Do I need a permit for a shed in Los Gatos, California?
Yes. In Los Gatos residential zones, one shed under 120 sq ft can go in a side or rear setback with no zoning approval. Larger or additional accessory buildings must be no taller than 15 feet and one story, stay out of the required front and side yards, and sit at least 5 feet from property lines and other buildings.
| Small shed exemption | One structure under 120 sq ft allowed in side/rear setbacks, no zoning approval [6] |
| Max height | 15 feet, one story [1] |
| Setback from property lines | 5 feet (none in R-M) [3] |
| Distance from other buildings | 5 feet [4] |
| Max accessory coverage | 15% of the lot outside required setbacks [5] |
| Review trigger | Over 450 sq ft combined: Minor Residential Projects review [5] |
| R-1 reduced setback | Down to 3 ft with Minor Residential approval [7] |
| Total R-1 building coverage | 40% including accessory buildings [8] |
Small sheds
One accessory structure under 120 square feet is allowed in the required side or rear setback without any zoning approval [6]. Any additional structure must meet the standard rules below.
Standard rules for accessory buildings
In residential zones, accessory structures such as garages, studios, garden sheds, greenhouses, hobby shops and freestanding patio covers are allowed if they are no more than 15 feet high and one story; lofts without headroom for occupancy are storage only [1]. They can't be in a required front or side yard [2], so in practice a larger shed goes in the rear yard or the buildable area, at least 5 feet from any property line (no setback in the R-M zone) [3], and at least 5 feet from other structures on the lot [4]. On a reversed corner lot they can't project past the front yard line of the lot behind. Plumbing is allowed if served by a 2-inch building drain.
Size and coverage
Accessory structures can't cover more than 15 percent of the lot, calculated outside the required setbacks, and if their combined area exceeds 450 square feet they go through the Administrative Procedure for Minor Residential Projects [5]. In R-1, total building coverage including accessory buildings is capped at 40 percent [8].
R-1 exceptions
In R-1 zones, side and rear setbacks for accessory structures can be reduced to as little as 3 feet through the Administrative Procedure for Minor Residential Projects, but not in a side yard abutting a street [7]. Detached garages under 450 square feet may be 5 feet from the side line without that review. For reference, the R-1 yard table lists an R-1:8,000 lot as having a 25-foot front yard, 8-foot side yard, 20-foot rear yard and 15-foot side yard along a street [9].
Building permits and ADUs
The zoning code doesn't set a building-permit size threshold; check with the Building Division. These rules don't apply to detached ADUs, which follow the ADU division.
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Next steps
- Look up your zone and its required front and side yards (R-1 yards are in Sec. 29.40.405).
- For a single shed under 120 sq ft, you may place it in a side or rear setback without zoning approval; otherwise keep it 5 ft from property lines and other buildings and out of the front and side yards.
- If combined accessory structures exceed 450 sq ft, or you want a reduced R-1 setback, apply to the Planning Division under the Administrative Procedure for Minor Residential Projects.
- Ask the Building Division (408-354-6876) whether your shed needs a building permit.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Los Gatos, California?
- One shed under 120 sq ft can go in a side or rear setback with no zoning approval. Larger or additional accessory buildings over 450 sq ft combined trigger Minor Residential Projects review.
- How tall can a shed be in Los Gatos, California?
- Larger or additional accessory buildings must be no taller than 15 feet and one story.
- How close to the property line can a shed be in Los Gatos, California?
- A larger accessory building must sit at least 5 feet from property lines and other buildings and stay out of the required front and side yards.
California state rules for sheds and accessory buildings
Where a shed can go (setbacks, height, lot coverage, front-yard limits) is set by your city or county zoning code. The state sets the building-permit baseline:
- Permit exemption: the 2025 California Residential Code (R105.2) exempts one-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses if the floor area is 120 sq ft or less. Bigger sheds need a permit, and electrical or plumbing work needs its own permit. Some cities have amended these thresholds.
- Other exempt work in the same list includes fences up to 7 ft and decks up to 200 sq ft that are no more than 30 inches above grade and not attached to the house.
- Exempt doesn't mean unregulated: zoning setbacks, HOA rules and easements still apply, and some cities require a zoning clearance even for small sheds.
- Turning a shed or garage into living space is covered by the state's ADU law (Gov. Code §66314). An existing accessory structure converted to an ADU needs no added setback, and new ADUs need no more than 4-foot side and rear setbacks (see ADUs).
- Wildfire areas: in a state responsibility area, owners must keep 100 feet of defensible space around buildings (Pub. Res. Code §4291). Local fire-hazard rules may limit what you can build or store near structures.
- Coastal zone: a new structure is "development" and may need a coastal development permit (Pub. Res. Code §30106).
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 29.40.015(A)(1), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 1 - Residential Zones Generally (accessory buildings, fences), p. 1
Are not over fifteen (15) feet high and are no more than one (1) story. Lofts which do not have sufficient headroom for occupancy are permitted for storage use only.
- Sec. 29.40.015(A)(2), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 1 - Residential Zones Generally (accessory buildings, fences), p. 1
Are not in a required front or side yard.
- Sec. 29.40.015(A)(4), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 1 - Residential Zones Generally (accessory buildings, fences), p. 1
Are at least five (5) feet from any property line, except in the R-M zone where no setback is required by this subsection (4).
- Sec. 29.40.015(A)(3), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 1 - Residential Zones Generally (accessory buildings, fences), p. 1
Are at least five (5) feet from any other structure located on the same lot.
- Sec. 29.40.015(A)(5), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 1 - Residential Zones Generally (accessory buildings, fences), p. 1
Do not occupy more than fifteen (15) percent of the lot, to be calculated exclusive of the required building setbacks. Any accessory structures exceeding a combined square footage of four hundred fifty (450) square feet shall be subject to the Administrative Procedure for Minor Residential Projects.
- Sec. 29.40.015(B)(2), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 1 - Residential Zones Generally (accessory buildings, fences), p. 1
One (1) accessory structure less than one hundred twenty (120) square feet, is allowed in the required side or rear setbacks without any zoning approvals.
- Sec. 29.40.015(B)(1), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 1 - Residential Zones Generally (accessory buildings, fences), p. 1
In the R-1 zones, required side and rear yards for accessory structures other than detached accessory dwelling units, may be reduced to no less than three (3) feet from a property line, if an application is approved through the Administrative Procedure for Minor Residential Projects.
- Sec. 29.40.415, Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 4 - R-1 Single-Family Residential Zone, p. 1
Maximum building coverage on a lot in a R-1 or single-family residential zone, including any type of accessory building, is forty (40) percent.
- Sec. 29.40.405(a), R-1:8,000 row (columns: lot area, front, side, rear, side yard abutting street), Town Code Chapter 29, Article IV, Division 4 - R-1 Single-Family Residential Zone, p. 1
R-1: 8,000 25 ft. 8 ft. 20 ft. 15 ft.