Shed Permit in Alachua County, Florida
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
A shed over 150 sq ft, a second shed on a property that already used the exemption, or a shed with plumbing/electrical/mechanical work needs a building permit. A single qualifying shed is exempt only after the owner submits the county's exemption form with a site plan showing the shed's dimensions and distance from property lines, and it must still meet zoning setbacks, height limits, and Florida Building Code standards.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
The county's adopted local building code exempts "the construction of a single storage shed per legal residential use that does not exceed 150 square feet in size and is located within the required setback established for the zoning district" from a building permit, but any electrical or plumbing work in the shed must still be permitted and inspected. The county's separate exemption-request form confirms the shed must serve an existing single-family dwelling or manufactured home, not be for human habitation, and be subordinate to the main dwelling; using the exemption once makes any additional storage building on the property subject to a full permit regardless of size.
Typical threshold: area of a single storage shed, exemption available once per property.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
A shed over 150 sq ft, a second shed on a property that already used the exemption, or a shed with plumbing/electrical/mechanical work needs a building permit. A single qualifying shed is exempt only after the owner submits the county's exemption form with a site plan showing the shed's dimensions and distance from property lines, and it must still meet zoning setbacks, height limits, and Florida Building Code standards.
What your shed permit must meet in Florida
Florida sheds are built under the Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), which requires structures to be designed for the state's wind loads, but Florida Statutes carve out two specific size-based reductions in what a shed must resist or include.
- As a structure, a shed is generally subject to the Florida Building Code's baseline wind-design requirement that applies to buildings and structures statewide (FBC Section 1609.1).
- Storage sheds not designed for human habitation with a floor area of 720 square feet or less are exempt from the code's mandatory windborne-debris-impact (opening protection) standard (F.S. 553.73(10)).
- Buildings of 400 square feet or less used in conjunction with a one- or two-family residence, which covers most sheds, are exempt from the code's door height and width requirements (F.S. 553.73(10)).
Based on Florida Statutes 553.73(10); Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Section 1609.1. Read the code. Local amendments can be stricter; confirm the current requirement with your office before you build.
What a shed permit costs in Alachua County
How Alachua County compares in Florida
Across the Florida jurisdictions we have verified, the same threshold runs from 68 to 150, so a project that is exempt here may still need a permit one county over.
| Jurisdiction | Permit needed? | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Alachua Countythis page | It depends | area of a single storage shed, exemption available once per property |
| Brevard County | It depends | A permit is required for an accessory structure (shed) over 100 square feet. |
| Charlotte County | It depends | A building permit is not required for plastic or rubber manufactured type sheds 68 square feet or less in area, though they must comply with zoning setbacks and be moved and secured if there is the threat of a tropical storm. |
| Escambia County | It depends | A portable, skid-mounted utility shed under 120 square feet does not require a permit; any utility shed with a poured slab or a post installed into the earth requires a permit regardless of size. |
| Hernando County | It depends | Sheds with impervious roof coverings of 120 square feet or less do not require a Zoning permit, provided other county regulations (setbacks, floodplain rules, one detached accessory building per parcel, etc.) are met |
| Hillsborough County | It depends | sheds under 150 sq ft are exempt; 150 sq ft or larger require a building permit |
| Lake County | It depends | A shed built by the property owner on the owner's own personal residence, with no electrical, HVAC, fuel gas, or plumbing, is exempt from a building permit up to a 120-square-foot footprint |
Closest shed permit thresholds outside Florida
Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest Alachua County's 150 sq ft.
- Chicago, Illinois, single-story detached tool or storage shed under 150 sq ft and not more than 15 ft tall with no plumbing does not require a permit
- Madison, Wisconsin, shed or accessory building floor area; heated sheds and sheds within ten feet of dwelling units on the property need a permit at any size
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, detached tool or storage sheds located in the rear yard and at least three feet from the property lines
- Prince George's County, Maryland, floor space of a one-story detached accessory structure, and only one such exempt structure is allowed per property
How to apply in Alachua County
A residential shed permit application, once the shed is large enough to require one, is a set of construction documents that show what will be built and prove it meets the adopted residential code. In practice that means a written permit application, a scaled site plan locating the shed and its distances to the property lines, and construction documents covering the shed's foundation or anchoring system and its framing.
What most shed permit applications include:
- A written permit application identifying the proposed work and describing the property by its address or legal description, filed with the building department before construction begins (IRC R105.3).
- A scaled site plan showing the shed's size and location and its dimensioned distances to all property lines so required setbacks can be verified before the permit is issued (IRC R106.2).
