Do I need a permit for a shed in Mount Desert, Maine?
Yes, you need a Code Enforcement Officer permit for a shed in all of Mount Desert's residential, shoreland residential and rural districts. The ordinance sets no minimum size for needing one. Side and rear setbacks are 10 ft in Village Residential 1, 15 ft in Village Residential 2 and Residential 1, and 25 ft in Residential 2, Shoreland Residential and Rural/Woodland. A neighbor can agree in writing to reduce the property-line setback.
| Permit (Village Residential 1-2, Residential, Shoreland Residential, Rural/Woodland) | Code Enforcement Officer permit [1] |
| Property-line setback, Village Residential 1 / Village Residential 2 / Residential 1 / Residential 2 | 10 ft / 15 ft / 15 ft / 25 ft [3] |
| Road setback, Village Residential 1 / Village Residential 2 / Residential 1 / Residential 2 | 20 ft / 30 ft / 30 ft / 30 ft [4] |
| Property-line setback, Shoreland Residential districts | 25 ft (50 ft from public roads) [5] |
| Max lot coverage, Village Residential and Residential districts | 40% [6] |
| Max height outside the Shoreland Zone | 40 ft [7] |
| Max height in Shoreland Residential districts | 35 ft [10] |
| Small shed on a nonconforming shoreland lot | Up to 80 sq ft and 8 ft tall [9] |
Permit
The use table lists a "Residential Storage Building/Shed" as needing a Code Enforcement Officer permit in the village residential, residential, shoreland residential, rural/woodland, Village Commercial and Shoreland Commercial districts [1]. Conservation, Resource Protection and Stream Protection need Planning Board approval, and sheds aren't allowed in Village Residential 3. A detached accessory structure is one that is customarily incidental to the main building [2]. The ordinance doesn't exempt small sheds by size.
Setbacks
Outside the shoreland districts, the property-line and private-road setbacks are 10 ft (Village Residential 1), 15 ft (Village Residential 2 and Residential 1) and 25 ft (Residential 2) [3]. Public-road setbacks are 20 ft in Village Residential 1 and 30 ft in the others [4]. In Shoreland Residential districts the setbacks are 25 ft from property lines and 50 ft from public roads [5], and they are 25 ft and 60 ft in Rural/Woodland. Road setbacks are measured from the edge of the road surface. A property-line setback can be varied by a written agreement with the abutting owner, filed at the Town Office [8].
Size and height
Lot coverage is capped at 40% in the Village Residential and Residential districts [6], 20% in Shoreland Residential and 15% in Rural/Woodland. Structures outside the Shoreland Zone can be up to 40 ft tall [7], and 35 ft in the Shoreland Residential districts [10].
Near the water
New accessory structures must be at least 75 ft from the shoreline (100 ft from most great ponds). On a nonconforming lot where that's impossible, the CEO may allow one tool shed with no utilities, up to 80 sq ft and 8 ft tall, kept as far from the water as practical [9].
Not addressed
The ordinance doesn't bar sheds from front yards. The cover of our copy lists amendments through May 5, 2026; confirm with the town that it is current.
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Next steps
- Look up your district on the Land Use District Map and note the setbacks and lot coverage limit for it.
- Draw a scaled site plan showing the lot, existing buildings, the new shed and its distance from each property line, road and any water.
- Apply to Mount Desert Code Enforcement / Planning (207-276-5731) for a CEO permit before building.
- If you want to build closer to a side or rear line, get a signed written agreement from the abutting owner and file it at the Town Office.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Mount Desert, Maine?
- Yes. A shed needs a Code Enforcement Officer permit in the village residential, residential, shoreland residential and rural districts, and the ordinance sets no minimum size exemption.
- How far from the property line does a shed need to be in Mount Desert, Maine?
- Property-line setbacks are 10 ft in Village Residential 1, 15 ft in Village Residential 2 and Residential 1, and 25 ft in Residential 2, Shoreland Residential and Rural/Woodland. A neighbor can agree in writing to vary the setback.
- How tall can a shed be in Mount Desert, Maine?
- Outside the Shoreland Zone structures can be up to 40 ft tall, and 35 ft in the Shoreland Residential districts.
- Can I put a shed near the water in Mount Desert, Maine?
- New accessory structures must be at least 75 ft from the shoreline, or 100 ft from most great ponds. On a nonconforming lot, the Code Enforcement Officer may allow one tool shed with no utilities, up to 80 sq ft and 8 ft 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.
What the ordinance says
- Sec. 3.4, Permitted, Conditional, and Excluded Uses by District (table), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 14
Residential Storage CEO CEO CEO CEO CEO CEO C C8 C4 X Building/Shed
- Sec. 8, Definitions: Accessory Facility or Structure, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 104
ACCESSORY FACILITY OR STRUCTURE: A facility or structure detached from a principal building located on the same lot and customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal building or use.
- Sec. 3.5, Dimensional Requirements (VR1, VR2, R1, R2), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 22
10 ft 15 ft 15 ft 25 ft private roads or property lines**
- Sec. 3.5, Dimensional Requirements (VR1, VR2, R1, R2), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 22
20 ft 30 ft 30 ft 30 ft public road*
- Sec. 3.5, Dimensional Requirements (SR1, SR2, SR3, SR5, VR3), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 23
public road* 50 ft 50 ft 50 ft 50 ft 50 ft * see Note (c) private roads or property lines** 25 ft 25 ft 25 ft 25 ft
- Sec. 3.5, Dimensional Requirements (VR1, VR2, R1, R2), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 22
MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE 40% 40% 40% 40%
- Sec. 3.5, Note (h1), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 25
Structures outside the shoreland zone shall not exceed forty (40) feet.
- Sec. 3.5, Note (d), Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 25
In all districts restrictions on setback of structures from property lines may be varied or nullified by written agreement with the abutting property owner.
- Sec. 6C.8.3, Accessory structure for non-conforming lots, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 89
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 lot coverage and vegetation clearing limitations.
- Sec. 6C.8.4, Height, Land Use Zoning Ordinance, p. 90
Principal or accessory structures and expansions of existing structures which are permitted in the Resource Protection, Conservation, Shoreland Residential 1, 2, 3 and 5, and Stream Protection Districts, shall not exceed thirty- five (35) feet in height.