Do I need a permit for a shed in Newport Beach, California?
A shed or other accessory structure no taller than 6 feet and no bigger than 150 square feet can go in a required side or rear setback, but not in a rear setback that backs onto an alley. Larger or taller sheds must meet your zoning district's setbacks, and our sources don't say when a building permit is needed.
| Small shed allowed in side/rear setback | Up to 6 feet tall and 150 sq ft per structure [1] |
| Not allowed in | Rear setback abutting an alley (no ground-level encroachments there) [2] |
| Arbors and trellises in any setback | Max 16 sq ft footprint and 9 feet tall [3] |
| Waterfront setbacks | Encroachments limited to 42 inches above existing grade [4] |
| Height measured from (flood hazard areas) | Existing grade before construction [5] |
| Corner sight triangle | Accessory structures max 30 inches [6] |
Small sheds in setbacks
Newport Beach's Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan (Title 21) lets accessory structures, including housings for mechanical equipment, sit in a required side or rear setback if they are no more than 6 feet tall and 150 square feet per structure, except in a rear setback that abuts an alley [1]. No ground-level encroachments are allowed in a setback next to an alley [2]. Arbors, trellises and similar garden structures may go in front, side or rear setbacks if they're no larger than 16 square feet and no taller than 9 feet [3].
Bigger sheds
Accessory structures that don't fit those limits must meet the setbacks for accessory structures in the zoning district standards, plus any bluff, canyon or other special setbacks. Those district setback numbers are in chapters we don't have, so check them with the Planning Division.
Special locations
In setbacks next to Newport Bay, the ocean, the Oxbow Loop or the West Newport channels, nothing in an allowed encroachment may be taller than 42 inches above existing grade [4]. Encroachments don't apply in designated bluff and canyon setback areas. On corner lots, accessory structures in the traffic safety visibility triangle can't exceed 30 inches [6]. In flood hazard areas, accessory structure height is measured from the lot's existing grade before construction [5].
What counts
The 2010 zoning code defines a residential accessory structure as one that is incidental and secondary to the home, and lists storage or work sheds, garages, gazebos and greenhouses among its examples [7].
Notes on our sources
These rules come from the coastal zone code (Title 21, Chapter 21.30), which has no amendment date printed. Inland areas follow Title 20; our 2010 copy of Title 20 has the same 6-foot, 150-square-foot rule, but it may have been amended since. Our sources don't say what size shed needs a building permit; ask the Building Division.
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Next steps
- Ask the Planning Division whether your lot is in the coastal zone and what the side and rear setbacks are for your zoning district.
- If you want the shed in a setback, keep it to 6 feet tall and 150 sq ft, and out of any rear setback along an alley.
- Ask the Building Division whether your shed's size, electrical or plumbing work needs a building permit.
- On waterfront, bluff or canyon lots, confirm the special setback limits before you buy or build.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Newport Beach, California?
- It's unclear: the zoning sources reviewed don't say what size shed needs a building permit. Ask the Newport Beach Building Division, especially if the shed has electrical or plumbing work.
- How big can a shed be in a setback in Newport Beach, California?
- A shed or other accessory structure can go in a required side or rear setback if it's no more than 6 feet tall and 150 square feet, but not in a rear setback that abuts an alley. Larger or taller sheds must meet your zoning district's accessory structure setbacks.
- Can I put a shed next to the alley in Newport Beach, California?
- No. Newport Beach doesn't allow ground-level encroachments, including small sheds, in a rear setback that abuts an alley.
- Can I put an arbor or trellis in my setback in Newport Beach, California?
- Yes. Arbors, trellises and similar garden structures may go in front, side or rear setbacks if they're no larger than 16 square feet and no taller than 9 feet.
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. 21.30.110(D)(2)(a) Accessory Structures, LCP Implementation Plan Chapter 21.30 - Property Development Standards (shoreline protection, fences/hedges/walls, harbor development), p. 43
Accessory structures, including housings for mechanical equipment, not more than six feet in height and totaling no more than one hundred fifty (150) square feet per structure, may be located within a required side or rear setback area other than a rear setback area abutting an alley.
- Sec. 21.30.110(D)(1)(c) Alleys, LCP Implementation Plan Chapter 21.30 - Property Development Standards (shoreline protection, fences/hedges/walls, harbor development), p. 42
No encroachments at the ground level are allowed within the required setback area of a lot abutting an alley.
- Sec. 21.30.110(D)(2)(b) Arbors and trellises, LCP Implementation Plan Chapter 21.30 - Property Development Standards (shoreline protection, fences/hedges/walls, harbor development), p. 43
(1) The maximum footprint of the structure shall not exceed sixteen (16) square feet; and (2) The maximum height of the structure shall not exceed nine feet.
- Sec. 21.30.110(D)(1)(d) Waterfront Areas, LCP Implementation Plan Chapter 21.30 - Property Development Standards (shoreline protection, fences/hedges/walls, harbor development), p. 42
Allowed encroachments into required setback areas abutting or adjacent to the waterfront of Newport Bay, the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean, the Old Channel of the Santa River (the Oxbow Loop), or the channels in West Newport shall not exceed a height of forty-two (42) inches above the existing grade.
- Sec. 21.30.060(B)(3)(c) Flood Hazard Areas, Accessory Structures, LCP Implementation Plan Chapter 21.30 - Property Development Standards (shoreline protection, fences/hedges/walls, harbor development), p. 23
i. The height of accessory structures, except fences, hedges, walls, and retaining walls (see Section 21.30.040) shall be measured from existing grade of the lot prior to construction.
- Sec. 21.30.130(D)(1) Height Limit, LCP Implementation Plan Chapter 21.30 - Property Development Standards (shoreline protection, fences/hedges/walls, harbor development), p. 48
1. Fences, walls, signs, accessory structures, mounds of earth, or other visual obstructions shall not extend above thirty (30) inches in height as measured from adjacent finished grade;
- Sec. 20.70 Definitions, Residential Accessory Structure (2010), Zoning Code Title 20 (complete, as adopted October 26, 2010), p. 363
Residential Accessory Structure. An attached or detached structure that is a part of, and clearly incidental and secondary to, a residence and that does not change the character of the residential structure.