Freedom Room · Free Planning Tool

Do I need a permit for my backyard structure?

A free guide to sorting out your own permit. Pick the size you're considering and you'll get the permits that usually apply, what the fees typically run, what your construction and site plans have to show, and the exact questions to put to your building department.

Everything above is the general pattern. Only your building department can tell you what applies to your lot, and that call is free, takes about fifteen minutes, and is worth making before you order anything.

1. 01
   Find the right office

   First, work out if you're inside city limits. If you are, the city handles your permit. If you're outside them, what's called unincorporated county, the county does, and the rules are usually looser. Not sure which you are? Your property tax bill lists every authority that taxes you, and a city will be on it if you're inside one. Your county's property search will tell you too.

   Then find their website. Search for your city or county name plus building permit. Two things to watch for:

   • Look for a .gov address. The first few search results are often private companies selling permit help. They are not the building department. The real one almost always ends in .gov, occasionally .us.
   • The office goes by different names. Depending on where you live it may be called Building Department, Development Services, Planning and Zoning, the Permit Center, or Community Development. Any of those is the right door.

   Once you're on their site, look for a page called Residential Permits, Accessory Structures, Sheds, or sometimes just "Do I Need a Permit?" A lot of departments have that exact page, and it may answer everything before you have to ask. Grab the permit desk's email address while you're there.

   If the website defeats you, call the main city or county number and ask for the building permit office or plan review. Ask for an email address rather than trying to get your answer on the phone.

2. 02
   Send them this email

   Put it in writing rather than asking over the phone. A yes from whoever answers is worth nothing if an inspector disagrees a year later, but an email you can forward is worth a great deal. Copy the text below, fill in the blanks, and send it.

   Copy and send Copy email

   Subject: Permit question for a backyard building at [your address]

   Hello,

   I'm a homeowner at [your address] and I'm looking at putting a detached building in my backyard, roughly [size] square feet. Before I buy anything I'd like to understand what your requirements are. Could you help me with these questions?

   1. How big can a detached backyard building be before it needs a building permit?
   2. How far does it have to sit from my back and side property lines?
   3. Is there a limit on how much of my lot can be covered by buildings and paving? If so, how do I work out where I stand right now?
   4. Does the answer to any of the above change if I add electricity, plumbing, or heating and air conditioning?
   5. If I do need a permit, roughly what does it cost and how long does approval usually take?
   6. What drawings or documents would you need from me?

   Thank you for your time.

   [your name]
   [your phone number]

   Keep their reply. If a contractor, an inspector or a future buyer ever questions the building, that email is your evidence you did it properly.

3. 03
   Check your HOA separately

   Your HOA is a completely separate approval and is frequently stricter than the city. It can reject something the city would permit, and it does not find out from them, you have to ask. Look for the architectural review or ACC process in your covenants.

4. 04
   Track down a plot plan of your lot

   Three places to look, cheapest first: the survey from your mortgage closing packet, your county's online GIS parcel viewer, or the recorded plat map at the county clerk. Any of these gives you accurate property lines to measure from. A new boundary survey, usually $400 to $900, is only necessary for the larger tiers.

5. 05
   Ask the manufacturer for their engineering

   This is the step most people miss. Manufacturers of quality structures typically hold wind and snow load letters, foundation and anchoring details, and sometimes stamped structural drawings prepared specifically for permit submittal. Request them before you buy. If a manufacturer has nothing, that tells you something about the structure.

6. 06
   If you need a stamped set, hire locally

   Above roughly 400 sq ft most jurisdictions require drawings sealed by a licensed engineer or architect. A local residential drafter or structural engineer who already knows your building department is faster and cheaper than a national service, and they will catch local amendments a template never would.