Do I need a permit for a shed in Auburn, Maine?
Yes, a shed is allowed with a building permit ($25 plus $0.10 per square foot). A shed of 120 sq ft or less and 10 ft or less tall can go right up to the side and rear lot lines. Larger ones need half the house's side and rear setbacks, at least 5 feet. No shed can be in the front yard setback.
| Setback, sheds up to 120 sq ft and 10 ft tall | Zero side and rear; front setback applies [1] |
| Setback, sheds over 120 sq ft | 50% of the house's side/rear setback, minimum 5 ft [2] |
| Max first-floor size (lots under 2 acres) | 1,000 sq ft [3] |
| Distance from house | At least 5 ft [4] |
| Building permit fee | $25 + $0.10 per sq ft [6] |
| Lake Auburn shoreline setback | 100 ft; sheds get no exception [8] |
Setbacks
Auburn's zoning code (Sec. 60-43) sets setbacks for residential accessory buildings by size. A shed of 120 square feet or less and 10 feet or less in height can sit right on the rear and side lot lines (zero setback) [1]. A larger accessory building needs rear and side setbacks of half what your district requires for the house, and never less than 5 feet [2]. The front yard setback must be kept for small sheds [1], and the 50% reduction for larger ones applies only to side and rear setbacks [2]. The district setbacks that the 50% rule refers to are in the district regulations (Article IV), which we couldn't download from Municode. Ask Code staff for your district's numbers.
Size and placement
On a lot under 2 acres, accessory buildings can have no more than 1,000 sq ft of first-floor space. Lots over 2 acres have no maximum [3]. An accessory building must be at least 5 feet from the main building [4]. In residential districts, tool sheds, woodsheds, detached garages and swimming pools all count as accessory buildings. An accessory building can't house a home occupation or be used as a sales outlet [5]. Low decks up to 30 inches high get a zero side and rear setback if they're at least 15 feet from a neighbor's house [7]. The city's text we reviewed gives no separate height limit for sheds over 120 sq ft. The district height limits in Article IV, which we didn't review, would apply.
Permit and fee
Auburn's fee schedule charges $25 plus $0.10 per square foot for an accessory structure building permit on a single-family or two-family property [6]. It lists no size below which a shed is exempt, so ask Code staff whether your shed needs a permit before you build. You apply through the SmartGov portal.
Near Lake Auburn
In the Lake Auburn Watershed Overlay, new structures must be at least 100 feet from the lake's normal high-water mark. Storage sheds and boathouses don't qualify for the exception that applies to docks [8]. The city's general shoreland rules for other waters (Article XII) weren't available for this review.
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Next steps
- Find your zoning district and ask the Planning, Permitting & Code Department (Auburn Hall, 60 Court Street, 207-333-6601) for its principal-building side and rear setbacks if your shed is over 120 sq ft.
- Sketch a site plan showing the shed's size, height and distance to lot lines and the house (at least 5 ft from the house, outside the front yard setback).
- Apply for a building permit through the city's SmartGov portal and pay $25 + $0.10 per sq ft.
- If you're near Lake Auburn, keep the shed at least 100 ft from the lake's normal high-water mark.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Auburn, Maine?
- Yes, Auburn's fee schedule charges $25 plus $0.10 per square foot for an accessory structure building permit. It lists no size below which a shed is exempt, so ask Code staff before you build.
- How close to the property line can a shed be in Auburn, Maine?
- A shed of 120 sq ft or less and 10 ft or less tall can sit right on the side and rear lot lines, but not in the front yard setback. Larger ones need half the house's side and rear setbacks, at least 5 feet.
- What is the largest shed I can build in Auburn, Maine?
- On a lot under 2 acres, accessory buildings can have no more than 1,000 sq ft of first-floor space; lots over 2 acres have no maximum. The shed must be at least 5 feet from the house.
- Can I put a shed near Lake Auburn in Auburn, Maine?
- Only at least 100 feet back. In the Lake Auburn Watershed Overlay, new structures must be at least 100 feet from the lake's normal high-water mark, and storage sheds don't get the exception that applies to docks.
Maine building code and shoreland rules for sheds
Building code (MUBEC): The Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code adopts the 2021 International Residential Code, effective April 7, 2025. It must be enforced in towns with more than 4,000 residents. Smaller towns may choose to enforce it, but they can't adopt any other building code.
- Maine's version of the code says building permits are required "where required by municipal ordinance," and towns can exempt more work from permits.
- The residential code exempts small one-story detached accessory buildings from a building permit. Under the IRC that means up to 200 sq ft.
- Being exempt from a building permit doesn't exempt you from zoning. Setbacks, lot coverage and any land-use permit still apply. Check with your code officer.
Shoreland zone: A shed is a "structure" under the state shoreland rules, so it must meet the water setbacks: generally 100 ft from GPA great ponds and 75 ft from other waters and wetlands. It also counts toward the 20% lot-coverage cap. On a small nonconforming lot where a shed can't meet the setback, the code officer may allow one shed up to 80 sq ft and 8 ft tall, with no utilities. It has to be as far from the water as practical and never closer than the house.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 60-43(a) Residential accessory buildings, uses, and structures (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 23
(a) Accessory buildings of 120 square feet and ten feet or less in height will have a zero rear and side setback. The front yard setback shall be maintained.
- Sec. 60-43(b) (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 23
(b) Accessory buildings greater than 120 square feet shall have rear and side yard setbacks that are 50 percent of the requirement for principal buildings, except that in no case shall the setbacks be reduced to less than five feet.
- Sec. 60-43(e) (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 23
(e) The maximum first floor space of accessory buildings on lots under two acres is 1,000 square feet. On lots of over two acres, there is no maximum size.
- Sec. 60-2 Definitions, "Accessory structure or building" (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 2
Accessory structure or building means a building, at least five feet in distance from the principal building, used for a purpose which is customarily subordinate and incidental to that of the principal building or to the principal use of the land and which is located on the same lot as the principal building use.
- Sec. 60-2 Definitions, "Accessory structure or building" (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 2
The term "accessory buildings," in residential districts, includes tool sheds, woodsheds, detached garages and swimming pools. No accessory building shall house a home occupation or professional office or be used as a sales outlet in a residential district.
- Appendix A, Buildings and Building Regulations, Building permit - single family and two-family, Appendix A - Fees and Charges, Master Fee Schedule (as passed 2026-07-20), p. 1
Accessory structure $25.00 + $0.10 per square foot
- Sec. 60-43(c) (Supp. No. 34), PROPOSAL (not adopted): Planning Board workshop packet 2026-08-11 - draft Chapter 60 amendments for LD 1829/LD 2173 (Sec. 60-2 definitions and Article II General Provisions, redline on Supp. No. 34 text), p. 23
(c) A deck that is no greater than 30 inches high shall be allowed a zero rear and side setback provided that the deck is no closer than 15 feet to a neighboring principal building. All decks that are higher than 30 inches shall meet the requirements of subsection (b) of this section.
- Ord. 21-11182024, Sec. 60-953 Dimensional regulations; building setbacks (Lake Auburn Watershed Overlay), City Council Ordinances adopted in 2024 (compilation) - incl. Ord. 21-11182024 Lake Auburn Watershed Overlay text/map amendments and Ord. 23-12022024 LD 2003 housing/ADU amendments, p. 71
Operational necessity shall include private docks, but shall not include boathouses, storage sheds, garages, or other structures.