Shed Installation Permits in Dearborn

Local Rule

City of Dearborn Building and Safety Engineering Department; Dearborn Code of Ordinances, Article 2.03 (Accessory Buildings and Structures)

Dearborn requires a permit to install a shed. Detached accessory buildings in residential districts may not exceed one story and 16 feet in height, with a roof pitch no steeper than the principal structure's roof pitch, and total detached accessory building coverage is capped at 700 square feet. Applications and specific requirements are available through the city's building permit application page.

Source · Verified September 2026

Dearborn Building Department

Hours and procedures can change — call ahead to confirm.

How This Compares to Wayne County

Dearborn's own rule is shown above (Permit required). Here is the separate rule that applies at the county level, for context:

Michigan LARA (state mandate) + city/township building department

Michigan's statewide 200 sq ft building-permit exemption is more generous than the 120 sq ft base IRC threshold many states use, and applies uniformly, though a zoning permit is almost always required regardless of size. As a real township-level example within Wayne County, Livonia requires a zoning permit for any accessory structure from 40 sq ft up to 200 sq ft, caps total combined accessory-structure floor area at 920 sq ft, and limits properties under 0.5 acre to a maximum of 2 accessory structures total.

See the full county page

Nearby Cities with Verified Rules

Other cities near Dearborn with a confirmed shed installation rule:

FAQs

Building It Yourself? Here's What You'll Need

Popular tools and materials homeowners use for a shed installation project:

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