State guides · Building permits · Sheds
Do you need a permit for a shed? Size limits by state
Many small sheds don’t need a building permit, but the size cutoff depends on your state: under 1,000 sq ft in Pennsylvania, 256 in Virginia, 200 under the model code, 144 in New York, 120 in California, Massachusetts and New Mexico, and 64 in Rhode Island. Check your state and your shed below.
A building permit and zoning are separate. Even a permit-exempt shed has to meet your town’s setback and lot rules, and wiring or plumbing can need its own permit. We read each state’s own code, rule or statute for every row except the 8 marked “not checked yet.” Checked Nov. 13, 2026; not legal advice.
Planning information, not a survey or engineering. Call 811 and check with your local office.
The state code doesn’t apply to a shed “if the structure has a building area less than 1,000 square feet and is accessory to a detached one-family dwelling except as might be required by an ordinance adopted under section 503 of the act” (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(3)). The same rule covers detached private garages, carports and greenhouses. Zoning still applies: ask your township about setbacks before you build. Find who issues permits in your township. See what central PA townships charge for permits.
The short answer
The IRC (2015, 2018, 2021 and 2024 editions) exempts one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 sq ft. 38 of the 51 (counting D.C.) base their house code on an IRC edition.
Pennsylvania under 1,000 sq ft, Virginia 256, New Jersey 200 and 10 ft tall, Oregon 200 and 15 ft tall (400 on 2+ acres), New York 144 where the town allows it, California, Massachusetts and New Mexico 120, Rhode Island 64. Florida’s statewide code has no shed exemption. Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Utah and Washington keep 200, and Idaho, Maryland and Oklahoma use the model rule unchanged.
Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming have no statewide house code. Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin have a state code but leave shed permits to local governments.
Shed permit rules, state by state
| State | Shed limit | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not checked yet | Based on the 2015 IRC. The state code applies only in some areas. Your state’s shed limit is not checked yet; the model IRC exempts one-story sheds up to 200 sq ft, but states and towns can change it. | Our building codes guide |
| Alaska | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Arizona | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Arkansas | Not checked yet | Based on the 2021 IRC. Your state’s shed limit is not checked yet; the model IRC exempts one-story sheds up to 200 sq ft, but states and towns can change it. | Our building codes guide |
| California | 120 sq ft or less, one story | Exempt: one-story detached accessory structures (other than storm shelters) up to 120 sq ft. Wildland-Urban Interface rules can still apply to an exempt shed, and cities and counties can adopt local amendments. | 2025 California Residential Code, 1.8.4.1 and R105.2 |
| Colorado | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Connecticut | 200 sq ft or less, one story | Connecticut rewrites R105.2 but keeps the shed exemption: one-story detached accessory structures (other than storm shelters) used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, with a floor area not over 200 sq ft. | 2022 Connecticut State Building Code (with Errata 1), IRC amendments, R105.2 |
| Delaware | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| District of Columbia | Not checked yet | Based on the 2015 IRC. Your state’s shed limit is not checked yet; the model IRC exempts one-story sheds up to 200 sq ft, but states and towns can change it. | Our building codes guide |
| Florida | No statewide shed exemption | The statewide Florida Building Code’s permit-exemption list covers only certain gas, mechanical and plumbing work, with no shed exemption, and its residential volume reserves its own permit section. Since July 1, 2026, state law has local governments exempt work under $7,500 on a single-family owner’s property on written request, but not structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas work, or property in a flood hazard area. Cities and counties can also amend the code’s administrative provisions, so ask your local building department. | 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 105.2, Fla. Stat. 553.73(4)(a), Fla. Stat. 553.79(1)(g) (ch. 2026-63) |
| Georgia | Local rules | Georgia’s amendments delete IRC Chapter 1, where the permit exemptions sit, and keep it only as a guide for local governments’ own administrative rules (carried forward into the 2024 edition). | Georgia DCA 2024 IRC amendments, IRC-2024-06 |
| Hawaii | Local rules | Each county amends and adopts the state building codes as its own county building code. | HRS 107-28 |
| Idaho | 200 sq ft or less, one story (model IRC) | Idaho changes other items in R105.2 but not the shed exemption, so the 2018 IRC rule stands: one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses up to 200 sq ft. The state code is enforced only where a city or county runs a building program. | IDAPA 24.39.30.600.03 |
