Everett 6 ft. x 5 ft. Storage Shed (33.9 sq ft), Suncast Modernist 6 ft. x 5 ft. Resin Storage Shed (35.3 sq ft), Daheat 6 ft. W x 6 ft. D Outdoor Metal Bicycle Storage Shed with Galvanized Steel Roof (36 sq ft), Heartland Lean-to 10-ft x 4-ft Wood Outdoor Storage Shed (40 sq ft), Duramax Bicycle Store 6 ft. x 6 ft. Steel Bike Shed (44.2 sq ft), Duramax StoreAll 8 ft. x 6 ft. Vinyl Storage Shed with Foundation Kit (44.4 sq ft), Lifetime 7 ft. x 7 ft. Outdoor Storage Shed (45 sq ft), Palram-Canopia SkyLight 6 ft. x 8 ft. Storage Shed Kit (45.6 sq ft), Keter Factor 8 ft. x 6 ft. Resin Outdoor Storage Shed (50.1 sq ft), Keter Signature 7x7 Storage Shed - Walnut Brown (50.5 sq ft), Rubbermaid Big Max 7 ft. x 7 ft. Storage Shed (51.3 sq ft), Rubbermaid 7 ft. x 7 ft. Easy Install Resin Storage Shed (51.5 sq ft), Suncast Vista 7 ft. x 7 ft. Resin Storage Shed (52.1 sq ft), Suncast Modernist 7 ft. x 7 ft. Storage Shed (52.6 sq ft), Suncast Tremont 8 ft. x 7 ft. Resin Storage Shed (56 sq ft), Handy Home Products Highland 8 ft. x 6 ft. DIY Wood Shed with Floor and Palram Polycarbonate Roof (56.5 sq ft), Lifetime 8 ft. x 7.5 ft. Outdoor Storage Shed (60 sq ft), Lifetime 8 ft. x 10 ft. Outdoor Storage Shed (61.3 sq ft), Keter Artisan 9x7 Storage Shed (65.4 sq ft), Keter Oakland 7.5 ft. x 9 ft. DUOTECH Resin Storage Shed (70.7 sq ft), Rubbermaid Big Max Ultra 10.5 ft. x 7 ft. Storage Shed (73.5 sq ft), Yardline Aston 10 ft. x 7.5 ft. DIY Wood Shed Kit (75 sq ft), Keter Stronghold 2.0 10 ft. x 8 ft. Resin Storage Shed with Floor (79.7 sq ft), Lifetime 10 ft. x 8 ft. Outdoor Storage Shed (80 sq ft), Heartland Monterra Value Gable 10-ft x 8-ft Wood Outdoor Storage Shed (80 sq ft), Handy Home Products Meridian 8 ft. x 10 ft. DIY Wood Storage Shed with Floor (80 sq ft), Shed Master Homestead 10 ft. x 8 ft. Wood Storage Shed with Metal Roof and Complete Floor (80 sq ft), Suncast Tremont 8 ft. x 10 ft. Resin Storage Shed (85.3 sq ft), Duramax WoodBridge Plus 10.5 ft. x 8 ft. Vinyl Storage Shed (Ivory) with Foundation Kit (86.3 sq ft), Yardline Montague 12' x 7.5' Wood Storage Shed (90 sq ft), Lifetime 12.5 ft. x 8 ft. Outdoor Storage Shed (95.9 sq ft), Handy Home Products Majestic 8 ft. x 12 ft. DIY Wood Storage Shed with Loft (96 sq ft), Heartland Hillsdale 8 ft. x 12 ft. Gable Engineered Wood Storage Shed (96 sq ft), Handy Home Products Beachwood 8 ft. x 12 ft. DIY Wood Storage Shed (96 sq ft).
100 sq ft and up (permit needed in many places): Lifetime 8 ft. x 12.5 ft. Resin Outdoor Storage Shed (100 sq ft), Heartland Estate 10 ft. x 10 ft. Gambrel Engineered Wood Storage Shed (100 sq ft), Handy Home Products Rookwood 10 ft. x 10 ft. DIY Wood Storage Shed with Floor (103 sq ft), Handy Home Products Princeton 10 ft. x 10 ft. DIY Wood Storage Shed (111.1 sq ft), Yardline Crestwood 14 ft. x 8 ft. Do-It-Yourself Wood Shed (112 sq ft), Lifetime 15 ft. x 8 ft. Dual-Entry Outdoor Storage Shed (120 sq ft), Lifetime 8 ft. x 15 ft. Outdoor Storage Shed (120 sq ft), Handy Home Products Windemere 10 ft. x 12 ft. Do-It-Yourself Wood Storage Shed with Floor (120 sq ft), Little Cottage Co. Value Workshop 10x12 Precut Wood Shed Kit with Operable Windows and Floor (120 sq ft), Best Barns Handmade Haven 10 ft. x 12 ft. Wood Shed Kit with Spacious Barn Doors and Smart Side (120 sq ft).

