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Sheds & Accessory Buildings in California: rules in 10 towns compared
Do I need a permit for a shed, and how close to the property line can it go? Here's how each town answers it. Click a town for the details and the exact ordinance text.
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This page is for California homeowners planning a backyard shed, playhouse or small storage building. Where a shed can go (setbacks, height, lot coverage) is set by your city's zoning code, while the state sets the building-permit baseline. The 2025 California Residential Code exempts one-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar structures of 120 sq ft or less from a building permit. Bigger sheds need a permit, electrical or plumbing work needs its own permit, and some cities have amended these thresholds. Exempt doesn't mean unregulated: zoning setbacks, HOA rules and easements still apply. In a state responsibility area, owners must keep 100 feet of defensible space around buildings (Pub. Res. Code §4291), and in the coastal zone a new structure may need a coastal development permit.
None of the 10 cities we cover for this topic allows a shed in the front setback. Rear-yard placement is more flexible: Los Altos allows sheds up to 800 sq ft and 12 feet tall in the rear setback, and Los Gatos lets one shed under 120 sq ft go in a side or rear setback with no zoning approval. Tiburon has narrowed the state permit exemption to portable playhouses, so most sheds there need a building permit and design review. Hillsborough is strictest, with 20-foot side and rear setbacks; only one shed of 40 sq ft or less can go in a setback, with the neighbor's written consent. Pick your city below for the details and the municipal code text.
Town-by-town comparison
| Town | Verdict | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Los Altos | Allowed | Sheds are allowed in Los Altos but not in the front setback. A shed up to 120 sq ft and 6 ft tall can go in a side setback behind a solid fence; in the rear setback a shed can be up to 800 sq ft and 12 ft tall, on the property line if under 6 ft or 5 ft back if taller. |
| Saratoga | Allowed with board review | Garden sheds are a permitted accessory use in Saratoga's R-1 zones, but enclosed accessory structures can't go in required setback areas unless an exception applies. With Community Development Director approval, a shed of up to 250 sq ft can sit in the rear setback area at least 6 feet from the side and rear lot lines, at a height of 6 feet plus 1 foot for each extra foot of setback, up to 10 feet. Anywhere else on the lot, accessory structures are capped at 15 feet tall. |
| Los Gatos | Allowed | 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. |
| Tiburon | Allowed with board review | A shed in Tiburon generally needs site plan and architectural review (decided by staff for buildings under 500 sq ft) and a building permit, because the town narrowed the state's 120 sq ft permit exemption to portable playhouses. Sheds can't go in front or side setbacks; one up to 12 feet tall may sit in the rear setback if accessory buildings cover no more than 25% of it. |
| Piedmont | Allowed | A one-story shed of 120 sq ft or less doesn't need a building permit in Piedmont, though wildfire-area (WUI) rules still apply citywide. In single-family Zone A, a shed may sit inside the 5-foot side and rear setbacks if it is within 35 feet of the rear lot line, at least 5 feet from a neighbor's house, no taller than 15 feet and not habitable; it can't go in the 20-foot street setback. |
| Lafayette | Allowed | Lafayette treats a shed of 120 sq ft or less as an accessory building. One placed in a required front, side or rear yard may be up to 12 feet tall, and accessory buildings may cover no more than 30% of the required rear yard. Exact setbacks depend on your zone, and building permits go through Contra Costa County. |
| Manhattan Beach | Restricted | 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. |
| Pasadena | Allowed | Sheds and other accessory buildings are allowed, but not in the front or corner-side setback. One can go in a side or rear setback only if it's in the rear 25 feet of the lot (or more than 100 feet back from the front line); at 2 feet from a property line it can be 9 feet tall, rising to 15 feet farther in. All accessory buildings together are capped at 600 sq ft or 6% of the lot, whichever is greater. |
| Del Mar | Depends on your zone | Sheds and other accessory buildings are allowed in Del Mar's residential zones. Setbacks depend on the zone. In R1-10, R1-14 and R1-40, a shed must meet the full zone setbacks (in R1-10: 20 ft front, 25 ft rear, 7.5 ft interior side). In other residential zones, a one-story accessory building of up to 500 sq ft can ignore rear setbacks, and side setbacks too if it sits in the rear 30% of the lot. |
| Hillsborough | Allowed with board review | Sheds must normally meet Hillsborough's full setbacks: 25 feet from the street line and 20 feet from side and rear lot lines. One small shed (40 sq ft or less, 6 ft tall or less) may go in a setback if it's at least 5 feet from the lot line, 40 feet from any neighbor's house and the neighbor agrees in writing. All exterior construction needs design review. |
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).
Common questions about shed permits in California
- Do I need a permit to build a shed in California?
- It depends on the size and your city. The 2025 California Residential Code exempts one-story detached sheds of 120 sq ft or less from a building permit, but cities can amend that: Tiburon limits the exemption to portable playhouses. Zoning setbacks still apply to exempt sheds, and electrical or plumbing work needs its own permit.
- How big of a shed can I build without a permit in California?
- Under the state Residential Code, up to 120 sq ft of floor area for a one-story detached storage shed or playhouse. Some cities set different thresholds, so check with your building department before you buy or build.
- Do I need a permit for a 10x12 shed in California?
- Usually not a building permit, since a 10x12 shed is exactly 120 sq ft, the state exemption limit for one-story detached sheds. But it depends on your city: Tiburon requires a building permit for most sheds, and zoning setbacks and design review rules still apply everywhere.
- What are the shed setback requirements in California?
- It depends on your city; there's no state shed setback. In the cities we cover, sheds generally can't go in the front setback. Rear-yard rules vary from right on the property line for low sheds in Los Altos to 20 feet from side and rear lines in Hillsborough, unless the neighbor consents to a small shed closer in.
- Can I turn my shed into a living space in California?
- Possibly, as an ADU. Converting an existing accessory structure to an ADU is covered by the state's ADU law (Gov. Code §66314), and a converted structure needs no added setback. You'll need permits for the conversion, and city rules may otherwise bar sleeping quarters or kitchens in an ordinary shed.
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