Your City’s Zoning & Shed Building Requirements Guide

Need a Permit For Your Shed?

We are the ONLY Shed company that helps take care of your permitting needs from start to finish.

Total accountability, no drama. All construction shall be done by our carefully selected and supervised team of full-time employees.

Assurance of working with a local licensed contractor with 1000’s of satisfied customers.

Peace of mind of our 10 Year Warranty backed by our 30-year reputation.

We’re here to help!

Find out the latest zoning and building requirements needed in your area below.

Chesapeake, Virginia

• Always requires a zoning permit and an attached accessory structure form.
• Building setbacks range from 6’ to 20’ feet from side property lines.
• Anything over 256 square feet requires a building permit from the city and a property survey.

Required Documents

Zoning: None
Building: Property Play
CBPA: Property Play

Virginia Beach, Virginia

• A zoning permit is not required for a shed under 256 square feet.
• Any shed under 150 square feet with an eve height less than 8’, the setbacks range from 5’ to 20’ feet from the side property lines and range 20’ to 30’ for front property lines.
• Any shed over 150 square feet, or that has an eve height of 8’ or more, has a 10’ to 20’ foot setback from your property lines.
• Anything over 256 square feet requires a building permit, and a property survey, and the building will need a 10’ to 20’ setback from your property lines.

Required Documents

Zoning: None
Building: Property Play
CBPA: Property Play

Norfolk, Virginia

• A zoning certificate is required for every shed. They work similarly to a permit, in that they list the setbacks and give approval for the shed.
• Generally, a shed less than 256 square feet can have a minimum of 3’ to 5’ side and rear setbacks from your property line, unless you’re on a corner lot then the side setbacks are 10’.
• If you’re located in the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, setbacks are different and must be approved by the environmental agency.
• Any shed over 256 square feet requires a building permit and a copy of the property survey. The setbacks for this size range from 6’ to 10’ from your property line.

Required Documents

Zoning: None
Building: Property Play
CBPA: Property Play

Portsmouth, Virginia

• A zoning certificate is required, which works similarly to a permit. A zoning certificate lists the property setbacks and gives approval for the shed. The setbacks are 5’ from the side property lines and 5’ from the rear property line. If you’re on a corner lot, the setbacks could be changed to 10’ from all property lines.
• A building permit is required for any structure over 256 square feet and the setbacks could range from 5’ to 15’ from the sides and rear property lines. A copy of the property survey is required.

Required Documents

Zoning: None
Building: Property Play
CBPA: Property Play

Hampton, Virginia

• A shed under 256 square feet does not require a zoning permit and property setbacks range from 3’ to 5’ depending on the lot.
• A permit is required for all structures if it’s in the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, or on a corner lot, and then the setbacks would then range from 5’ to 15’ from property lines.
• A building permit is always required for sheds over 256 square feet and a copy of the property survey is required. Setbacks range from 5’ to 20’ for side and rear property lines.

Required Documents

Zoning: None
Building: Property Play
CBPA: Property Play

Newport News, Virginia

• A zoning permit is required for all sheds and a property survey is required for a zoning permit. The setbacks range from 5’ to 10’ from your property lines depending on lot size.
• For sheds over 256 square feet, setbacks range from 5’ to 20’ for sides and rear property lines and your shed cannot be placed in an easement unless the customer has applied for a zoning appeal.

Required Documents

Zoning: Property Play
Building: Property Play
CBPA: Property Play

Suffolk, Virginia

• A zoning permit is required for all sheds and a property survey is required for a zoning permit. The property line setbacks range from 5’ to 10’ depending on the lot size.
• For sheds over 256 square feet, setbacks range from 5’ to 20’ for sides and rear property lines.

Required Documents

Zoning: Property Play
Building: Property Play
CBPA: Property Play