In many places the code sets the distance from your property lines rather than from your house, and 3 feet to a side or rear line is a figure that recurs. A minimum distance between a shed and a house, where one applies at all, is usually a separate fire-separation question. Both are decided locally.
That is the whole shape of this question, and it is why a single number found online is usually the wrong number. Your city or county writes the rule, and the rules below show how differently they write it.
What is usually regulated, and what usually is not
Four different things get confused under one question:
- Setback from the property line. The most commonly regulated distance. Often a few feet, sometimes zero against an alley.
- Distance from your own house. Frequently not regulated at all for a small detached shed, but it can be, usually as fire separation.
- Lot coverage. How much of the yard accessory buildings may occupy, regardless of distance.
- Height. Often tied to the setback, so a taller shed must sit farther back.
A shed can satisfy the setback and still fail on coverage or height. They are separate tests.
Five real rules, and how differently they work
Published rules, checked October 17, 2026. These are examples of rule shapes, not a list to pick from.
| Jurisdiction | How the rule works | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Maricopa County, AZ | A fixed distance. Detached accessory buildings may be in the required rear or side yard but no nearer than 3 feet to any side or rear lot line, and may not occupy more than 30 percent of the required yard. | | Phoenix, AZ | A fixed distance with an exception. Minimum 3 feet from a rear or side property line, and no setback where the lot borders a fully dedicated alley. | | Fairfax County, VA | Tied to height. Up to 8.5 feet tall may go anywhere in the side or rear yard; 8.5 to 12 feet must be at least 5 feet from side and rear lines; over 12 feet must be set back from the rear line by a distance equal to its height. | | Portland, OR | Caps the structure instead of the distance. A structure in the setback is limited to a 24 by 24 foot footprint, 15 feet of height, and no more than 24 feet of combined length along each property line. | | Seattle, WA | Needs your neighbor. To place a structure closer to a side or rear lot line than the standard setback allows, you need a written, recorded agreement with the adjoining owner, and it binds later owners of that lot. Separate allowances exist for a detached garage or carport near an alley, so check whether your case falls under those before assuming you need an agreement. |
No single figure survives that list
Look at what just happened. One jurisdiction gives you a number. One gives you a number with an alley exception. One makes the number depend on how tall you build. One stops regulating distance and regulates the building instead. One makes it your neighbor's decision.
Three feet appears twice in that list and means something different each time.
How to find your own rule
- Find your jurisdiction. Not your mailing city — the authority that issues permits for your parcel. Unincorporated addresses are governed by the county.
- Find your zoning district. Most jurisdictions publish a parcel lookup or GIS map. The rule depends on the district, not the city.
- Search the code for "accessory structure" rather than "shed". That is the term codes use.
- Read the four tests separately — setback, distance from the dwelling, lot coverage, height.
- Call and confirm. Your local authority answers this question constantly, and the planning department is the one that decides it. Ask about easements on your parcel while you have them.
Easements and utilities are a separate stop
A setback you satisfy does not clear a utility easement. Easements are recorded on your plat, they are often along the rear or side of the lot, and building on one can mean removing the shed at your own cost later. Call 811 before any digging for a base, anchors, or posts.
This page does not establish where your easements are. Your plat and your utility locate do.
What the measured rectangle can tell you
Once you know your setback, the geometry is simple: subtract it from each affected side of the area you measured, and plan the shed inside what is left. That is a subtraction you can do before you ever call the city, and it often answers the question on its own — a footprint that does not fit the yard with setbacks applied does not need a code lookup.
Questions people ask at this step
How far does a shed have to be from the house?
In many places, nothing in the zoning code sets that distance for a small detached shed — the regulated distance is to the property line. Where a separation from the dwelling does apply it usually comes from fire or building code rather than zoning, and it depends on construction and size. Ask your building department specifically about separation from the dwelling, because it is a different question from the setback.
Can a shed go right on the property line?
Sometimes, and only where the code says so. Phoenix allows no setback where the lot borders a fully dedicated alley. Seattle allows a reduced setback only with a recorded agreement from the neighbor. Both are exceptions written into the local code, not general permission.
Edge cases worth asking about
Does the roof overhang count toward the setback?
It can, and that catches people. Some codes measure to the wall and some to the farthest projection. Ask which your jurisdiction uses before you position a shed near the limit, and get the overhang dimension from the seller rather than estimating it.
What happens if a shed is already too close?
That is a question for your jurisdiction, not for this page. Outcomes range from a variance application to relocation, and they depend on local process and how the structure was built. Talk to the planning department before anyone else.
Carry this into the rest of the decision
Setbacks shrink the usable rectangle, which changes which footprints are even candidates. Will a shed fit in my yard runs that comparison on your numbers, choose a practical shed size works back from what has to fit inside, and do I need a permit for a shed covers the size thresholds that sit alongside these distances.