Do I need a permit for a shed in Gorham, Maine?
Yes, but you need a building permit. Gorham requires a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer for any building or structure. One shed per lot that is under 150 sq ft and under 15 ft tall only has to be 5 ft from the side and rear lot lines. Larger or additional sheds must meet the district setbacks, such as 15 ft in Urban Residential or 20 ft in Suburban Residential and Rural.
| Permit | Building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer for any building or structure [2] |
| Small-shed reduced setback | 5 ft side/rear if under 150 sq ft and under 15 ft tall (one per lot) [1] |
| Urban Residential setbacks | 15 ft side/rear; front 15 ft (sewered) or 25 ft [3] |
| Urban Residential building coverage | 25% max [4] |
| Suburban Residential side/rear setback | 20 ft [5] |
| Rural residential side/rear setback | 20 ft [6] |
| Shoreland setback | 100 ft from great ponds/rivers to great ponds; 75 ft from other waters and wetlands [7] |
Permit
Chapter 1 says no building or other structure may be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered without a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer [2]. The ordinance has no size exemption for small sheds, so plan on getting a building permit for any shed. Applications generally need a plan drawn to scale showing the lot, existing buildings and the proposed building.
The small-shed setback break
Gorham defines a shed as a detached accessory building used for residential storage, allowed in all districts. A shed under 150 sq ft and under 15 ft tall only needs a 5 ft side and rear setback. Only one shed per lot gets this break, and any additional sheds must meet the normal district setbacks [1]. The definition doesn't reduce the front setback.
District setbacks for larger sheds
- Urban Residential: 15 ft side and rear. The front setback is 15 ft with public water and sewer, or 25 ft without [3]. Building coverage is capped at 25% of the lot [4].
- Suburban Residential: 20 ft side and rear [5]. The front setback is 50 ft on a local street and 70 ft on a collector or arterial.
- Rural: 20 ft side and rear for residential lots [6]. The front setback is 50 ft or 70 ft.
- Village Centers: side and rear setbacks are smaller, but accessory structures can't be placed in front of the front building line.
These three residential districts have no maximum building height. The 15 ft limit matters only if you want the reduced setback.
Near water
In the Shoreland Overlay, all new accessory buildings must be set back 100 ft from a great pond or a river flowing to one, and 75 ft from other water bodies, tributary streams and wetlands [7]. The setback is 250 ft in Resource Protection areas.
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Next steps
- Look up your zoning district and measure your lot lines (a survey or plot plan helps).
- If the shed is under 150 sq ft and under 15 ft tall and it's your only reduced-setback shed, keep it at least 5 ft from the side and rear lines. Otherwise use the district setback.
- Apply for a building permit with Gorham Code Enforcement (207-222-1605). Bring a scaled site plan showing the shed's size and its distances to the lot lines.
- If the property is within 250 ft of a pond, river or wetland (75 ft of a stream), ask about shoreland approval at the same time.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Gorham, Maine?
- Yes. Gorham requires a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer for any building or structure, and the ordinance has no size exemption for small sheds.
- How close to the property line can I build a shed in Gorham, Maine?
- One shed per lot under 150 sq ft and under 15 ft tall only needs to be 5 ft from the side and rear lot lines. Larger or additional sheds must meet the district setbacks, such as 15 ft in Urban Residential or 20 ft in Suburban Residential and Rural.
- What is the front setback for a shed in Gorham, Maine?
- The small-shed definition doesn't reduce the front setback. In Urban Residential it is 15 ft with public water and sewer, or 25 ft without. In Suburban Residential it is 50 ft on a local street.
- Are there shed rules near water in Gorham, Maine?
- Yes. New accessory buildings must be 100 ft from a great pond or a river flowing to one, and 75 ft from other water bodies, tributary streams and wetlands. The setback is 250 ft in Resource Protection areas.
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. 1-5 Definitions, Shed, Land Use and Development Code – Chapter 1: Zoning Regulations, p. 40
If a shed is less than 150 square feet in total area and has a height of less than 15 feet, the shed need only meet a 5 foot side and/or rear yard setback requirement. Only one shed per lot shall be allowed to have the reduced setback.
- Sec. 1-3.D Building Permit, Land Use and Development Code – Chapter 1: Zoning Regulations, p. 14
No building or other structure shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered without a permit therefore, issued by the Code Enforcement Officer.
- Sec. 1-6.D Urban Residential Space Standards, Land Use and Development Code – Chapter 1: Zoning Regulations, p. 46
Minimum front yard setback 15 ft. 25 ft. Minimum rear and side yards 15 ft.* 15 ft.*
- Sec. 1-6.D Urban Residential Space Standards, Land Use and Development Code – Chapter 1: Zoning Regulations, p. 46
Maximum building height None None Maximum building coverage 25% 25%
- Sec. 1-7.D Suburban Residential Space Standards, Land Use and Development Code – Chapter 1: Zoning Regulations, p. 48
Minimum side and rear yards 20 feet Maximum building height None
- Sec. 1-8.D Rural District Space Standards, Land Use and Development Code – Chapter 1: Zoning Regulations, p. 52
Minimum side and rear yard *residential 20 ft. *non-residential 50 ft.
- Sec. 2-1.E(9)(b)(1), Land Use and Development Code – Chapter 2: General Standards of Performance, p. 23
All new principal and accessory buildings and structures shall be set back at least one hundred (100) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high-water line of a great pond or a river flowing to a great pond and seventy-five (75) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high-water line of other water bodies, tributary streams, or the upland edge of a wetland.