Phoenix Shed Site Plan for Permit: Setbacks, Easements and Accessory Structures
A backyard shed can provide useful storage for tools, bicycles and garden equipment. Before ordering it or preparing a foundation, check whether the proposed location works with your property’s setbacks, easements and existing buildings.
A Phoenix shed site plan shows these relationships in one drawing. It helps explain where the shed will go, how it fits within the lot and which details need verification before construction.
Does a Shed Need a Permit in Phoenix?
Phoenix’s Residential Projects page lists detached structures larger than 200 square feet among projects requiring permits. It directs homeowners to the city’s Work Exempt from Permit document for the detailed exemptions.
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That document describes an exemption for one-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses when the aggregate floor area does not exceed 200 square feet. It also explains that installing utilities requires a permit even when the accessory structure itself is exempt.
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Confirm how the exemption applies to your proposal, particularly if there are other accessory structures on the property. Describe the intended use, dimensions, number of stories and any electrical or plumbing work.
A building permit exemption does not authorize a noncompliant location. The same city document states that exempt work must still comply with applicable codes and ordinances.
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For more background, read our guide:
Do You Need a Site Plan for a Shed Permit?
Confirm Jurisdiction and Zoning First
Start by confirming that the parcel is within the City of Phoenix. Properties elsewhere in the metropolitan area may fall under another city or unincorporated Maricopa County.
Then verify the zoning, required setbacks and allowable lot coverage. Phoenix’s single-family plot-plan guide recommends contacting Zoning at 602-262-7131, option 6, or zoning@phoenix.gov before preparing the drawing.
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Give staff the address, parcel number and a brief description of the shed. Mention any unusual conditions, such as a corner lot, alley, hillside location or known historic designation.
How Phoenix Shed Setbacks Work
Section 706.B of the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance covers non-ADU accessory structures on lots with only single-family residential uses.
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For those structures, the published provisions include:
- Side and rear boundaries: A minimum three-foot setback.
- Fully dedicated alley: No adjacent setback is required unless needed for vehicle maneuvering.
- Required front yard: Accessory structures are not permitted.
- Between the house and front boundary: Even behind the required front setback, a use permit is required.
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Confirm that these provisions apply to your property and check other relevant restrictions before selecting the final location.
Height can affect the available location
Within required rear or side yards, Section 706.B permits up to eight feet in height when the structure is less than five feet from a street-side property line, and up to 15 feet when it is five feet or more from that line. Greater heights in the latter situation require use-permit approval.
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Provide the shed’s actual proposed height. Ask how the city measures height and setback distances for your design, including roof projections.
Check Easements Separately From Setbacks
A setback regulates placement. An easement concerns rights over part of the property, such as utility access, drainage or shared access. Meeting a setback does not resolve an easement conflict.
Phoenix’s plot-plan guide identifies the recorded subdivision plat as a source of property dimensions and easements.
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Also review available survey and title information, including any separately recorded easement documents.
Before placing the shed, slab, anchors or roof projections within a known easement, check its terms and consult the relevant easement holder about any required authorization.
The amber strip in the featured image illustrates an easement concept. It does not establish the location or width of an easement on your property.
Show Existing Accessory Structures
Do not prepare the layout as though the backyard is empty if it already contains a garage, shed, workshop or other structure.
Include existing structures so you can assess:
- Whether the proposed shed leaves practical access around the yard.
- Whether doors and gates remain usable.
- Whether the shed obstructs maintenance access.
- How the proposal relates to nearby buildings and known utilities.
- Which structures remain or will be removed.
A storage shed and an accessory dwelling unit have different purposes. If the proposal includes sleeping accommodation, a kitchen or independent living space, describe that use to the city rather than assuming storage-shed rules apply.
Include a Lot Coverage Summary
The city’s plot-plan guide asks for allowable and proposed lot coverage. Its calculation uses area under roof divided by net lot area and includes the primary building, attached shade and detached accessory structures.
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Confirm the allowed percentage and measurement rules before calculating the total. Do not assess the proposed shed’s area in isolation from existing development.
For a simple arithmetic example, assume the confirmed counted areas are 1,800 square feet of existing development plus a 160-square-foot shed on a 6,000-square-foot net lot:
(1,800 + 160) ÷ 6,000 × 100 = 32.7% proposed coverage.
This example does not establish the permitted coverage for your property. It shows why reliable measurements and the applicable zoning limit are needed.
What Should a Phoenix Shed Site Plan Show?
Use a scaled drawing with clear labels and dimensions. Phoenix’s plot-plan example identifies the principal information to include.
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| Detail | What to show |
|---|---|
| Identification | Address, parcel number, zoning, north arrow and scale. |
| Boundaries | Property dimensions, adjoining streets and alleys. |
| Structures | Existing buildings and the proposed shed, with dimensions. |
| Restrictions | Known easements and required versus provided setbacks. |
| Site features | Relevant parking, walls, fences and gates. |
| Coverage | Allowed and proposed coverage totals. |
Also consider showing the shed-door location and access path. These details help you assess whether the arrangement will work for the items you intend to store.
If a boundary cannot be established reliably, consult a licensed surveyor. Read our site plan versus survey guide for the difference between drafting a layout and surveying legal boundaries.
Choose a Location That Works Day to Day
Once the applicable restrictions are confirmed, compare possible locations for practical use.
- Door clearance: Leave room to open doors and move larger items.
- Delivery: Check gate width and the supplier’s installation requirements.
- Drainage: Consider low spots and existing runoff routes.
- Maintenance: Allow access to the shed’s walls and nearby equipment.
- Future plans: Consider whether the location interferes with a later patio or landscaping project.
A drawing makes it easier to compare options before committing to the foundation or delivery location.
Prepare for the Phoenix Permit Process
- Confirm jurisdiction and zoning. Identify the rules governing the parcel.
- Confirm the permit requirement. Describe the shed’s size, use, height and utility connections.
- Gather property records. Locate available survey, plat and easement information.
- Prepare the site plan. Show placement, existing structures and coverage.
- Confirm construction documents. Ask what foundation, anchoring, framing or manufacturer information is required.
- Follow the current submission process. Phoenix provides residential plan review, permitting and inspections through SHAPE PHX.
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The site plan explains where the shed goes. Separate construction information explains how it will be supported and built.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a small shed go anywhere in my backyard?
No. A possible permit exemption does not remove zoning, easement or other applicable requirements. Check the location as well as the size.
Can I use the fence as the property boundary?
Do not assume it marks the legal boundary. Use reliable property records and obtain surveying assistance where necessary.
Should an existing garage or shed appear on the drawing?
Yes. Showing existing development gives a clearer picture of the proposed arrangement and supports an accurate coverage assessment.
Does ordering a site plan guarantee approval?
No. Approval depends on the applicable requirements, proposed design, supporting documents and city review.
Sources
- City of Phoenix — Residential Projects.
- City of Phoenix — Work Exempt from Permit. Confirm current applicability with Planning & Development.
- City of Phoenix — Plot Plan: Single Family Example.
- Phoenix Zoning Ordinance — Section 706, Accessory Uses and Structures. Confirm any subsequent amendments and property-specific conditions.
- City of Phoenix — Residential Building and SHAPE PHX.
Confirm current requirements for your property and proposal with the City of Phoenix before construction.