Do I need a permit for a shed in Santa Barbara, California?
Yes. A garden shed up to 120 sq ft counts as a 'yard building': you can have two (200 sq ft combined), none in the front yard, and one up to 8 ft tall may sit in a side or rear setback if screened. It needs no building permit if it's under 10 ft tall, has no utilities and sits outside required setbacks and open yards, so a shed placed inside a setback likely needs a building permit. Bigger accessory buildings follow main-building or garage setbacks and a 30-ft height limit.
| Yard building (shed) max size | 120 sq ft each; 200 sq ft combined [1] |
| Max number of yard buildings | 2 per lot [1] |
| Front yard | Not allowed in front setback or front yard [1] |
| Sheds in interior setbacks | Allowed if 8 ft tall or less, with screening [2] |
| Building permit exemption | Up to 120 sq ft, 10 ft tall, no utilities, outside setbacks/open yards; 200 sq ft combined [3] |
| Larger accessory buildings: setbacks | Main-building setbacks; one-story under 17 ft and up to 1,000 sq ft may use garage setbacks [4] |
| RS-6 interior setback (main building / covered parking) | 5 ft [8] |
| Accessory building max height | 2 stories and 30 ft [6] |
| Total accessory/garage floor area (e.g. 5,000-9,999 sq ft lot) | 1,300 sq ft [7] |
Small sheds ("yard buildings")
Santa Barbara's 2026 inland zoning amendments create a yard building category for one-story, detached, non-habitable structures such as garden sheds and playhouses. You may have up to two per lot, each no more than 120 sq ft, with a combined total of 200 sq ft, and none in the front setback or front yard [1]. Yard buildings up to 8 ft tall can go in interior (side and rear) setbacks and open yards, as long as they're screened from neighbors with a fence or hedge. Taller ones must meet the accessory-building rules [2]. Yard buildings are exempt from design review and don't count toward floor-area limits.
Building permit
The city's 2025 building code amendments exempt one-story sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft and 10 ft tall from a building permit, but only if they don't encroach into required setbacks or open yards, don't block required parking and have no utilities. Exempt structures can't exceed 200 sq ft combined [3]. So a shed placed inside a setback may still need a building permit even though zoning allows it there.
Larger accessory buildings
Workshops, larger sheds and other detached accessory buildings must meet main-building setbacks. A one-story building under 17 ft tall and up to 1,000 sq ft may instead use the covered-parking setbacks [4]. In the RS-6 zone, for example, the interior setback in the zoning table is 5 ft for residential structures [8] and for covered parking serving residential uses [5] (the table's columns run RS-1A, RS-25, RS-15, RS-10, RS-7.5, RS-6, so larger-lot zones need 6 to 15 ft). Accessory buildings are limited to two stories and 30 ft [6] and are prohibited in the front yard. Only a half bath or a single sink is allowed; a kitchen or full bath requires ADU or guest-house approval.
Floor-area caps
On single-unit lots, garages and detached accessory buildings combined are capped by lot size, for example 1,000 sq ft on lots under 5,000 sq ft and 1,300 sq ft on lots of 5,000-9,999 sq ft [7], up to 1,950 sq ft on lots of 20,000 sq ft or more.
These are Title 30 (inland) rules; coastal lots follow Title 28.
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Next steps
- Confirm your zone and whether you're inland (Title 30) or coastal (Title 28) on the City's MAPS viewer.
- For a shed of 120 sq ft or less, keep it out of the front yard and, if it's in a side or rear setback, keep it 8 ft tall or less and screen it with a fence or hedge.
- If the shed will be in a setback, over 120 sq ft or 10 ft tall, or have electricity or water, apply for a building permit with Building & Safety at 630 Garden St.
- For a larger workshop or studio, check setbacks and the accessory floor-area cap with the Planning Counter (805-564-5578) before designing it.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Santa Barbara, California?
- It depends. A one-story shed up to 120 sq ft and 10 feet tall needs no building permit if it has no utilities and sits outside required setbacks and open yards. A shed placed inside a setback, or one that's larger, taller or has electricity or water, likely needs a building permit.
