Shed Permit in Los Angeles, CA
Permit Summary
Do You Need a Shed Permit?
Exemptions
A Building Permit is not required under LAMC 91.101.5 for a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse, or similar use when its floor area is not greater than 120 square feet, it is outside Fire District No. 1, it contains no heating, plumbing, or electrical installation, and it is located as permitted by Chapter I of the LAMC. Failure to meet any of these conditions removes this exemption.
Attached Shed Rules
The 120-square-foot exemption in LAMC 91.101.5 applies only to detached accessory structures. A shed attached to a house or other building does not qualify for that exemption and is treated as permit-required construction, addition, or alteration as applicable.
Shed Use Rules
The 120-square-foot exemption is limited to one-story detached structures used as tool or storage sheds, playhouses, and similar uses. An accessory building may not be converted or maintained as living quarters or a dwelling unit unless it is brought into compliance with the regulations applicable to the proposed use and the required permits are obtained.
Zoning & Placement Rules
Zoning Rules
Zoning compliance applies even when the shed is exempt from a Building Permit. In A and R zones, non-animal accessory buildings are generally limited to the rear half of the lot, although they need not be more than 55 feet from the front lot line, and additional rules apply to corner lots, alleys, side yards, through lots, and separation from other buildings. The parcel's zone, Specific Plan, overlay, and other site controls must be checked because standards vary by property.
Setback Rules
LAMC 12.21 C.5 governs accessory-building location. In A and R zones, accessory buildings are generally required to be at least 10 feet from a main building or accessory living quarters; certain nonresidential accessory buildings may use a 5-foot separation where the code's adjacent-lot-line side-yard condition is also met. No accessory building may be within 10 feet of the centerline of an alley. Required front, side, and rear placement varies by zone and lot configuration, including corner and through lots.
Maximum Height Rules
There is no single citywide maximum shed height that applies to every parcel. LADBS states that building height is limited by the property's zoning designation and applicable building-code provisions, with the more restrictive standard controlling. Specific Plans, Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, subdivisions, and other site-specific rules may impose additional limits.
Lot Coverage Rules
Lot-coverage standards are zone-specific. In the R1 zone, lot coverage includes parcel area covered by structures extending more than 6 feet above grade, and the maximum permitted coverage varies by the applicable R1 variation and lot size. Other zones and overlays may use different coverage standards.
Special Area Rules
The small-shed exemption is unavailable in Fire District No. 1. Buildings and structures in the wildland-urban interface or a Fire Hazard Severity Zone are subject to the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code as adopted by Los Angeles. Hillside Area, Coastal Zone, Specific Plan, Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, subdivision, and other site-specific controls may add grading, access, siting, height, or clearance requirements.
Construction Requirements
Foundation Rules
LAMC 91.101.5 does not state a separate foundation-type condition for the 120-square-foot exemption. When a Building Permit is required, foundation design must comply with the applicable Los Angeles Residential or Building Code provisions and is reviewed with the project plans. Qualifying one-story accessory buildings may use Counter Plan Check when constructed in accordance with LADBS Type V sheet requirements.
Fire Separation Rules
A shed that requires a permit must comply with the current Los Angeles Residential or Building Code requirements for exterior walls, openings, projections, and separation based on its location relative to lot lines and nearby buildings. Fire District No. 1 and Fire Hazard Severity Zone conditions can add requirements; the 120-square-foot exemption is not available in Fire District No. 1.
Permit & Review Path
Permit / Review Path
No Building Permit is required when every condition of the LAMC 91.101.5 exemption is met. Otherwise, apply for a Building Permit. LADBS lists a qualifying one-story accessory building constructed in accordance with Type V sheet requirements as eligible for Counter Plan Check, which is reviewed the same day. Projects that do not qualify for the counter path use Regular Plan Check or another applicable LADBS review process. Online plan-check applications may be submitted through ePlanLA.
Trade Permits & Professional Design
Trade Permit Rules
The 120-square-foot exemption is available only when the shed contains no heating, plumbing, or electrical installation. Adding any of those systems removes that building-code exemption and may also require the applicable electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire-sprinkler, or other trade permits and inspections.
Professional Design Rules
A homeowner or agent may submit a plan-check application, so a licensed architect or engineer is not required solely to file the application. However, structural elements that exceed conventional or prescriptive construction limits, irregular or nonconforming designs, and other project-specific conditions can require engineered design, calculations, or stamped plans under the applicable Los Angeles Residential or Building Code.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Confirm that the property is within City of Los Angeles jurisdiction and verify its zoning and overlays. If the shed does not meet every condition of the small detached-accessory-structure exemption, obtain a Building Permit before construction. The shed must comply with applicable zoning placement, height, lot-coverage, fire, structural, and special-area rules, and any separate trade or grading permits and agency clearances triggered by the work.
Required Documents
For a shed that requires a Building Permit, submit a Building Permit application and plans sufficient for LADBS to verify the structure, site location, dimensions, setbacks, construction, and code compliance. A qualifying one-story accessory building may use LADBS Counter Plan Check when constructed in accordance with the applicable Type V sheet requirements. Site-specific conditions may require additional calculations, reports, or agency clearances.