Do I need a permit for a shed in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
Yes. A detached shed of 100 sq ft or less doesn't have to meet Wellesley's side and rear yard setbacks, but a larger one must: typically 20 ft from side lines and 10 to 40 ft from the rear line, depending on your district and when the lot was created. Under the state building code, sheds over 200 sq ft also need a building permit.
| Side/rear setback threshold | Setbacks apply to accessory buildings over 100 sq ft [1] |
| Side yard setback (most residential lots) | 20 ft (30-40 ft in 30,000-40,000 sq ft districts on lots created after April 8, 1997) [3] |
| Rear yard setback (lots created on or before Jan 24, 1985) | 10 ft (10,000 sq ft district) to 20 ft (20,000+ sq ft districts) [2] |
| Rear yard setback (lots created on or after April 8, 1997) | 18 ft (10,000 sq ft) to 40 ft (40,000 sq ft) [3] |
| Distance from public park or playground land | 10 ft for any building or structure [4] |
| Flood Plain District | Town permit required to place a shed [5] |
These rules come from Wellesley's Zoning Bylaw as amended through the 2025 Annual Town Meeting; any later amendments aren't reflected, so confirm with the Building Department.
Setbacks
Under Zoning Bylaw Section 5.3, the side and rear yard requirements apply to all accessory buildings over 100 sq ft; an accessory building means a detached subordinate building on the same lot as the main house, used for something incidental to it [1]. So a shed of 100 sq ft or less can sit closer to side and rear lot lines. Front yard rules aren't waived, so keep sheds out of the front yard setback (30 to 40 ft depending on district and lot date; Table 3 columns run 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 30,000 and 40,000 sq ft districts) [3].
Which table applies depends on when your lot was recorded. For older lots (recorded on or before January 24, 1985), the side yard is 20 ft in every district and the rear yard is 10 ft in 10,000 sq ft districts, 15 ft in 15,000 sq ft districts and 20 ft in larger districts [2]. For lots recorded on or after April 8, 1997, side yards are 20 ft in the 10,000-20,000 sq ft districts, 30 ft in the 30,000 sq ft district and 40 ft in the 40,000 sq ft district; rear yards run from 18 ft to 40 ft [3]. Most lots recorded between January 24, 1985 and April 8, 1997 use Table 2, which has the same side (20 ft) and rear (10-20 ft) setbacks as Table 1. In 10,000 and 15,000 sq ft districts, where your rear yard abuts a neighbor's side yard, the rear setback can't be less than the side setback.
Other limits
No building or structure may be placed within 10 ft of public land used as a park, playground or for recreation [4]. In the Flood Plain District, the town requires a permit for sheds and other development [5]. Wellesley's zoning sets no specific height or size cap for sheds; the general height limit for any building or structure is 45 ft or three stories [6]. A Historic District or Neighborhood Conservation District may require design review.
Building permit
The Zoning Bylaw doesn't set a building permit threshold. Under the state building code, a one-story detached shed of 200 sq ft or less doesn't need a building permit, but it still must meet zoning.
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Next steps
- Find out your area regulation district (10,000-40,000 sq ft) on the Zoning Map and when your lot was recorded, to know which setback table applies.
- Keep sheds over 100 sq ft outside the side and rear yard setbacks, and keep any shed out of the front yard.
- If the shed is over 200 sq ft, or will have electrical work, apply for permits with the Building Department (781-431-1019).
- If you're near a wetland, stream or in the Flood Plain District, check with the Wetlands Protection Committee/Natural Resources Commission first.
Common questions
- Do I need a permit for a shed in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
- Under the state building code, sheds over 200 sq ft need a building permit. In the Flood Plain District, a town permit is required to place a shed.
- How far from the property line must a shed be in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
- A detached shed of 100 sq ft or less doesn't have to meet side and rear yard setbacks. A larger one must: typically 20 ft from side lines and 10 to 40 ft from the rear line, depending on your district and when the lot was created.
- How big can a shed be without setbacks in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
- Setbacks apply to accessory buildings over 100 sq ft.
- Can I put a shed near a public park in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
- Any building or structure must be 10 ft from public park or playground land.
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
- Zoning Bylaw Sec. 5.3.B, Zoning Bylaw (as amended through 2025 Annual Town Meeting), p. 140
The requirements for Side and Rear Yards shall apply to all accessory buildings over one hundred square feet in area. For purposes of this Section, an accessory building shall mean a detached subordinate building located on the same lot with the main building, the use of which is customarily incidental to that of the main building or to the use of the land.
- Zoning Bylaw Sec. 5.3.B, Table 1, Zoning Bylaw (as amended through 2025 Annual Town Meeting), p. 137
Minimum Side Yard Width 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. Minimum Rear Yard Depth 10 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft.
- Zoning Bylaw Sec. 5.3.B, Table 3, Zoning Bylaw (as amended through 2025 Annual Town Meeting), p. 139
Minimum Front Yard Depth (Street Setback) 30 ft.* 30 ft.* 35 ft.* 40 ft.* 40 ft.* Minimum Side Yard Width (Side Line Setback) 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft. Minimum Rear Yard Depth (Rear Line Setback) 18 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft.
- Zoning Bylaw Sec. 5.3.C, Zoning Bylaw (as amended through 2025 Annual Town Meeting), p. 141
No building or structure shall hereafter be erected or placed nearer than ten (10) feet to any public land held or in use for a park, playground or recreational purpose and no existing building or structure shall be so altered as to result in the said building or structure being nearer than ten (10) feet to such public land.
- Zoning Bylaw Sec. 3.7 Flood Plain District, Zoning Bylaw (as amended through 2025 Annual Town Meeting), p. 123
b. The Town requires a permit for all proposed construction or other development in the Flood Plain District, including new construction or changes to existing buildings, placement of manufactured homes, placement of agricultural facilities, fences, sheds, storage facilities or drilling, mining, and paving.
- Zoning Bylaw Sec. 5.4 Heights of Buildings or Structures, Zoning Bylaw (as amended through 2025 Annual Town Meeting), p. 142
No building or structure, except one for religious or non-residential municipal purposes, or excepting further, a building or structure in Limited Apartment Districts authorized by Section 2.6.3., shall be constructed, enlarged or altered so as to exceed a Height measured from the average original grade or finished grade, whichever is lower, of the land surrounding the exterior walls to the highest roofline, of forty-five (45) feet or three stories;