Do I need a permit for a shed in Manhattan Beach, California?
Sheds and other accessory buildings can't sit in your required front or side yards or in front of the house, but they can go in the required rear yard if placed right on the rear or interior side property line or at least 3 feet from it. They're limited to 12 feet tall (15 feet with a sloped, centered-ridge roof). The zoning code doesn't say what size shed needs a building permit; check with Building and Safety.
| Location | Not in required front, side or building separation yards [1] |
| Front of house | Storage buildings prohibited beyond the front building line [1] |
| Setback in required rear yard | On the rear/interior side line, or at least 3 ft from it [3] |
| Max height | 12 ft [2] |
| Max height with 3:12 roof and centered ridge | 15 ft [4] |
| Total detached accessory floor area (RS district) | 900 sq ft or 12% of lot area, whichever is more [5] |
| Separation from homes | 10 ft from buildings used for habitation [6] |
| Coastal development permit for a shed | Generally exempt (exceptions near beach/bluffs) [7] |
Where a shed can go
Accessory structures can't occupy a required front, side or building separation yard, and storage buildings are prohibited beyond the front building line of the house [1]. A shed can go in the required rear yard, but it must sit on the rear or interior side property line or be at least 3 feet from it [3]. Where a fence or wall stands on the interior side or rear line, the shed can be anywhere from zero to 3 feet from the line as long as there is no gap between the shed and the fence or wall. The size of the required yards depends on your Area District and lot.
Height
The maximum height is 12 feet, measured from the weighted average of grades around the structure [2]. A shed with a roof slope of at least 3 in 12 and a single ridge line near the center can reach 15 feet at the ridge [4].
Size and spacing
In the RS (single-family) district, the total floor area of detached accessory structures over 4 feet tall can't exceed 900 sq ft or 12% of lot area, whichever is more [5]. Buildings used for habitation must be at least 10 feet from accessory buildings on the same lot [6]. Accessory structures can't be built before construction of the main house begins.
Permits
The zoning sections we reviewed don't set a size below which a shed is exempt from a building permit; that's in the city's building code (Title 9), which we didn't review. California's residential code exempts small one-story sheds (see state rules), but the city may have amended that, so confirm with Building and Safety.
Coastal Zone
In the Coastal Zone, storage sheds for an existing single-family home are generally exempt from a coastal development permit. The exemption doesn't apply to structures on the beach, within 50 feet of a coastal bluff edge, or to significant detached structures between the sea and the first public road (or within 300 feet of the beach) [7].
See how Manhattan Beach compares with 8+ other California towns on sheds & accessory buildings →
Next steps
- Check your Area District and required yard depths with the Planning Division, then site the shed outside front and side yards and behind the front of the house.
- In the rear yard, place it on the property line or at least 3 ft away, at least 10 ft from the house, and no taller than 12 ft (15 ft with a pitched roof).
- Ask the Building and Safety Division (see the city website for contact details) whether your shed's size requires a building permit; bring a site plan with dimensions and height.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Manhattan Beach, California?
- The zoning code doesn't say what size shed needs a building permit; check with Building and Safety. A coastal development permit is generally exempt, with exceptions near the beach or bluffs.
- Where can I put a shed in Manhattan Beach, California?
- Sheds can't sit in your required front or side yards or in front of the house, but can go in the required rear yard on the rear or interior side property line or at least 3 feet from it.
- How tall can a shed be in Manhattan Beach, California?
- Up to 12 feet tall, or 15 feet with a sloped, centered-ridge roof.
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. 10.52.050(B), Municipal Code Title 10 Part IV Site Regulations (Ch. 10.52 Residential site regs incl. 10.52.050 Accessory structures, 10.52.070 Home occupation; Ch. 10.60 all districts; Ch. 10.74 Accessory Dwelling Units)
Except as provided in this chapter, accessory structures shall not occupy a required front, side, or building separation yard. Mechanical equipment and storage buildings shall be prohibited beyond the front building line of the principal structure on a site.
- Sec. 10.52.050(C), Municipal Code Title 10 Part IV Site Regulations (Ch. 10.52 Residential site regs incl. 10.52.050 Accessory structures, 10.52.070 Home occupation; Ch. 10.60 all districts; Ch. 10.74 Accessory Dwelling Units)
The maximum height of an accessory structure shall be twelve feet (12′), subject to the provisions of this subsection.
- Sec. 10.52.050(D), Municipal Code Title 10 Part IV Site Regulations (Ch. 10.52 Residential site regs incl. 10.52.050 Accessory structures, 10.52.070 Home occupation; Ch. 10.60 all districts; Ch. 10.74 Accessory Dwelling Units)
An accessory structure, any portion of which is located within a required rear yard, shall be located on a rear or interior side property line, or shall be not less than three feet (3′) from said property line(s)
- Sec. 10.52.050(C), Exception 1, Municipal Code Title 10 Part IV Site Regulations (Ch. 10.52 Residential site regs incl. 10.52.050 Accessory structures, 10.52.070 Home occupation; Ch. 10.60 all districts; Ch. 10.74 Accessory Dwelling Units)
The maximum height of any portion of an accessory structure which has a minimum three (3) in twelve (12) roof slope, and has a single roof ridge-line located at approximately the center of the structure, may be fifteen feet (15′).
- Sec. 10.52.050(E), Municipal Code Title 10 Part IV Site Regulations (Ch. 10.52 Residential site regs incl. 10.52.050 Accessory structures, 10.52.070 Home occupation; Ch. 10.60 all districts; Ch. 10.74 Accessory Dwelling Units)
In an RS district, the total gross floor area of accessory structures more than four feet (4′) in height that are not attached to a dwelling shall not exceed nine hundred (900) square feet or twelve percent (12%) of lot area, whichever is more.
- Sec. 10.52.050(J), Municipal Code Title 10 Part IV Site Regulations (Ch. 10.52 Residential site regs incl. 10.52.050 Accessory structures, 10.52.070 Home occupation; Ch. 10.60 all districts; Ch. 10.74 Accessory Dwelling Units)
The distance between buildings used for human habitation and between buildings used for human habitation and accessory buildings on the same lot shall not be less than ten feet (10′).
- LCP IP Sec. A.96.050(A), Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan Ch. A.96 Coastal Development Permit Procedures
Improvements to single-family dwellings and mobile homes including structures normally associated with a single-family residence such as garages, swimming pools, fences, storage sheds and landscaping are exempt unless classified as one of the following: