Do I need a permit for a shed?

Most places in the United States base their building rules on the International Code Council’s model codes, then adopt them with local changes.

• The International Residential Code, used for houses and their accessory buildings, exempts one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, as long as the floor area doesn’t exceed 200 square feet.
• The International Building Code, used for other buildings, sets the same kind of exemption at 120 square feet.

Those are starting points, not the rule where you live. Many jurisdictions lower or raise the limit, cap the height, measure the footprint instead of the floor area, or count a roof overhang. Some don’t use the model codes at all.

Also note what the exemption covers: storage and similar uses. A shed that becomes a home office, a guest room or a place to sleep may be treated as a different kind of building, with different rules.

And an exemption from the permit isn’t an exemption from the code. An exempt shed is still expected to be built safely and to meet the rules that apply to it.

Skipping the building permit doesn’t mean skipping every rule. Check these before you build:

• Zoning setbacks. Most zoning codes set minimum distances from accessory buildings to the side and rear property lines, and many don’t allow them in the front yard.
• Height limits. Accessory buildings often have their own maximum height.
• Lot coverage. The shed may count toward a limit on how much of your lot can be covered by buildings.
• Easements. You generally can’t build in a utility or drainage easement.
• HOA rules and covenants. Your homeowners association may require approval, or limit size, style or location.
• Floodplain rules. Sheds in a mapped flood zone may need a floodplain permit or special construction.
• Electrical and plumbing. Running power or water to the shed usually needs its own permit and inspection, even when the shed itself doesn’t.
• Foundations. In some places, a permanent foundation or slab changes how the shed is treated.

1. Find your jurisdiction. If you live inside city limits, it’s usually the city. In an unincorporated area, it’s usually the county.
2. Check the building department’s website. Search it for “accessory structure” or “shed.” Many publish a one-page handout with the size limit and what they need.
3. Check the zoning code. Look up your zoning district, then the rules for accessory buildings: setbacks, height and coverage.
4. Call with specifics. Give them the shed’s size, height, location on the lot, foundation, and whether it will have power or water. The details change the answer.
5. Check your HOA, if you have one, before you order materials.
6. Keep a record. Note who you talked to, the date and what they said, or ask for the answer by email.

Before you dig for footings or a trench, call 811 so buried utilities get marked.

If your shed does need a permit, the building department will usually ask for a short set of drawings:

• Site plan. The shed’s location with distances to property lines and other buildings, plus easements. See how to draw a site plan.
• Floor plan. Overall dimensions and the door and window locations.
• Elevations. Each side, with the overall height.
• Wall section or framing details. The foundation or anchoring, floor framing, wall studs, roof framing and roofing.
• Electrical plan. If you’re running power.

Some departments accept a simple, clearly dimensioned hand sketch for a small shed. Others want drawings to scale. Ask which they need.

The same rules apply to a shed you buy as one you build. Some suppliers provide drawings or specifications you can include with a permit application. You’ll still need your own site plan, because only you know where it’s going. In high-wind areas, ask how the shed must be anchored.

AI CAD PRO is free shed plan software for Windows. Describe your shed, and the AI assistant helps you draw the site plan, floor plan, elevations and a section as editable CAD objects. Attach your survey or plat for the site plan, preview each sheet exactly as it will print, and export a PDF set.

It won’t tell you whether your shed needs a permit. Only your local building department can do that.