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Do I need a permit for a shed in North Yarmouth, Maine?

North Yarmouth, Cumberland County · Ordinances checked 2026-10-01 · Reviewed · 9 cited sections

Allowed with a permit

A shed under 200 sq ft and under 15 ft tall needs no permit in North Yarmouth; anything bigger needs a Building/Land Use Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer. Every shed must still meet property-line setbacks: 50 ft front and 20 ft side and rear in Farm and Forest and the shoreland districts, 20/10/10 ft in Village Residential, and 10/10/5 ft in Village Center.

Permit exemptionUnder 200 sq ft and under 15 ft tall [1]
Larger accessory buildingsPermit from the same authority as the house (usually the Code Enforcement Officer) [2]
Setbacks, Farm and Forest / Residential Shoreland / Resource Protection (front/side/rear)50 / 20 / 20 ft [3]
Setbacks, Village Residential (front/side/rear)20 / 10 / 10 ft [4]
Setbacks, Village Center (front/side/rear)10 / 10 / 5 ft [8]
Max height (Village Residential, Farm and Forest)2.5 stories, no higher than 35 ft [3]
Shoreland water setback250 ft from the Royal River, Chandler Brook and East Branch; 150 ft from Deer, Toddy and Pratt's brooks, Knight's Pond and the Deer Brook wetland; 100 ft from tributary streams [5]
Overlay districtsCEO may permit accessory structures up to 600 sq ft [2]

When you need a permit

An accessory structure needs a permit from the same authority that would permit the main use, which for a single-family home is usually the Code Enforcement Officer [2]. The ordinance makes an exception for small sheds: no permit is required if a shed is under 200 sq ft in total area and under 15 ft tall [1]. In the Royal River Corridor and Groundwater Protection overlays, the Code Enforcement Officer can permit an accessory structure of up to 600 sq ft using Planning Board standards [2]. Even an exempt shed must meet setbacks.

Setbacks and height

Every structure in every district must meet the space and dimensional requirements of Table 7.2 [7], and the table doesn't give sheds or other accessory buildings smaller setbacks. The setback numbers are printed sideways in the PDF (so they look scrambled if you copy the text), but the table itself reads clearly. Minimum distances from property lines:

  • Farm and Forest, Residential Shoreland, Resource Protection: 50 ft front, 20 ft side, 20 ft rear [3]
  • Village Residential: 20 ft front, 10 ft side, 10 ft rear [4]
  • Village Center: 10 ft front, 10 ft side, 5 ft rear [8]

Maximum structure height is 2.5 stories and no more than 35 ft in Village Residential and Farm and Forest [3].

Near the water

In the Residential Shoreland and Resource Protection districts, new accessory structures must be set back 250 ft from the Royal River, Chandler Brook and the East Branch, 150 ft from the mapped sections of Deer, Toddy and Pratt's brooks, Knight's Pond and the Deer Brook wetland, and 100 ft from tributary streams [5]. Structures, parking and other non-vegetated surfaces can cover no more than 20% of the lot in those districts [6]. Structures are also prohibited in the FEMA 100-year floodplain there [9].

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Next steps

  1. Measure your planned shed: under 200 sq ft and under 15 ft tall needs no permit; otherwise apply for a Building/Land Use Permit.
  2. Confirm your zoning district with the Code Enforcement Office (207-829-3705 ext. 206) and site the shed outside that district's front, side and rear setbacks.
  3. For a permit, bring a scaled site plan showing the shed, lot lines, setbacks, well, septic and any water bodies or wetlands.
  4. If you're in a shoreland district, check the water setback and the 20% lot-coverage limit before choosing a location.

