Town Permit Guide

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Do I need a permit for a shed in Lewiston, Maine?

Lewiston, Androscoggin County · Ordinances checked 2026-10-16 · Reviewed · 11 cited sections

Allowed

In Lewiston a one-story detached residential shed of 200 square feet or less doesn't need a permit. One storage-only shed up to 200 square feet and 10 feet tall may sit as close as 5 feet to a side or rear property line. Anything bigger needs a permit and must meet your district's setbacks (for single-family lots, 10 to 15 feet from side and rear lines in the main residential districts, possibly more; confirm with the City).

No permit neededResidential one-story detached accessory structure up to 200 sq ft [2]
Reduced side/rear setback5 ft, for one storage-only structure up to 200 sq ft and 10 ft tall [1]
Larger shedsPermit required; district setbacks apply [3]
District side/rear setback, single-family homes (larger sheds: confirm)10 ft in RA, LDR, MDR, NCA; 15 ft in SR (general row: 35/25/30/30/30 ft) [8]
Permit fee (2013 schedule)$25 base + $0.07 per sq ft [5]
Shoreland zone75 ft from water bodies/streams/wetlands, 100 ft from No Name Pond [6]
Small-lot shoreland shedMax 80 sq ft and 8 ft tall, by CEO permit [7]

The 5-foot shed rule

Lewiston's zoning code (Article V, Sec. 3.C(7)) lets you place one detached one-story structure up to 200 square feet and 10 feet tall, accessory to a residential use and used for storage only, no closer than 5 feet to a side or rear property line, even where the district setback is larger [1]. Only one structure per lot gets this exception.

Permits

Permits are not required for residential one-story detached accessory structures with a floor area of 200 square feet or less [2]. Being exempt from a permit doesn't excuse a shed from the code's rules, such as setbacks [4]. A larger shed, garage or other accessory building counts as construction of a structure and needs a permit [3]. The posted fee schedule lists single-family accessory structures at $25 plus $0.07 per square foot [5], but that schedule dates from 2013, so confirm the current fee.

Bigger buildings and front yards

A shed over 200 square feet, or a second one, must meet your district's setbacks in the Article XI Space and Bulk Table. For single-family detached homes in the main residential districts, the table's side and rear setback is 10 feet in Rural Agricultural (RA), Low Density Residential (LDR), Medium Density Residential (MDR) and Neighborhood Conservation A (NCA), and 15 feet in Suburban Residential (SR) [8]. The table's general row for other permitted uses is much larger: 35 feet in RA, 25 in LDR and 30 in SR, MDR and NCA [9]. The code doesn't say which row a detached accessory building follows, so confirm with Planning & Code Enforcement before placing a larger shed closer than the general-row setback.

Front setbacks are 25 feet in RA and SR and 20 feet in LDR [10]; for single-family homes the table lists 20 feet in MDR and 15 feet in NCA, where existing uniform street setbacks can also control [11]. We didn't find a specific rule barring sheds from the front yard, but the 5-foot exception covers only side and rear lot lines, so a shed in front must meet the full front setback. The City's accessory-building plan guide covers garages and larger buildings and notes that structures over 600 square feet must be frost-protected.

Near the water

In the shoreland zone, new accessory structures must be set back at least 100 feet from No Name Pond and 75 feet from other water bodies, tributary streams and freshwater wetlands [6]. On a nonconforming lot where that's impossible, the code enforcement officer may permit a single tool-storage structure with no utilities, up to 80 square feet and 8 feet tall, no closer to the water than the house [7].

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Next steps

  1. Measure the shed: 200 sq ft or less and one story needs no permit; 10 ft tall or less (storage only) can go 5 ft from side or rear lines.
  2. Check your zoning district and whether the lot is in the shoreland zone on the City's GIS map.
  3. For a larger shed, submit a Building Permit application with a plot plan showing distances to property lines to Planning & Code Enforcement (PlanningCode@lewistonmaine.gov, 207-513-3125).

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a shed in Lewiston, Maine?
Not for a small one. A one-story detached residential shed of 200 square feet or less doesn't need a permit, though it must still follow zoning rules like setbacks. A larger shed needs a permit; the 2013 fee schedule lists $25 plus $0.07 per square foot.
How close to the property line can a shed be in Lewiston, Maine?
One storage-only shed up to 200 square feet and 10 feet tall can be as close as 5 feet to a side or rear line. Larger sheds must meet district setbacks: for single-family homes 10 feet in RA, LDR, MDR and NCA and 15 feet in SR, or possibly the larger general setbacks; confirm with the City.
Can I put a shed in my front yard in Lewiston, Maine?
We found no rule barring it, but the 5-foot exception covers only side and rear lot lines, so a shed in front must meet the full front setback, such as 25 feet in RA and SR and 20 feet in LDR.
Can I build a shed near the water in Lewiston, Maine?
Only with shoreland setbacks: 100 feet from No Name Pond and 75 feet from other water bodies, streams and wetlands. On a nonconforming lot where that's impossible, the code enforcement officer may permit one tool shed with no utilities, up to 80 square feet and 8 feet tall.

