Do I need a permit for a shed in Natick, Massachusetts?
Sheds up to 200 sq ft don't need a building permit in Natick. A shed no larger than 10'x12' and 10 ft high can sit 6 feet from the side and rear lot lines in the RS and RG districts if it has no utilities. Larger sheds and other accessory buildings must be 10 feet from those lines and from other buildings. No shed may go in the front yard.
| Small shed (up to 10'x12'x10' high) | 6 ft from side and rear lot lines; no utilities (RSA, RSB, RSC, RG districts) [1] |
| Other accessory buildings | 10 ft from side and rear lot lines and from other buildings [2] |
| Front yard | No accessory building or structure in the required front yard [2] |
| Lot coverage | Accessory buildings count toward maximum building coverage [2] |
| Building permit (up to 200 sq ft) | Not required [6] |
| Building permit (over 200 sq ft) | Required; must be on a foundation [3] |
| Max height (small shed) | 10 ft from existing grade [1] |
| Near wetlands | No sheds in the 15-ft No Build Zone (25-40 ft from a resource area) [5] |
Where a shed can go
Natick's zoning bylaw (Sec. V-B.1) keeps every accessory building or structure out of the required front yard. Accessory buildings must be at least 10 feet from the side and rear lot lines and from any other building, and they count toward the lot's maximum building coverage [2].
There's an exception for small storage sheds. In the RSA, RSB, RSC and RG districts, a shed no larger than 10' x 12' and 10' high can sit as close as 6 feet to a side or rear lot line, as long as it isn't connected to utilities (Table IV-B footnote z) [1]. The Building Department's Sheds Guide adds that a shed this size must stay 10 feet from other structures and can be no taller than 10 feet from existing grade [4].
Do you need a permit?
The Building Department's Sheds Guide (undated, so confirm it's current) sets out three tiers:
- Up to 10' x 12': 6-ft side and rear setbacks, no building permit [6].
- Over 10' x 12', up to 200 sq ft: 10-ft side and rear setbacks and 10 ft from other structures, no building permit.
- Over 200 sq ft: treated as an accessory structure. It must be on a foundation, with 10-ft setbacks, and it needs a building permit through the town's OpenGov portal [3].
This matches the state building code's 200 sq ft exemption, and electrical work in a shed still needs its own permit (see the state section).
Near wetlands or in the floodplain
The Conservation Commission's rules (undated in the text) bar sheds in the 15-foot No Build Zone, which runs from 25 to 40 feet from a wetland or other resource area [5]. Any work within 100 feet of a resource area needs a Commission permit. Sheds in the Flood Plain District also fall under the floodplain overlay rules (Sec. III-A.3).
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Next steps
- Measure the shed's footprint and height, and check your zoning district (the 6-ft small-shed setback applies in RSA, RSB, RSC and RG).
- Mark the location: not in the front yard, 6 or 10 ft from the side and rear lines depending on size, and 10 ft from the house and other buildings.
- If the shed is over 200 sq ft, apply for a building permit at natickma.portal.opengov.com. Questions go to the Building Department, 508-647-6450.
- If the spot is within 100 ft of a wetland, pond or stream, contact the Conservation Commission first.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Natick, Massachusetts?
- Not for sheds up to 200 sq ft, according to the Building Department's undated Sheds Guide. A shed over 200 sq ft needs a building permit and must be on a foundation.
- How close to the property line can a shed be in Natick, MA?
- A shed no larger than 10'x12' and 10 ft high can sit 6 feet from side and rear lot lines in the RS and RG districts if it has no utilities. Larger sheds must be 10 feet from those lines and from other buildings.
- Can I put a shed in my front yard in Natick, Massachusetts?
- No. No accessory building or structure may go in the required front yard.
- Can I build a shed near a wetland in Natick, Massachusetts?
- Not in the 15-foot No Build Zone, which runs from 25 to 40 feet from a wetland or other resource area. Any work within 100 feet of a resource area needs a Conservation Commission permit.
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
- Table IV-B footnote z, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 158
A shed for storage as an accessory use to a residence no larger than 10’ x 12’ x 10’ high may be located at a distance less than the required setback, but no closer than six (6’) feet from a side or rear lot line in the RSA, RSB, RSC, and RG zoning districts, provided that such shed shall not be connected to utilities.
- Sec. V-B.1 Accessory Buildings, Zoning Bylaws (June 2026 edition, includes amendments through 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting), p. 163
No accessory building or structure shall be located within the required frontyard area. No accessory building shall be located in any sideyard area nearer to the side lot line than ten feet, or in a rearyard area nearer to the rear lot line than ten feet, or nearer to another principal or accessory building than ten feet. Accessory buildings are included within the maximum percent of building coverage.
- Sheds/Accessory Structures Guide, item 4, Building Department - Sheds/Accessory Structures Guide, p. 1
• A building permit is required.
- Sheds/Accessory Structures Guide, item 2, Building Department - Sheds/Accessory Structures Guide, p. 1
• Shed must be installed conforming to the setback requirements of a minimum of six (6) feet from the side and rear property lines and at least ten (10) feet from any other structure.
- Rules and Regulations, No Build Zone, Conservation Commission - Town of Natick Wetland Protection Bylaw Rules and Regulations, p. 9
This is an area where no structures are allowed to be placed or constructed. Prohibited structures include buildings, houses, barns, garages, and sheds.
- Sheds/Accessory Structures Guide, items 2-3, Building Department - Sheds/Accessory Structures Guide, p. 1
• No building permit is required.