Shed Permit in Austin, TX
Permit Summary
Do You Need a Shed Permit?
Exemptions
A building permit is not required for a one-story detached accessory structure that is no more than 200 square feet in floor area, no more than 15 feet high, does not create a dwelling, contains no plumbing, and is not located within a flood hazard area. Permit-exempt work must still comply with applicable building codes, City Codes, and other ordinances.
Attached Shed Rules
The work-exempt provision applies only to a detached accessory structure. An attached shed is treated as an addition rather than qualifying for the detached-accessory-structure exemption and must follow the applicable residential addition permit and code requirements.
Shed Use Rules
The permit exemption does not apply if the structure creates a dwelling or contains plumbing. Austin's structural-submittal rules also provide a separate drawing exemption for certain detached, single-story garages, tool or storage sheds, playhouses, and similar structures up to 500 square feet only when they contain no habitable space and no plumbing; that drawing exemption is not a building-permit exemption.
Zoning & Placement Rules
Zoning Rules
All sheds, including work that is exempt from a building permit, must comply with applicable City Code and zoning rules. Permit-required residential sheds are reviewed for compliance with Land Development Code Chapter 25-2; applicable development standards depend on the property's zoning district, overlays, and site conditions.
Setback Rules
Setbacks depend on the property's residential zoning classification and site-specific conditions. Austin directs applicants to Land Development Code Section 25-2-492 for setbacks by zoning classification and Section 25-2-513 for limited permitted setback encroachments; there is no single citywide shed setback that applies to every residential lot.
Maximum Height Rules
The 15-foot limit is the height condition for the building-permit exemption, not a universal maximum shed height. A permit-required shed must comply with the height and site-development standards applicable to the property's zoning district and overlays.
Lot Coverage Rules
A shed must comply with applicable building-coverage, impervious-cover, and floor-area rules for the property. Austin's residential zoning review requires project square footage and site-development calculations; in areas subject to Subchapter F, enclosed storage and shed areas can be included in gross-floor-area calculations. Applicable limits depend on zoning and overlays.
Special Area Rules
A shed located within a flood hazard area cannot use the residential accessory-structure building-permit exemption. Austin also requires additional residential reviews in specified site conditions, including floodplain proximity, Wildland-Urban Interface areas, certain historic properties or districts, erosion hazard areas, tree-review triggers, and other applicable overlays or constraints.
Construction Requirements
Foundation Rules
When structural plans are required, Austin requires foundation details that demonstrate compliance with the adopted Residential Code. Foundation plans and details for private dwellings and accessory structures on expansive soils must be designed and sealed by a Texas Registered Engineer. Austin's structural-drawing exemption for qualifying detached single-story accessory structures up to 500 square feet is separate from the 200-square-foot building-permit exemption.
Fire Separation Rules
Permit-required sheds must comply with the adopted 2024 Residential Code fire-separation requirements and Austin local amendments. The exact wall, opening, projection, and separation requirements depend on the structure's location relative to lot lines and other buildings and are addressed through technical review when applicable.
Permit & Review Path
Permit / Review Path
If the shed satisfies every condition in the residential work-exempt provision, no building permit application is required, although zoning and other code requirements still apply. Otherwise, a shed is submitted through Austin's New Construction or Addition Building Permit web form. The standard process is application intake, invoicing and payment, plan review, correction cycles if needed, permit creation and activation, and inspections.
Trade Permits & Professional Design
Trade Permit Rules
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and other trade permits are separate from the building permit and may be required when that work is included. Plumbing in the shed specifically makes the structure ineligible for the residential accessory-structure building-permit exemption. For permit-required residential projects, applicable trade permits are coordinated with the building permit process.
Professional Design Rules
Austin allows residential drawings to be hand-drawn if they are legible, to scale, and contain the required information, so a design professional is not required for every shed. Professional design is required for specified structural conditions: for example, foundation plans on expansive soils must be sealed by a Texas Registered Engineer, and sealed engineering or architectural drawings are required for certain non-prescriptive framing, multi-story accessory structures, unsupported spans over 24 feet, and pre-engineered systems or members.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
First determine whether the shed qualifies for Austin's residential work-exempt provision. A non-exempt shed must use the residential New Construction or Addition permit path, comply with applicable zoning and the adopted 2024 Residential Code and local amendments, submit the required plans and supporting documents, pay applicable fees, activate issued permits, and complete required inspections. New structures may also trigger Austin Energy building-service planning and other site-specific reviews.
Required Documents
For a permit-required shed, submittal requirements depend on scope. Austin's residential process requires the appropriate application and plans/exhibits needed for review; typical materials include a scaled plot/site plan showing the property and proposed structure, floor plan, exterior elevations with height information, and foundation/framing/structural details when required. Site-specific reviews may require additional floodplain, tree, utility, WUI/fire, septic, drainage, or other supporting documents.