Single Family Residential Sheds

Shed buildings used for storage of bicycles, lawn equipment or other residential items are permitted on a single-family property, subject to meeting certain zoning requirements limiting their size and location as outlined below.  

Building Permit Required

To ensure that a shed meets zoning and building requirements, a building permit is required for any shed.  A building permit application form can be found here.

Zoning Requirements

Setback Requirements:  Each zoning district has minimum requirements for how far a structure must be setback from a property line.  Setback requirements vary by the size and shape of the lot, the zoning district, and whether it is a corner lot, interior lot, or through lot.

• Sheds are not permitted in a required front yard.  
• Sheds may not be placed nearer the street line than the house, except on a through lot.  On a through lot, the shed must still meet the front setback requirement. (Note: A through lot is a lot having two opposite lot lines along two more or less parallel streets, or along one street and Lake Michigan or some other body of water, and which is not a corner lot.)
• Sheds are not permitted in a required side yard, except when wholly located within the rear 25% of the lot. Sheds located in the rear 25% of a lot’s depth are allowed a reduced side yard setback of 2 feet (R5, R4, R3 Zoning Districts) or 3 feet (R2, R1 Zoning Districts).  Note: per the building code, if a shed is within 5 feet of a lot line, the walls must be fire-rated; if the walls are not fire rated the shed must be setback at least 5 feet from the lot line.   
• Sheds are generally allowed in the required rear yard area of a residential property, subject to meeting a minimum setback distance of 2 feet (R5, R4, R3 Zoning Districts) or 3 feet (R2, R1 Zoning Districts). However, if your rear yard abuts a neighboring property’s side yard, you will need to provide an increased rear yard of either 6 or 12 feet.
• Important Note:  Building Code standards intended to prevent spread of fire require that shed buildings less than 5 feet from a property line be constructed with materials that slow the spread of fire and as such may require use of gypsum wallboard, cement board siding, or similar materials.
• Contact the Community Development at 847-716-3587 or via email for help determining what the required setbacks are for your property.  If possible, please have your plat of survey available.

Maximum Height: Sheds are permitted up to 7 feet in height from the lowest adjacent grade to the highest point of the roof.

Floor Area Requirements: Sheds are counted towards the maximum floor area allowed on a lot, except the first 64 square feet of floor area of a shed shall be excluded if the shed is wholly located in the rear quarter of the lot provided this allowance has not already been utilized for a different shed or playhouse on the lot.  The maximum permitted floor area varies by lot size.

Impermeable Lot Coverage Requirements: Sheds are included when determining compliance with the maximum impermeable lot coverage requirement for all impermeable surfaces on a lot.  The maximum amount varies by lot size.

Roofed Lot Coverage: Sheds are included when determining compliance with the maximum roofed lot coverage for all roofed structures on the lot. The maximum permitted roofed lot coverage varies by lot size.