Shed Permit in San Antonio, TX
Permit Summary
Do You Need a Shed Permit?
Exemptions
A one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse, or similar use does not require a building permit when its floor area does not exceed 300 sq. ft. and it complies with the setback requirements in UDC Sec. 35-370(b). The exemption does not remove zoning, overlay, or other applicable site requirements. Altered shipping containers used as sheds or storage units require a permit.
Attached Shed Rules
The 300-sq.-ft. no-permit exemption applies only to detached accessory structures. An attached shed does not qualify for that exemption and must be reviewed under the applicable residential addition or building-permit path; the City's Residential Improvements application states that all additions require a permit.
Shed Use Rules
The no-permit pathway is for one-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses, and similar accessory uses. Storage sheds are recognized as typical residential accessory structures under the UDC. A structure intended as a dwelling is subject to the City's accessory-dwelling rules rather than the shed rules. Altered shipping containers used as sheds or storage units require a permit.
Zoning & Placement Rules
Zoning Rules
Accessory structures must comply with the applicable base zoning district and any overlay district. In single-family and mixed residential districts, accessory structures are limited to the side or rear yard, subject to the UDC's dimensional standards. An overlay district may prohibit an accessory use or impose additional design requirements. Zoning is reviewed as part of residential plan review when that review is required.
Setback Rules
For accessory structures exceeding 30 inches in height, UDC Sec. 35-370(b) generally requires at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines. In residential districts, the side or rear setback may be reduced to 3 feet when the structure has no sills, belt courses, cornices, buttresses, eaves, or similar projecting architectural features. Reverse-corner lots must meet the special side-street setback rule. The Residential Improvements application presents 5-foot side and 5-foot rear setbacks as the general shed standard.
Maximum Height Rules
Accessory structures must comply with the height limits of the applicable base zoning district and any overlay district. San Antonio does not publish one citywide maximum height specific to ordinary storage sheds in UDC Sec. 35-370. The simplified no-permit shed exemption is limited to one story, and projects greater than a single story require plan review.
Lot Coverage Rules
Under UDC Sec. 35-370(b), the maximum lot coverage of all accessory structures may not exceed 50% of the total area of the side and rear yards. In residential districts, the total floor area of accessory structures may not exceed 2,500 sq. ft., subject to any more specific district or overlay requirements.
Special Area Rules
A shed that is otherwise exempt from a building permit can still be subject to special-area requirements. Historic, Neighborhood Conservation, and Corridor districts may restrict design and materials. Projects in a FEMA floodplain may require a Floodplain Development Permit and elevation certificate. Properties in a historic district, River Improvement Overlay, at a historic landmark, on public property, or within the downtown district require Office of Historic Preservation approval under the City's residential permit instructions.
Construction Requirements
Foundation Rules
The shed exemption is stated by size, story, detachment, use, and setback compliance rather than by foundation type. For a permitted project using the Residential Improvements path, a Letter of Inspection Report from a licensed foundation engineer is required on file at project completion. For projects requiring full residential plan review, the foundation plan must be prepared by a licensed engineer.
Fire Separation Rules
San Antonio's current residential inspection bulletin reproduces IRC Table R302.1(1) for fire-separation distance. Exterior walls that are less than 5 feet from the property line require a 1-hour fire-resistance rating; non-fire-rated exterior walls require at least 5 feet. Projections are not allowed at less than 2 feet, require protection from 2 feet to less than 5 feet, and may be unprotected at 5 feet or more. Wall openings are not allowed at less than 3 feet, are limited to 25% of wall area at 3 feet, and are unlimited at 5 feet or more.
Permit & Review Path
Permit / Review Path
A qualifying one-story detached shed of 300 sq. ft. or less uses the no-building-permit path but must still comply with zoning and setbacks. A permitted one-story accessory structure up to 1,000 sq. ft. uses the Residential Improvements Permit path; the FY 2027 fee schedule states that finished projects in this size range do not require plan review. Projects over 1,000 sq. ft. or greater than one story require residential plan review and use the Residential Building Permit process. Development Services states that initial full plan review typically takes three business days.
Trade Permits & Professional Design
Trade Permit Rules
Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work requires separate trade permits. San Antonio treats accessory structures and residential improvements as non-combination permits, so applicable trade permits are obtained separately by the licensed professional or registered contractor and must be completed before the building final inspection.
Professional Design Rules
No professional design requirement is stated for a qualifying permit-exempt shed. For a permitted Residential Improvements project, a licensed foundation engineer's inspection letter is required at completion, and the field inspector may also require an engineer's framing report. For projects requiring full residential plan review, the foundation plan must be prepared and sealed by a licensed engineer.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Determine whether the shed qualifies for the one-story, detached, 300-sq.-ft.-or-less exemption; verify the property zoning and applicable overlays; comply with accessory-structure placement, setback, lot-coverage, and building-code requirements; and use the applicable residential permit path when a permit is required. Separate trade permits are required for electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work.
Required Documents
For the Residential Improvements Permit path, submit the current application and a site plan showing the lot, structures, property lines, setbacks, address, and zoning; homeowners may also need proof of ownership. Projects requiring full residential plan review must submit the required residential checklist materials, site plan, energy report, construction drawings, and a foundation plan prepared by a licensed engineer. Floodplain, historic, or other special-site reviews can require additional documents.