Do I need a permit for a shed in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
In Duxbury's main residential district, a shed is an accessory structure. It must be at least 15 feet from side and rear lot lines and meet the same front setback as the house: 25 feet from the street line, or 45 feet from the centerline of a narrow road. The zoning bylaw says no structure may be built without a permit from the Zoning Enforcement Officer, so check with the Building Department even for a small shed.
| Side and rear setback | 15 feet [4] |
| Front setback | 25 ft from right-of-way (ways 40+ ft wide); 45 ft from centerline on narrower ways [3] |
| Separation from other buildings | At least the shed's height [5] |
| Max building coverage | 15% of lot, sheds included [6] |
| Wetlands exemption | Sheds up to 192 sq ft on open piles, 50+ ft from bordering vegetated wetland, need no wetlands permit [8] |
These rules come from Duxbury's zoning bylaw as compiled through the June 2025 Special Town Meeting; later Town Meetings may have changed them.
Sheds count as accessory structures
Duxbury's zoning bylaw lists sheds as accessory structures [1]. In the Residential Compatibility District, the town's main residential zone, the same setback rules apply to sheds as to the house.
Setbacks
- Side and rear: at least 15 feet from any side or rear lot line [4].
- Front: at least 25 feet from the right-of-way where the street is 40 or more feet wide. On narrower ways, at least 45 feet from the road's centerline [3]. Front setbacks apply to accessory structures [9], so a shed can't sit in the front setback area. On a corner lot, the front setback applies along both streets.
Height, spacing and coverage
The bylaw sets no separate height limit for accessory structures; houses are capped at 30 feet. A detached structure must be at least as far from any other building as it is tall [5]. A 10-foot-tall shed needs 10 feet of clearance from the house. Building coverage, sheds included [7], can't exceed 15% of the lot. The Board of Appeals can allow a little more on lots under 20,000 sq ft [6].
Permits
The zoning bylaw says no building or structure may be built or relocated without a building permit from the Zoning Enforcement Officer [2]. A plot plan normally comes with the application. The State Building Code exempts one-story sheds of 200 sq ft or less from a building permit (see state rules on this page). Ask the Building Department how Duxbury applies its own rule to small sheds.
Near wetlands
The Conservation Commission's regulations don't require a wetlands permit for a shed up to 192 sq ft on an open-pile foundation, if it is at least 50 feet from a bordering vegetated wetland and meets the other regulations [8]. Closer or larger sheds need Commission review. The regulations we reviewed are dated August 2022, and a June 2023 revision exists that we could not obtain. Sheds in the flood hazard district also need a permit.
See how Duxbury compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on sheds & accessory buildings →
Next steps
- Ask the Building Department (781-934-1100 ext. 6002) whether your shed needs a building permit or zoning sign-off; bring a plot plan showing lot lines and the shed location.
- Site the shed at least 15 ft from side and rear lines, behind the front setback, and at least its own height from other buildings.
- If the shed is within 100 ft of a wetland, bank or the water, contact the Conservation Commission before building.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
- It depends. The zoning bylaw says no structure may be built without a permit from the Zoning Enforcement Officer, so check with the Building Department even for a small shed.
- How far from the property line must a shed be in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
- At least 15 feet from side and rear lot lines, and the same front setback as the house: 25 feet from the street line, or 45 feet from the centerline of a narrow road.
- Do I need a wetlands permit for a shed in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
- Not for a shed up to 192 sq ft on open piles that is 50+ feet from bordering vegetated wetland. Otherwise contact the Conservation Commission.
- How much of my lot can sheds and buildings cover in Duxbury, Massachusetts?
- Building coverage, sheds included, is capped at 15% of the lot.
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. 302 (Definitions, Accessory Structure), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 11
A structure, such as, but not limited to, a detached garage, shed, swimming pool, tennis court, pier, greenhouse, or a structure with finished living space that is not a “dwelling unit,” located on the same lot with and accommodating a use accessory to the principal structure or use of the lot, except a pier may be located on a lot adjacent to the principal structure.
- Sec. 401.5, Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 23
No building or structure shall be used, constructed, relocated, added to or demolished without a building permit having been issued by the Zoning Enforcement Officer.
- Sec. 410.4 (Front Setback), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 53
Front Setback – In a Residential Compatibility District, where the way is forty (40) or more feet in width, no building, roadside stand, or accessory structure shall be erected or placed within twenty-five (25) feet of a right-of-way and if the way is less than forty (40) feet in width no building, roadside stand, or accessory structure shall be erected or placed within forty-five (45) feet from the center line of the way.
- Sec. 410.4 (Side and Rear Setbacks), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 54
Side and Rear Setbacks – In a Residential Compatibility District no dwelling or accessory structure, other than a swimming pool or tennis court shall be built within fifteen (15) feet of a side or rear lot line.
- Sec. 410.4 (Height), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 54
No detached structure or building shall be closer than its height to any other.
- Sec. 410.4 (Coverage), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 54
Coverage – In a Residential Compatibility District, building coverage as defined in Section 302 shall be no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the total area of the lot (as defined in Section 302 and not “Lot Area”), except that in the case of a lot having a total area of less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet the Board of Appeals by Special Permit may permit additional building coverage in an amount not greater than three percent (3%) of the difference between the total area of the lot and twenty thousand (20,000) square feet.
- Sec. 302 (Definitions, Coverage), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 13
Garages, barns, storage sheds or additions and alterations to the principal residential building occupying the lot shall not be exempt from the definition of building coverage.
- DWR 23.10 (Sheds), Duxbury Wetlands Regulations (Conservation Commission), revised 07/12/2022, approved 08/09/2022, p. 66
Sheds up to 192 square feet built on open-pile foundations and located 50 feet or more from the edge of Bordering Vegetated wetlands (BVW) do not require a permit under this Bylaw as long as all other sections of the regulations are met.
- Sec. 410.4 (Front Setback), Protective (Zoning) Bylaws, amended through June STM 2025, p. 54
Minimum front setbacks shall apply to swimming pools, tennis courts, and other accessory structures.