Permit briefing
Do you need a permit for a shed?
Under the International Residential Code, a one-story detached shed up to 200 sq ft needs no building permit; some cities use 120 sq ft instead.
The reliable short answer
Confirm the exterior footprint, overall height, planned utilities and exact placement before ordering a kit.
Planning complexity
Low
Local answer required
Yes
The model code’s answer
How big can a shed be without a permit?
200 square feet of floor area, one story and detached from the house, under the International Residential Code; a storm shelter is the one exception at any size. The other figure in circulation, 120 square feet, comes from the International Building Code, which sets that line for tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar buildings. A city can adopt either figure, or write its own.
| Rule | What it exempts |
|---|---|
| Model code (IRC R105.2) | 200 sq ft, one story, detached |
| Model code (IBC 105.2) | 120 sq ft for tool and storage sheds |
| Austin | 200 sq ft, one story, 15 ft high, no plumbing |
| Los Angeles | 120 sq ft, one story, no heating, plumbing or wiring |
Austin takes the residential code's 200 square feet and adds limits the model does not have: a height of 15 feet, no plumbing, no one living in it and no flood hazard area. Los Angeles uses the smaller figure, 120 square feet, and also rules out heating and electrical work and Fire District No. 1. A kit that fits the floor area can still miss on height or utilities, so check those before ordering.
A three-step permit decision
1. Verify the size threshold locally
Municipal thresholds differ and may use exterior footprint. Roofed add-ons can change the measured area, so use the complete proposed structure.
2. Treat placement as its own approval
Accessory-structure setbacks, separation from the house and recorded easements can apply even when no building permit is required.
3. Reclassify when utilities appear
Electrical, plumbing, habitable use or conversion to a dwelling changes the review path. A shed is not a shortcut to an ADU.
What Austin and Los Angeles say about a shed
Austin
- No permit
- A one-story detached building of 200 square feet or less and no more than 15 feet high, with no plumbing, not used as a dwelling and not in a flood hazard area.
- Permit
- A larger shed, or one with plumbing, goes on the new construction or addition form.
- Fees
- The fee schedule names no shed; plan review for new construction and additions is charged by square footage.
Los Angeles
- No permit
- A one-story detached shed, playhouse or similar building no bigger than 120 square feet, outside Fire District No. 1, with no heating, plumbing or electrical work and placed where zoning allows: the building code does not apply to it.
- Permit
- A bigger shed, or one that is wired, plumbed or heated, comes back under the code, and building it takes a permit.
- Fees
- Where it needs a permit, LADBS works out the fee from what the shed is worth.
What to have ready before you call
- Exterior footprint and roof overhangs measured
- Overall height and distance to every lot line
- Utility, habitable-use and foundation plans declared
- Drainage, easement and HOA constraints checked
Print and take along
Shed permit worksheet
Fill in the measurements before you call or visit. Each one is a number the city’s exempt list is tested against.
- Floor area, measured outside the wallsThe model code's line is 200 sq ft; many cities use less.
- sq ft
- Roof area with the overhangsSome cities measure the projected roof, not the floor.
- sq ft
- Overall height and number of storiesThe exemption is for one-story buildings, and some cities add a height cap.
- ft
- Distance to each lot lineSetbacks apply to exempt sheds too.
- ft
- Power, water or heatUtilities need their own permits, exempt shed or not.
- NoneElectricPlumbingHeating
- UseA shed used as living space is no longer an accessory building.
- StorageWorkshopOfficeSleeping
Ask the city
- Which shed line does the city use, and does it measure the floor or the roof?
- What setback applies to an accessory building on this lot?
- Does the lot sit in a flood hazard area, on an easement, or under deed restrictions that limit outbuildings?
- Which permits do the utilities need, if the shed is exempt?
From research to quotes
Give every bidder the same scope.
Set the footprint, height, foundation, utilities and use. The brief adds the setback and permit checkpoints that use raises, and asks each bidder to itemize site preparation, foundation, structure, roofing and finish. No contact details needed; sending it on is optional.
Create shed briefUse the dimensions, not a guess
Related field notes
- Shed Setbacks: The Rule People Skip Because ‘It’s Just a Shed’
- What a Property Setback Actually Is
- Easements on Your Property: What You Can Build in One
- Frost Line Depth: Who Sets It and What It Covers
- Do You Need a Permit for a Greenhouse?
- Backyard Chickens in Austin and Los Angeles: Coops and Limits
- Building Permit Cost and Time: Fees in Austin and Los Angeles