Do I need a permit for a shed in Carlisle, Massachusetts?
Yes. Tool sheds are allowed accessory structures. In most of Carlisle (District B), buildings must be 40 feet from side and rear lines, but a shed under 180 sq ft and under 15 feet tall can go 10 feet from those lines if it's at least 100 feet from the street. Near the town center (District A) the figures are 20 feet, or 5 feet for small sheds set at least 40 feet from the street. Carlisle's older General Bylaw requires a building permit for almost any building, but the state building code exempts one-story sheds of 200 sq ft or less and may override it, so ask the Building Department whether yours needs one.
| Side/rear setback, District B | 40 ft; 10 ft if <180 sq ft, <15 ft tall and 100+ ft from street [3] |
| Side/rear setback, District A | 20 ft; 5 ft if <180 sq ft, <15 ft tall and 40+ ft from street [2] |
| Front setback | 40 ft from the street line [4] |
| Max lot coverage (all buildings) | 25% in Districts A and B [5] |
| Building permit | Required by bylaw except one-story poultry/farm buildings up to 12 x 15 ft [6] |
| Wetland/Flood Hazard District | Accessory structures up to 180 sq ft total as of right; more by special permit [7] |
Sheds are permitted accessory uses
Carlisle's Zoning Bylaw lists garages, greenhouses, tool sheds, playhouses and similar structures for domestic storage as accessory uses allowed as of right in the residential districts [1].
Setbacks depend on the district
General Residence District A covers the area within 1,500 feet of the Soldiers Monument in the town center; the rest of town is District B [8]. In District A, buildings must be 20 feet from side and rear lot lines, but a building under 180 square feet, under 15 feet tall and at least 40 feet from the street can sit 5 feet from those lines [2]. In District B, the standard side and rear setback is 40 feet, reduced to 10 feet for a building under 180 square feet and under 15 feet tall that is at least 100 feet from the street [3]. In both districts no building can be closer than 40 feet to the street [4], so a shed can't go in the front setback.
Size and height
All buildings on the lot together may cover no more than 25% of the lot in Districts A and B [5]. The general height limit is 2 1/2 stories and 40 feet, but the small-shed setback break only applies under 15 feet.
Permits
The General Bylaws say no building may be erected, moved or altered without a permit from the Building Commissioner, except a one-story building for poultry or other farm purposes no larger than 12 by 15 feet [6]. Note that the state building code exempts one-story storage sheds of 200 square feet or less from a building permit; the state code generally controls building-permit requirements, so confirm with the Building Department which rule it applies. Zoning setbacks apply either way.
Wetland and flood areas
In the Wetland/Flood Hazard District overlay, accessory structures not for human occupancy are allowed as of right only up to 180 square feet in aggregate [7]; larger ones need a Planning Board special permit. Work near wetlands also needs Conservation Commission review.
See how Carlisle compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on sheds & accessory buildings →
Next steps
- Confirm whether your lot is in District A (within 1,500 ft of the Soldiers Monument) or District B, and whether any part is in the Wetland/Flood Hazard District, using the Zoning District Map.
- Keep the shed under 180 sq ft and under 15 ft tall if you want the reduced side/rear setback, and keep it out of the 40-ft front setback.
- Ask the Building Department (978-369-6689) whether your shed needs a building permit; file the application at least 7 days before work if it does.
- If the shed will be within 100 ft of a wetland, stream or pond, contact the Conservation Commission first.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit to build a shed in Carlisle, Massachusetts?
- It depends. Carlisle's older General Bylaw requires a building permit for almost any building, but the state building code exempts one-story sheds of 200 sq ft or less and may override it. Ask the Building Department.
- How far from the property line does a shed have to be in Carlisle, Massachusetts?
- In most of town (District B), 40 feet from side and rear lines, but a shed under 180 sq ft and under 15 feet tall can go 10 feet from those lines if it's at least 100 feet from the street.
- What is the shed setback near the town center in Carlisle, Massachusetts?
- In District A, the side and rear setback is 20 feet, or 5 feet for small sheds set at least 40 feet from the street.
- How much of my lot can be covered by buildings in Carlisle, Massachusetts?
- The maximum lot coverage for all buildings is 25% in Districts A and B.
Massachusetts building code rules for sheds
The Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR, 10th edition) sets when a shed needs a building permit. Your town's zoning sets where it can go.
- No building permit needed for a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar, if the floor area is 200 sq ft or less (Residential Code R105.2).
- Bigger sheds, or any with more than one story, need a building permit from your local building department.
- Also exempt from a building permit: detached decks of 200 sq ft or less that are no more than 30 inches above grade, and greenhouses covered only in plastic film.
- The exemption covers only the building permit. Electrical, plumbing or gas work in the shed still needs its own permits, and the shed still has to meet local zoning (setbacks, lot coverage, height). Many towns set accessory-structure setbacks even for small sheds.
- Wetlands: putting a shed in a wetland resource area or within 100 feet of a wetland (or 200 feet of a river) may require Conservation Commission approval first, whatever its size.
The 10th edition took effect October 11, 2024 and has been the only code in force since July 1, 2025.
What the bylaw says
- Sec. 3.2.1.11.1, Zoning Bylaws (May 18, 2026), p. 9
3.2.1.11.1 Garage, stable, greenhouse, tool shed, play-house, tennis court, swimming pool or other similar building or structure for domestic storage or use.
- Sec. 4.3.1 Residence District A, Zoning Bylaws (May 18, 2026), p. 24
No building shall be erected or altered in General Residence District A so as to extend nearer to any side or rear lot line of its lot than twenty (20) feet, except that a building having a floor area of less than one hundred eighty (180) square feet, a height of less than fifteen (15) feet and a setback from the street of at least forty (40) feet may be constructed not less than five (5) feet from said lines.
- Sec. 4.3.2 Residence District B and M, Zoning Bylaws (May 18, 2026), p. 24
No building shall be erected or altered in General Residence Districts B and M so as to extend nearer to any side or rear lot line of its lot than forty (40) feet, except that a building have a floor area of less than one hundred eighty (180) square feet, a height of less than fifteen (15) feet and a setback from the street of at least one hundred (100) feet may be constructed not less than ten (10) feet from said lines.
- Sec. 4.2.1 Building Setback, Zoning Bylaws (May 18, 2026), p. 23
No building shall be erected or altered so as to extend nearer to the line of any street or nearer to its front lot line, where different, than forty (40) feet in General Residence A or B Districts or Residence District M, or twenty (20) feet in a Business District;
- Sec. 4.4 Lot Coverage, Zoning Bylaws (May 18, 2026), p. 24
No building shall be erected to cover, together with all other buildings on the lot, more than twenty-five per cent (25%) of the total area of the lot if in General Residence A or B Districts,
- Art. IV, Sec. 4.1, General Bylaws (August 26, 2026), p. 23
No building within the limits of the town, other than a one-story building for poultry or other farm purposes having a floor area of not more than twelve (12) by fifteen (15) feet, shall be erected, razed, moved, added to or altered in any way, nor the roof thereof reshingled or repapered, until the commissioner shall have issued a permit therefor.
- Sec. 5.2.4.4.2, Zoning Bylaws (May 18, 2026), p. 32
5.2.4.4.2 Accessory structures not for human occupancy as permitted in the underlying district, provided these do not cover more than one hundred and eighty (180) square feet in the aggregate.
- Sec. 2.3.4, Zoning Bylaws (May 18, 2026), p. 7
The boundary between the General Residence District A and the General Residence District B shall be a line drawn in a circle with a radius of fifteen hundred (1500) feet from the Soldiers Monument in the center of the Town.