| Illinois | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Indiana | Local rules | Indiana’s residential code deletes the IRC’s permit section (R105), so building permits, and any shed exemption, come from your city or county ordinance. | 675 IAC 14-4.4-2 |
| Iowa | Local rules | The state building code covers state buildings, places that adopt it by ordinance, and cities over 15,000 without their own code. | Iowa Code 103A.10 |
| Kansas | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Kentucky | Local rules | Kentucky’s residential code says permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy are not required for a single-family dwelling unless a local ordinance requires them. Ask your city or county. | 815 KAR 7:125, Section 2(2)(a) |
| Louisiana | Local rules | Louisiana’s state code adopts the IRC without Part I (Administration), where the permit exemptions sit, so the parish or city enforcing the code sets permit rules. | La. R.S. 40:1730.28 |
| Maine | Not checked yet | Based on the 2021 IRC. The state code applies only in some areas. Your state’s shed limit is not checked yet; the model IRC exempts one-story sheds up to 200 sq ft, but states and towns can change it. | Our building codes guide |
| Maryland | 200 sq ft or less, one story (model IRC) | Maryland’s statewide changes to the IRC don’t touch R105.2, so the model exemption stands: one-story detached accessory structures (other than storm shelters) up to 200 sq ft. Counties and cities can amend the standards, and a local amendment wins where it conflicts. | COMAR 09.12.51.04 and .05 |
| Massachusetts | 120 sq ft or less, one story | Exempt: one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, with a floor area not greater than 120 sq ft. | 780 CMR 105.2, item 1 |
| Michigan | 200 sq ft or less, one story | Exempt: one-story detached accessory structures if the floor area does not exceed 200 sq ft. The 2025 update to Michigan’s residential rules, in effect since Aug. 29, 2025, kept the 200 sq ft limit. | Mich. Admin. Code R 408.30505 (eff. Aug. 29, 2025) |
| Minnesota | 200 sq ft or less, one story | Exempt: one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, if the floor area does not exceed 200 sq ft. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are still required unless otherwise exempted. | Minn. R. 1300.0120, subp. 4 |
| Mississippi | Not checked yet | State codes apply, but cities and counties can opt out. Shed rule not checked yet; ask your city or county. | Our building codes guide |
| Missouri | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Montana | Not checked yet | Based on the 2024 IRC. The state code is enforced only where a city or county runs a permit program. Your state’s shed limit is not checked yet; the model IRC exempts one-story sheds up to 200 sq ft, but states and towns can change it. | Our building codes guide |
| Nebraska | Local rules | The state code applies where a county, city or village hasn’t adopted its own, but local governments that enforce a code may amend it, including how permits are handled. | Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-6406 |
| Nevada | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| New Hampshire | Local rules | All buildings must meet the state building code, but towns and cities issue the permits, so your town decides whether a shed needs one. | RSA 155-A:2 |
| New Jersey | 200 sq ft or less and 10 ft or less tall | No building permit for garden-type utility sheds 200 sq ft or less in area and 10 ft or less in height, accessory to Group R-2, R-3, R-4 or R-5 buildings, with no water, gas, oil or sewer connection. An electrical permit is still required when applicable. | N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14(b)(8) |
| New Mexico | 120 sq ft or less, one story | New Mexico’s permit rule exempts one-story detached accessory structures with a floor area up to 120 sq ft. | 14.5.2.9 NMAC |
| New York | Up to 144 sq ft, if your town allows it | Local code programs may exempt one-story detached structures for tool and storage sheds, playhouses or similar uses at one- or two-family dwellings if the gross floor area is 144 sq ft or less, but only where the local program expressly lists that exemption. | 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1)(i) |
| North Carolina | Not checked yet | North Carolina’s residential code (2018 edition, based on the 2015 IRC) says only the accessory structures listed in R101.2.2 must meet it. Size limit not checked yet; ask your county inspections office. | NC OSFM interpretation, Sept. 17, 2025 |
| North Dakota | Local rules | The state building code applies only where a city, township or county chooses to enforce a building code, and local governments may amend it. | N.D.C.C. 54-21.3-03 and -05 |
| Ohio | 200 sq ft or less, one story | No approval needed for one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses with a floor area up to 200 sq ft; the work must still meet the code. Where no certified residential building department covers the area, construction documents need no approval at all. | Ohio Adm. Code 4101:8-1-01, sections 101.5 and 102.10 |