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.

State sources: 10 M.R.S. §9724 (MUBEC application; 4,000-resident threshold) · Bureau of Building Codes & Standards: MUBEC Standards and Amendments (eff. April 7, 2025) · MUBEC Rule Chapter 5: IRC adoption and Maine amendments (16-642 CMR 5) · DEP Chapter 1000: Guidelines for Municipal Shoreland Zoning Ordinances

What the ordinance says

Exact text from Lewiston's published ordinances. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Art. V, Sec. 3.C(7) Setbacks for one story detached accessory structures, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article V - Administration and Enforcement (as amended through Ord. 26-03, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 6
    Notwithstanding the provisions under article XI, district regulations, with respect to standards for minimum side and rear setbacks, one structure not exceeding 200 square feet in floor area and a height of ten (10) feet accessory to a residential use and 125 square feet and a height of ten (10) feet accessory to a commercial use, and which is to be utilized for storage purposes only, may be constructed no closer than five (5) feet of the side or rear property line.
  2. Art. V, Sec. 5(c)(1) Permits not required, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article V - Administration and Enforcement (as amended through Ord. 26-03, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 8
    Permits are not required for the following: (1) Residential one-story detached accessory structures, provided that the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet,
  3. Art. V, Sec. 5(a)(1) Administrative procedures, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article V - Administration and Enforcement (as amended through Ord. 26-03, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 8
    A permit shall be required for all activities regulated by this code including, but not limited to the following: (1) The construction, alteration, relocation, demolition, placement, or removal of or the addition to any structure or building or part thereof;
  4. Art. V, Sec. 5(c), Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article V - Administration and Enforcement (as amended through Ord. 26-03, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 8
    Work exempt from a permit shall not grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of this code or any other laws or ordinances.
  5. Building Permit Fee Schedule, Single Family (updated 4/16/2013), Building Permit Fee Schedule (updated 4/16/2013, effective 7/01/2013), p. 1
    Accessory Structure $25 base + $0.07 sf
  6. Art. XII, Sec. 2, 9.B.1 Principal and Accessory Structures (shoreland), Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 21
    All new principal and accessory structures shall be set back at least: a. One hundred (100) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high-water line of No Name Pond. b. Seventy-five (75) feet, horizontal distance from the from the normal high- water line of a water body, tributary stream or upland edge of a freshwater wetland.
  7. Art. XII, Sec. 2, 9.B.1.f (shoreland), Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XII - Performance Standards (as amended through Ord. 26-05, eff. 2026-03-05), p. 21
    Such accessory structure shall not exceed eighty (80) square feet in area nor 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 non-vegetated surfaces and vegetation clearing limitations.
  8. Art. XI, Sec. 23 Space and Bulk Table (6.04.2026), Minimum side and rear setback, single-family row, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XI - District Regulations incl. Land Use Table and Space & Bulk Table (as amended through Ord. 26-19, eff. 2026-08-20), p. 14
    Single-family detached, mobile homes on individual lots 10 ft 10 ft 15 ft 10 ft 10 ft
  9. Art. XI, Sec. 23 Space and Bulk Table, Minimum side and rear setback, general row, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XI - District Regulations incl. Land Use Table and Space & Bulk Table (as amended through Ord. 26-19, eff. 2026-08-20), p. 14
    Permitted uses unless otherwise listed below 35 ft 25 ft 30 ft 30 ft 0 ft side/10 ft rear 30 ft 5 ft (16) 10 ft (16) 5 ft side/10 ft on one side (29) 10 ft rear
  10. Art. XI, Sec. 23 Space and Bulk Table, Minimum front setback, general row, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XI - District Regulations incl. Land Use Table and Space & Bulk Table (as amended through Ord. 26-19, eff. 2026-08-20), p. 14
    Permitted uses unless otherwise listed below 25 ft 20 ft 25 ft 30 ft 5 ft (22) 20 ft (22) 10 ft (22) 10 ft (22) 5 ft (22)
  11. Art. XI, Sec. 23 Space and Bulk Table, Minimum front setback, single-family row, Zoning and Land Use Code (Appendix A) Article XI - District Regulations incl. Land Use Table and Space & Bulk Table (as amended through Ord. 26-19, eff. 2026-08-20), p. 14
    Single-family detached, mobile homes on individual lots 20 ft 15 ft (22)
This page summarizes Lewiston's posted ordinances as of 2026-10-16. Ordinances are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Planning & Code Enforcement Department (City Hall, 27 Pine St., 3rd floor) (207-513-3125) before you build. Spot an error?