Do I need a permit for a shed in Harpswell, Maine?
Yes, you need a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer for any shed or other accessory structure; there's no size exemption beyond tiny items like dog houses. Outside the shoreland zone a shed must be at least 20 ft from all lot lines and the road, and no taller than 35 ft. One small shed (80 sq ft or less, 10'6" tall) can sit up to 10 ft closer to a side or rear line with the abutter's written consent.
| Permit for accessory structures | Code Enforcement Officer permit (Planning Board in Resource Protection) [1] |
| Setback, outside the shoreland zone | 20 ft from all lot lines and the edge of the traveled way [2] |
| Small-shed exception | One shed up to 80 sq ft and 10'6" tall may extend 10 ft into a side or rear setback, with abutter consent [3] |
| Maximum height | 35 ft [4] |
| Lot coverage (all impermeable surfaces) | 20% of the lot (25% for homes using green infrastructure/low-impact techniques) [5] |
| Setback from property line, shoreland zone | 25 ft [6] |
| Small nonconforming shoreland lot | One tool shed up to 80 sq ft and 8 ft tall, no utilities [7] |
Permit
The land use table requires a Code Enforcement Officer permit for accessory structures in all areas except Resource Protection, where the Planning Board issues the permit [1]. The Definitions Addendum counts nearly anything built with a fixed location as a structure, including portable prefab structures. Only small items like dog houses up to 10 sq ft and roofless tree houses up to 25 sq ft are exempt, so there's no general size threshold below which a shed is exempt.
Setbacks and size (outside the shoreland zone)
- Setback: at least 20 ft from all lot lines or the edge of the traveled way, whichever is more restrictive. If the property line along a road is unknown, the setback is 40 ft from the traveled way [2].
- Small-shed exception: one accessory structure of up to 80 sq ft and 10'6" tall may intrude up to 10 ft into a side or rear setback without a variance. The CEO must find the location meets the setback to the greatest practical extent, and the abutting owner must consent in writing [3].
- Height: 35 ft maximum [4].
- Coverage: all structures, driveways and other impermeable surfaces can't exceed 20% of the lot, or 25% for a home that uses green infrastructure and low-impact development techniques [5].
The ordinance doesn't bar sheds from front yards or set a separate maximum shed size.
In the shoreland zone
Shoreland lots follow the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance: a 25 ft property line setback [6], a 75 ft setback from the water or wetland edge, the 35 ft height limit and a 20% impermeable surface limit in Shoreland Residential. On a nonconforming lot with only a house, where no shed can meet the water setback, the CEO may allow one tool shed of up to 80 sq ft and 8 ft tall, with no utilities, no closer to the water than the house [7].
Small lots
On qualifying pre-1997 lots under a quarter acre outside the shoreland zone, setbacks may be cut to 5 ft from lot lines with abutter consent and Planning Board findings.
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Next steps
- Call the Code Enforcement Office (207-833-5771) to confirm whether your lot is inland or in the shoreland zone.
- Prepare a scaled site plan showing the shed, its size and height, and distances to every lot line, the road and any water.
- If you want to use the 80 sq ft exception, get your neighbor's written consent before applying.
- Apply for the permit before building; work started before a permit carries a higher fee.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Harpswell, Maine?
- Yes. A Code Enforcement Officer permit is required for any shed or other accessory structure, with no general size exemption. Only tiny items like dog houses up to 10 sq ft are exempt.
- How far from the property line must a shed be in Harpswell, Maine?
- Outside the shoreland zone, at least 20 ft from all lot lines and the road. One small shed up to 80 sq ft and 10'6" tall may extend up to 10 ft into a side or rear setback with the abutter's written consent.
- What is the shed height limit in Harpswell, Maine?
- The maximum height is 35 ft. All structures and impermeable surfaces together can't exceed 20% of the lot, or 25% for a home using green infrastructure and low-impact techniques.
- What are the shed rules in Harpswell's shoreland zone?
- Shoreland lots have a 25 ft property line setback and a 75 ft setback from the water or wetland edge. On a nonconforming lot with only a house, the Code Enforcement Officer may allow one tool shed up to 80 sq ft and 8 ft tall, with no utilities.
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. 13.3 Table 1, row 16, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 31
16. Accessory structures and uses CEO11 PB 11 CEO11 CEO11 CEO11 CEO11 CEO
- Sec. 11.3.1 Setback, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 16
All accessory structures shall be set back at least twenty (20) feet from all lot lines or the edge of a traveled way, whichever is more restrictive. If the location of a property line along a traveled way is unknown, the setback for accessory structures shall be forty (40) feet from the edge of the traveled way.
- Sec. 11.3.1.1, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 16
One accessory structure not to exceed eighty (80) square feet and not to exceed ten feet six inches (10’6”) in height may intrude up to ten (10) feet into a sideline or rear setback without the need for a variance if the CEO determines that the proposed location meets the setback requirements to the greatest practical extent as described in Section 10.3.2.4, has been consented to in writing by the property owner(s) abutting the lot line in question, and will meet all other requirements of the ordinance.
- Sec. 11.3.2 Height of Structures, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 16
All principal and accessory structures shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height.
- Sec. 11.1.1, Basic Land Use Ordinance (2026), p. 15
The total area covered by all structures, driveways, parking lots, and other impermeable surfaces shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the total area of the lot with the following exceptions:
- Sec. 15.2.1 Setback Requirements table, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 26
Minimum setback from a property line 25 feet 25 feet
- Sec. 15.2.1.3, Shoreland Zoning Ordinance (2025), p. 27
Such accessory structure shall not exceed eighty (80) square feet in area or eight (8) feet in height, and shall be located as far from the shoreline or tributary stream as practical and shall meet all other applicable standards, including lot coverage and vegetation clearing limitations.