| Oklahoma | 200 sq ft or less, one story (model IRC) | Oklahoma adopts IRC Chapter 1 and changes only R101.2 in it, so the model exemption stands: one-story detached accessory structures (other than storm shelters) up to 200 sq ft. Chapter 1 applies only where it doesn’t conflict with state law or a local government’s lawful code administration, and local changes must follow state law. | OAC 748:20-6-6 (2024 IRC, effective Sept. 14, 2026) |
| Oregon | 200 sq ft and 15 ft tall (400 sq ft on 2+ acres) | Exempt: nonhabitable one-story detached accessory structures, not used for sleeping and without permanent cooking, up to 200 sq ft of building area and 15 ft tall (grade plane to the average height of the highest roof surface). On a parcel of 2 acres or more the limit is 400 sq ft. Separate plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits may still be required. | 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, R105.2, Oregon BCD interpretation 03-01 |
| Pennsylvania | Under 1,000 sq ft (UCC does not apply) | The Uniform Construction Code does not apply to carports, detached private garages, greenhouses and sheds “if the structure has a building area less than 1,000 square feet and is accessory to a detached one-family dwelling except as might be required by an ordinance adopted under section 503 of the act.” No permit is needed for these “if the work does not violate a law or ordinance” (§ 403.62(c)). Zoning still applies. | 34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(3), § 403.62(c) |
| Rhode Island | 64 sq ft or less, one story | Rhode Island replaces R105.2 with its own list. Its shed exemption covers one-story detached accessory structures with a floor area up to 64 sq ft. | 510-RICR-00-00-2 (RISBC-2), R105.2 |
| South Carolina | Local rules | South Carolina’s statewide adoption of the 2021 IRC leaves out the codes’ administrative provisions, where the permit exemptions sit. A city or county uses them only if it adopts them by ordinance, so your local building department sets the shed rule. | SC Building Codes Council, Building Codes in Effect |
| South Dakota | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Tennessee | Local rules | The state fire marshal’s residential permits cover building one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses. Cities and counties with their own codes, or that opted out, set their own rules. | Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. 0780-02-23-.01 and .05 |
| Texas | Local rules | State law makes the 2012 IRC the residential code inside cities, and each city sets its own permit procedures and may amend the code. | Tex. Local Gov’t Code 214.212 |
| Utah | 200 sq ft or less, one story (model IRC) | Utah changes other parts of R105.2 but keeps the model shed exemption: one-story detached accessory structures (other than storm shelters) up to 200 sq ft. Utah also exempts grade-level, non-connected conex boxes under 350 sq ft used only for storage. | Utah Code 15A-3-202(5)-(6) |
| Vermont | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
| Virginia | 256 sq ft or less, one story | No permit application for one-story detached structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses or similar uses with a building area of 256 sq ft or less (not Group F-1 or H). The building official may still require a permit in a special flood hazard area. | Virginia USBC 108.2 (13VAC5-63-80) |
| Washington | 200 sq ft or less, one story (model IRC) | Washington adopts the 2021 IRC including its chapter 1, and WAC chapter 51-51 makes no change to R105.2, so the model exemption stands: one-story detached accessory structures (other than storm shelters) up to 200 sq ft. | WAC 51-51-003, 2021 IRC R105.2 |
| West Virginia | Not checked yet | Based on the 2018 IRC. The state code is enforced only where a city or county runs a permit program. Your state’s shed limit is not checked yet; the model IRC exempts one-story sheds up to 200 sq ft, but states and towns can change it. | Our building codes guide |
| Wisconsin | Local rules | With one exception (SPS 321.08(1)), Wisconsin’s Uniform Dwelling Code does not apply to detached garages or other detached accessory buildings, so local rules decide. | Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05(4) |
| Wyoming | Local rules | No statewide residential building code. Your city or county decides whether a shed needs a permit. | Our building codes guide |
“Not checked yet” (8 places: Alabama, Arkansas, D.C., Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina and West Virginia) means we haven’t confirmed that state’s own shed rule; it doesn’t mean a shed is exempt or that it needs a permit. Towns can be stricter than the state in many places. State names link to our state guide for that state.
What the exemption does and doesn’t cover
The IRC says a permit exemption doesn’t authorize work that violates any other laws or ordinances, and Pennsylvania’s exemptions apply only if the work doesn’t violate a law or ordinance (34 Pa. Code § 403.62(c)). Setbacks and lot coverage come from zoning.
