Sheds & Accessory Buildings

Residential Accessory Structures

Residential accessory structures commonly include garages, carports, tool sheds, storage sheds, and playhouses related to residential uses.

When is a permit required?

  • If the structure is attached to the residence.
  • If the structure is larger than 200 square feet.

What information will be necessary to complete an application for a permit?

  1. Street address
  2. Assessor's tax parcel number and legal description or subdivision name. This information can be obtained from the County Assessor's office or website
  3. Construction drawings, including:
    • Foundation plans
    • Floor plan
    • Cross section identifying construction material from the footings to the roof structure
  4. Two sets of site plans with the following information:
    • Scale used for drawings
    • North arrow
    • Location and dimension of all property lines
    • Location and dimension of any easements
    • Location of existing buildings and their distances from property lines
    • Location of new construction
    • Location of any on-site wells or septic systems

How much will my permit cost?

Building permit fees are based on the total new square footage of the building. For example, a new patio cover is valued at $16.25 per square foot. If the patio cover is 200 square feet, the building and plan review fees for this structure, based on the current city fee schedule, would be $177.69. These fees cover all of the plan review, processing, and all of the on-site inspections until the project is complete and final inspection is approved.

What inspections will be required?

It is the responsibility of the permittee to request the appropriate inspections when the work is ready. At a minimum, the following inspections are required by City Code:

  1. Footing/foundation
  2. Framing
  3. Final

Will the permit expire?

Work must start within 180 days, and each step must progress to the next inspection stage within 180 days of the previous inspection. You may request an extension from the Building Official.

Detached Garage Stick Frame Structures Packet