- How big of a shed can I build without a permit in Santa Barbara, California?
- Up to 120 sq ft and 10 feet tall, with no utilities, outside required setbacks and open yards. Exempt structures can't exceed 200 sq ft combined.
- Can a shed go in my side or rear setback in Santa Barbara, California?
- Yes, under zoning, if it's a yard building of 120 sq ft or less, 8 feet tall or less, and screened from neighbors with a fence or hedge. Sheds can't go in the front yard. A shed in a setback may still need a building permit.
- How many sheds can I have in Santa Barbara, California?
- Up to two yard buildings per lot, each no more than 120 sq ft, with a combined total of 200 sq ft. Larger accessory buildings must meet main-building setbacks and are limited to two stories and 30 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
- §30.140.240.B Yard Buildings, Standards, Amendments to Title 30 (Inland Zoning Ordinance) - Single Family Streamlining, council adoption draft 04/14/26 showing changes from current code (posted as ADOPTED), p. 149
Maximum Number: No more than two yard buildings are allowed per lot. 2. Maximum Size: Each yard building must not exceed 120 square feet in floor area, with a combined total not to exceed 200 square feet per lot. 3. Front Yards. Yard buildings are not allowed within the front setback or front yard.
- §30.140.240.B.4 Interior Setbacks and Open Yards, Amendments to Title 30 (Inland Zoning Ordinance) - Single Family Streamlining, council adoption draft 04/14/26 showing changes from current code (posted as ADOPTED), p. 150
Yard buildings up to eight feet in height may be located within interior setbacks and open yards, except when the open yard is located in the front yard, as provided in Section 30.140.090, Encroachments.
- Ord. 6198, CRC §R105.2 Work exempt from permit, item 1, Ordinance No. 6198 - Local amendments to 2025 California building codes (SBMC Ch. 22.04), effective Jan 2, 2026, p. 38
Other than storm shelters, one-story detached residential accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses, portable and fixed playground equipment, bicycle or skateboard ramps and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet and the height does not exceed 10 feet at the highest point; and further provided the structure does not encroach into required setbacks or required open yards, does not obstruct required parking, and is not served by any utilities.
- §30.140.020.H.2 Accessory Buildings, Setbacks, Amendments to Title 30 (Inland Zoning Ordinance) - Single Family Streamlining, council adoption draft 04/14/26 showing changes from current code (posted as ADOPTED), p. 74
One-story accessory buildings less than 17 feet in height and not exceeding 1,000 square feet may use the same setback as covered parking structures serving four or fewer spaces, or as allowed by Section 30.140.090, Encroachments.
- Table 30.20.030.A Development Standards–Residential Single Unit Zones (parking setbacks), Amendments to Title 30 (Inland Zoning Ordinance) - Single Family Streamlining, council adoption draft 04/14/26 showing changes from current code (posted as ADOPTED), p. 36
Interior, Covered – Residential Use 15 10 10 8 6 5
- §30.140.020.I Maximum Height, Amendments to Title 30 (Inland Zoning Ordinance) - Single Family Streamlining, council adoption draft 04/14/26 showing changes from current code (posted as ADOPTED), p. 74
Accessory buildings or structures shall not exceed two stories and 30 feet in height, or as otherwise limited by this Title.
- §30.140.020.L.1 Maximum Total Square Footage Per Lot, Amendments to Title 30 (Inland Zoning Ordinance) - Single Family Streamlining, council adoption draft 04/14/26 showing changes from current code (posted as ADOPTED), p. 75
Lots 5,000 square feet up to 9,999 square feet: 1,300 square feet
- Table 30.20.030.A Development Standards–Residential Single Unit Zones (Minimum Setbacks, Residential Structures), Amendments to Title 30 (Inland Zoning Ordinance) - Single Family Streamlining, council adoption draft 04/14/26 showing changes from current code (posted as ADOPTED), p. 35
Interior 15 10 10 8 6 5