New Jersey’s exemption excludes sheds with water, gas, oil or sewer connections and still requires an electrical permit when applicable. Minnesota requires plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits unless otherwise exempted, and Oregon says separate ones may be required.
The 2021 and 2024 IRC leave storm shelters out of the shed exemption. Virginia lets the building official require a permit for an exempt shed in a special flood hazard area.
Questions
Do I need a permit for a shed?
Often not, if the shed is small. The model residential code most states build on, the IRC, exempts one-story detached accessory structures with a floor area of 200 sq ft or less (the 2021 and 2024 editions leave out storm shelters). States change that number: Pennsylvania's code does not apply to a shed under 1,000 sq ft accessory to a detached one-family house, Virginia allows 256 sq ft, New York lets towns exempt up to 144 sq ft, California, Massachusetts and New Mexico allow 120 sq ft, and Rhode Island allows only 64 sq ft. Florida's statewide code has no shed exemption, and in 24 states local governments decide. Zoning rules still apply either way.
What size shed can I build without a permit in Pennsylvania?
Under 1,000 sq ft of building area, if the shed is accessory to a detached one-family dwelling. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code does not apply to sheds, detached private garages, carports or greenhouses of that size “except as might be required by an ordinance adopted under section 503 of the act” (34 Pa. Code § 403.1(b)(3)). Township zoning, such as setbacks, can still apply, so call your township before you build.
If my shed doesn't need a building permit, can I put it anywhere?
No. The IRC says an exemption from permit requirements does not authorize work that violates the code or any other laws or ordinances of the jurisdiction, and Pennsylvania's permit exemptions apply only if the work does not violate a law or ordinance. Zoning setbacks, lot coverage and easements are separate rules. Ask your zoning office where a shed can go.
Do I need a permit to run electricity or water to a shed?
Often, yes, even when the shed itself is exempt. New Jersey's shed exemption covers only sheds with no water, gas, oil or sewer connection and says an electrical permit is still required when applicable. Minnesota's rule says plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are still required unless otherwise exempted, and Oregon says separate plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits may be required. Check with your local office before you wire or plumb a shed.
Is the size limit the floor area or the footprint?
It depends on the wording your state uses. The IRC, California and Massachusetts count floor area; Pennsylvania, Virginia and Oregon count building area; New York counts gross floor area. New Jersey also caps the height at 10 ft, and Oregon at 15 ft. If your shed is close to a limit, ask your building office how they measure it.
Does a shed with a loft or second story qualify?
Not under the model rule. The IRC exemption and the state exemptions we checked in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island and Virginia cover one-story structures only. Pennsylvania's exclusion is written by building area and use, not stories, and New Jersey's adds a 10 ft height limit.
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Sources: ICC, 2021 International Residential Code, R105.2 (the 2015, 2018 and 2024 editions checked too); 34 Pa. Code § 403.1; 34 Pa. Code § 403.62; 19 NYCRR 1203.3; N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14; 780 CMR 105.2; 13VAC5-63-80 (USBC 108.2); Mich. Admin. Code R 408.30505 (eff. Aug. 29, 2025); Minn. R. 1300.0120; WAC 51-51-003; NC OSFM interpretation, R101.2.2; 2025 California Residential Code; 2022 Connecticut State Building Code; 2023 Florida Building Code, Building; Fla. Stat. 553.73; Fla. ch. 2026-63 (HB 803); Georgia DCA IRC amendments; HRS 107-28; IDAPA 24.39.30; 675 IAC 14-4.4; Iowa Code 103A.10; 815 KAR 7:125; La. R.S. 40:1730.28; COMAR 09.12.51; Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-6406; RSA 155-A:2; 14.5.2.9 NMAC; N.D.C.C. 54-21.3; Ohio Adm. Code 4101:8-1-01; OAC 748:20; 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code; 510-RICR-00-00-2; SC Building Codes in Effect; Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. 0780-02-23; Tex. Local Gov’t Code 214.212; Utah Code 15A-3-202; Wis. Admin. Code SPS 320.05; state code adoption from our building codes guide. Last checked November 13, 2026.
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Cite as: Muthler Landscaping & Construction, “Do You Need a Permit for a Shed? Size Limits by State,” https://muthlerlandscaping.com/state-guides/shed-permit-rules/ (last checked November 13, 2026).
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