Do I need a permit for a shed in Mashpee, Massachusetts?
Every shed in Mashpee needs a Shed Zoning Compliance Form with a site plan, signed off by the Building Official; only sheds over 200 sq ft need a full building permit ($75). Sheds "not exceeding 120 square feet in floor area or twelve (12) feet in height" (the bylaw's wording) can sit 5 feet from side and rear lines; larger sheds must meet the R-3 and R-5 district setbacks of 40 feet front and 15 feet side and rear.
| All sheds | Shed Zoning Compliance Form + site plan [1] |
| Building permit | Only over 200 sq ft ($75 fee) [2] |
| Small sheds (bylaw: not over 120 sq ft in floor area or 12 ft in height) | 5 ft from side and rear lot lines [3] |
| Larger sheds, R-3/R-5 setbacks | 40 ft front, 15 ft side, 15 ft rear [4] |
| Front setback for any shed | 40 ft (district requirement) [5] |
| Max height (district) | 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft [4] |
| Fee, sheds 200 sq ft or less | None [5] |
| Max lot coverage (R-3/R-5, all buildings) | 20% [4] |
Paperwork by size
The Building Department's FAQ says sheds over 200 sq ft need a building permit and that all sheds require a zoning compliance form [1]. The form's instructions (rev. 9/24/25) set three tiers [5]:
- 120 sq ft and under: compliance form; front setback per the district, 5 ft from side and rear lines; no fee.
- Over 120 up to 200 sq ft: compliance form; full district setbacks (40 ft front, 15 ft sides and rear); no fee.
- Over 200 sq ft: regular building permit, district setbacks, $75 fee [2].
You attach a site plan showing where the shed goes, with dimensions, and the Building Official signs off.
Zoning setbacks
In the R-3 and R-5 residential districts the Land Space Requirements Table sets building setbacks of 40 ft front, 15 ft rear and 15 ft side, with a 2 1/2-story, 35-ft height limit and 20% maximum lot coverage [4]. (The quoted R-3 row reads, in column order: 40,000 sq ft minimum lot, 150 ft frontage, 40 ft front, 15 ft rear, 15 ft side, 2 1/2 stories, 35 ft, and 20% coverage; the trailing "5" in "205" is a footnote mark.) Those requirements apply to accessory uses too [6]. Footnote 23 cuts the side and rear setback to 5 ft for sheds or similar non-inhabitable structures "not exceeding 120 square feet in floor area or twelve (12) feet in height" [3]. The bylaw says "or", which can be read more than one way, and the shed form uses only the 120-sq-ft size test, so ask the Building Department before relying on the height part. On corner lots, the front setback applies to each street. The 20-ft separation required between buildings on a lot doesn't apply to tool sheds, garages, greenhouses or cabanas [7]. A shed also counts toward the 20% lot coverage limit.
Wetlands and flood zones
The form has flood-zone, wetlands and Conservation sign-off fields, and the instructions say to check with the Board of Health and Conservation Department if the shed is within wetland resource areas. The Conservation Commission says small projects such as sheds 50 ft or more from wetland resources may be filed as a Request for Determination of Applicability [8]. In the Historic District, a shed visible from a public way also needs a Historic District Commission certificate.
See how Mashpee compares with 8+ other Massachusetts towns on sheds & accessory buildings →
Next steps
- Draw a site plan showing the shed's location and distances to every lot line.
- If you're near a wetland, pond, the shore or in a flood zone, get Conservation (and Board of Health) sign-off first.
- Submit the Shed Zoning Compliance Form (Building Department, 16 Great Neck Road North, 508-539-1406) for the Building Official's signature.
- For a shed over 200 sq ft, apply for a building permit in PermitEyes instead and pay the $75 fee.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Mashpee, Massachusetts?
- Every shed needs a Shed Zoning Compliance Form with a site plan, signed off by the Building Official. Only sheds over 200 sq ft need a full building permit, with a $75 fee; smaller sheds have no fee.
- What is the biggest shed without a permit in Mashpee, MA?
- A shed of 200 sq ft or less needs no building permit, but it still needs the Shed Zoning Compliance Form. Over 200 sq ft requires a regular building permit.
- How close to the property line can a shed be in Mashpee, Massachusetts?
- Sheds "not exceeding 120 square feet in floor area or twelve (12) feet in height" (the bylaw's wording) can sit 5 feet from side and rear lines; ask the Building Department how it reads that wording. Larger sheds must meet the R-3 and R-5 setbacks of 40 feet front and 15 feet side and rear.
- Do I need Conservation approval for a shed in Mashpee, Massachusetts?
- If you're near a wetland, pond or the shore or in a flood zone, get Conservation and Board of Health sign-off first. Small projects such as sheds 50 feet or more from wetland resources may use a Request for Determination of Applicability.
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
- When is a permit necessary?, Building Department FAQs (when a permit is needed; inspections; permit validity)
Sheds over 200 square feet (Note: all sheds require a zoning compliance form)
- Building Permit Fees (effective 2/11/2026), Building Permit Fees (effective 2/11/2026), p. 1
Sheds $75 over 200 Sq. Ft.
- §174-31 Land Space Requirements Table, footnote 23, Zoning Bylaws of the Town of Mashpee, Chapter 174 (2026 edition, updated as of the May 4, 2026 Annual Town Meeting), p. 62
Minimum required setback from rear or side property lines shall be five (5) feet for sheds or similarly non-inhabitable structures not exceeding 120 square feet in floor area or twelve (12) feet in height.
- §174-31 Land Space Requirements Table, R-3 row, Zoning Bylaws of the Town of Mashpee, Chapter 174 (2026 edition, updated as of the May 4, 2026 Annual Town Meeting), p. 60
R-3 40,000 150 40 15 15 2 1/2 35 205
- Shed Compliance Instructions (Rev. 9/24/25), Shed Zoning Compliance Form and instructions (rev. 9/24/25), p. 2
120 sq. ft. up to 200 sq. ft. complete a zoning compliance form. Confirm shed meets the zoning district setbacks for the area, (i.e. 40 ft. from front property line, 15 ft. from both sides and rear.) NO fee.
- §174-31 Land Space Requirements Table, footnote 10, Zoning Bylaws of the Town of Mashpee, Chapter 174 (2026 edition, updated as of the May 4, 2026 Annual Town Meeting), p. 60
All land space requirements shall apply to accessory uses.
- §174-30 Distance between Accessory Structures, Zoning Bylaws of the Town of Mashpee, Chapter 174 (2026 edition, updated as of the May 4, 2026 Annual Town Meeting), p. 59
If more than one (1) building (other than a one (1), two (2)- or three (3) car garage, a tool shed, a greenhouse or a cabana) may lawfully be placed on any lot in a single or common ownership, the distance between the nearest parts of such buildings shall be not less than twenty (20’) feet.
- When to file, Conservation Commission FAQs (when to file)
For small projects 50 feet and greater away from wetland resources a Request for Determination of Applicability may be filed. Examples of small projects that may fall under this category could be the construction of decks, sheds, and native landscaping.