Note that thresholds are usually measured on the exterior footprint, so use the exterior dimensions on the product page, and that a permit exemption does not exempt you from zoning rules like setbacks and height.

Setbacks and placement

Zoning rules typically require an accessory structure to be a minimum distance from property lines, commonly 3 to 5 ft from side and rear lines and sometimes 10 ft, and a few feet from the main house. Many places prohibit sheds in the front yard, on an easement (the strip where utilities run, often along the back line), or in a drainage swale. Corner lots often have extra rules. Measure from the property line, not the fence, since fences are frequently not on the line.

Height limits

Accessory structures are often capped at 10, 12 or 15 ft. Our tallest shed, the 10 x 8 Barn, is 8 ft. 6 in., so height is rarely the problem, but it can matter if you put the shed on a raised platform.

Homeowners associations

An HOA can have rules that are stricter than the city: approved colors, no metal sheds, nothing visible from the street, a maximum size, or a requirement to submit an application with a drawing before you build. HOA rules are enforced through fines and liens, so treat them as seriously as a permit. If you are in an HOA, submit the product page's dimension diagram and a site sketch to the architectural committee first. Horizontal sheds, which stay below fence height, are a common answer to a strict HOA.

Other things that trigger a permit

Electricity. Running power to a shed needs an electrical permit almost everywhere, regardless of shed size.
Plumbing of any kind.
A permanent foundation. A poured slab sometimes needs a permit on its own; gravel and patio stones usually do not.
Floodplains, wetlands and coastal zones. Extra rules, and sometimes a flat prohibition, apply.
Historic districts. Anything visible from the street may need design review.
Lot coverage limits. Some zoning codes cap the percentage of a lot that can be covered by buildings; a large shed on a small lot can exceed it.

How to check

Find your municipality's building or planning department (city first; if you are outside city limits, the county).
Ask three questions: "What is the square-footage threshold for a permit for a detached storage shed?", "What are the setbacks for an accessory structure in my zoning district?", and "Is there anything else I should know about my parcel, like an easement or floodplain?"
Get the answer in writing if you can, an email or a printout of the ordinance section.
If you are in an HOA, read the covenants and submit an application before ordering.

If you do need a permit

Shed permits are usually simple: an application, a site plan showing the shed and the distances to property lines, and the shed's dimensions, which you can take from the product page and the dimension diagram. Fees are typically $25 to $150. Some jurisdictions want a foundation detail; for a resin shed on patio stones a short description is normally enough, and for a steel or vinyl shed the floor frame kit or a slab drawing does the job. If your inspector asks for engineering, that is unusual for a shed under 200 sq ft; contact us and we will send the spec sheet.

Ordering before checking is the expensive path: a freight shed returned because a permit was denied costs the return freight described in our Returns & Refunds policy. Twenty minutes with the building department first is much cheaper.