Common questions

Do I need a permit to build a shed in North Yarmouth, Maine?
Not for a small one. A shed under 200 sq ft and under 15 feet tall needs no permit. Anything bigger needs a Building/Land Use Permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.
How far from the property line does a shed have to be in North Yarmouth, Maine?
Even an exempt shed must meet setbacks: 50 feet front and 20 feet side and rear in Farm and Forest and the shoreland districts, 20/10/10 feet in Village Residential, and 10/10/5 feet in Village Center.
How tall can a shed be in North Yarmouth, Maine?
In Village Residential and Farm and Forest, structures can be 2.5 stories and no more than 35 feet high.
Are there extra shed rules near water in North Yarmouth, Maine?
Yes. In Residential Shoreland and Resource Protection, new accessory structures must be 250 feet from the Royal River, Chandler Brook and the East Branch, 150 feet from other mapped waters, and 100 feet from tributary streams.

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 North Yarmouth's published ordinances. Section numbers are as printed in the source.

  1. Sec. 7.4(C), Land Use Ordinance, p. 73
    No permit is required if a shed is less than 200 sq. ft. in total area and has a height less than 15 feet.
  2. Sec. 7.4(C), Land Use Ordinance, p. 73
    Any accessory structure or use shall require a permit from the same permitting authority as would be required for the principal use or structure in accordance with Table 7-1 except as follows: The Code Enforcement Officer may permit an accessory structure of up to 600 square feet in size in either the Royal River Corridor Overlay District or the Ground Water Protection Overlay District using the same criteria and standards as if the review were conducted by the Planning Board.
  3. Table 7.2, Space and Dimensional Requirements, Farm and Forest row. The setback cells are printed sideways and come out reversed in the text: in the PDF they read Front Min 50', Side Min 20', Rear Min 20' (same cells for Residential Shoreland and Resource Protection), Land Use Ordinance, p. 88
    Forest 5 feet residential unit per 3 net residential acres niM ’05 NIM ’02 NIM ’02 2.5 stories, no higher than 35 feet
  4. Table 7.2, Space and Dimensional Requirements, Village Residential row. The setback cells are printed sideways and come out reversed in the text: in the PDF they read Front Min 20', Side Min 10', Rear Min 10', Land Use Ordinance, p. 88
    net residential acre Min 100 feet niM ’02 NIM ’01 NIM ’01 2.5 stories, no higher than 35 feet
  5. Sec. 9.1(G)(1), Land Use Ordinance, p. 112
    All new principal and accessory structures shall be set back at least two hundred and fifty (250) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high-water line of the Royal River, Chandler Brook and the East Branch, except for structures, roads, parking spaces or other regulated objects specifically allowed in which case the setback requirement shall be one hundred (100) feet, horizontal distance from the normal high water line. All new principal and accessory structures shall be set back at least one hundred and fifty (150) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high- water line of the sections of Deer Brook, Toddy Brook, Pratt’s Brook and an unnamed tributary to Chandler Brook, at least one hundred and fifty (150) feet, horizontal distance, from the upland edge of Knight’s Pond and the Deer Brook wetland; and at least one hundred (100) feet, horizontal distance, from the normal high-water line of tributary streams.
  6. Sec. 9.1(G)(4), Land Use Ordinance, p. 113
    The total footprint of all structures, parking lots and other non-vegetated surfaces, within the these districts shall not exceed twenty (20) percent of the lot or a portion thereof, including land area previously developed.
  7. Sec. 7.6(A), Land Use Ordinance, p. 85
    All lots and structures in all districts shall comply with the following Space and Dimensional Requirements.
  8. Table 7.2, Space and Dimensional Requirements, Village Center row. The setback cells are printed sideways and come out reversed in the text: in the PDF they read Front MIN 10', Side MIN 10', Rear MIN 5', Land Use Ordinance, p. 88
    NIM ’01 NIM ’01 NIM ’5 3 stories, no higher than 50 feet
  9. Sec. 9.1(G)(3), Land Use Ordinance, p. 113
    Principal and accessory structures are prohibited within the 100-year floodplain as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This page summarizes North Yarmouth's posted ordinances as of 2026-10-01. Ordinances are amended, and individual lots can have overlays, subdivision covenants, or HOA rules that are stricter. Confirm with Code Enforcement Office (207-829-3705 ext. 206) before you build. Spot an error?