- Construction documents showing the shed's foundation: freestanding accessory structures at or under the code's small-structure size and eave-height limits (600 square feet and a 10 foot eave height in the model code) are exempt from continuous footings but must still be shown supported on undisturbed soil or engineered fill and anchored to resist wind-induced uplift and overturning (IRC R403.1).
- Where the shed does sit on a continuous foundation with a wood sill plate, anchor bolt or approved strap details tying the sill plate to the foundation (IRC R403.1.6).
- Roof framing details showing the rafter-to-wall or truss-to-wall connections, since even a shed exempt from continuous footings must be anchored to resist wind-induced uplift and overturning (IRC R403.1; R802.11).
General submittal guidance from IRC R105.3 (permit application), R106.2 (site plan), R403.1 (footings and anchorage for accessory structures), and R403.1.6 (sill anchorage), 2021 IRC. Source. Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division sets the exact checklist for Alachua County.
Where to apply in Alachua County:
Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division
- County Annex Building, 1st Floor, 10 SW 2nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601
- Phone: 352-374-5243
- Email: building@alachuacounty.us
Inspections and closing out your permit
A permitted shed is inspected in stages as it goes up: the foundation or the anchors that hold it down before they are covered, the framing before it is enclosed, and a final inspection once the shed is finished. Each stage checks the items that would be hidden or unsafe if skipped.
- Foundation or anchor inspection: called after any required footings, piers, or ground anchors are set and any forms or reinforcing steel are in place, but before concrete is placed, so the foundation or anchoring system can be verified before it is covered (IRC R109.1.1).
- Frame inspection: after the shed is framed, sheathed, and braced, the inspector checks the framing, bracing, fasteners, and the roof connections that resist wind uplift, before those elements are covered (IRC R109.1.4 frame inspection; R403.1 anchorage).
- Final inspection: made after the permitted work is complete and before the shed is used; work may not proceed past any inspection stage without the building official's approval (IRC R109.1.6 final inspection; R109.4 approval required).
- For a pre-fabricated or kit shed, the manufacturer's installation instructions must be on site at the time of inspection so the inspector can confirm the anchoring and assembly match the design (IRC R106.1.2).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Alachua County permit portal or by phone at 352-374-5243.
Inspection sequence from IRC R109.1.1 (foundation inspection), R109.1.4 (frame inspection), R109.1.6 (final inspection), and R106.1.2 (manufacturer's instructions on site), 2021 IRC. Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Shed Permit checklist for Alachua County
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: area of a single storage shed, exemption available once per property. Usually needed: A shed over 150 sq ft, a second shed on a property that already used the exemption, or a shed with plumbing/electrical/mechanical work needs a building permit. A single qualifying shed is exempt only after the owner submits the county's exemption form with a site plan showing the shed's dimensions and distance from property lines, and it must still meet zoning setbacks, height limits, and Florida Building Code standards.
- Budget the fee. No shed-specific flat fee is published for sheds that don't qualify for the exemption; they fall under the $150.00 minimum base permit fee bucket that includes "accessory buildings," plus the dollar-value-of-construction fee, per the Building Fee Schedule effective 11/01/2025. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. A residential shed permit application, once the shed is large enough to require one, is a set of construction documents that show what will be built and prove it meets the adopted residential code. In practice that means a written permit application, a scaled site plan locating the shed and its distances to the property lines, and construction documents covering the shed's foundation or anchoring system and its framing. Start at the Alachua County permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division. Phone: 352-374-5243. Address: County Annex Building, 1st Floor, 10 SW 2nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601.
- Plan for inspections. A permitted shed is inspected in stages as it goes up: the foundation or the anchors that hold it down before they are covered, the framing before it is enclosed, and a final inspection once the shed is finished. Each stage checks the items that would be hidden or unsafe if skipped.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a shed permit in Alachua County?
- The county's adopted local building code exempts "the construction of a single storage shed per legal residential use that does not exceed 150 square feet in size and is located within the required setback established for the zoning district" from a building permit, but any electrical or plumbing work in the shed must still be permitted and inspected. The county's separate exemption-request form confirms the shed must serve an existing single-family dwelling or manufactured home, not be for human habitation, and be subordinate to the main dwelling; using the exemption once makes any additional storage building on the property subject to a full permit regardless of size. Area of a single storage shed, exemption available once per property. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a shed permit cost in Alachua County?
- No shed-specific flat fee is published for sheds that don't qualify for the exemption; they fall under the $150.00 minimum base permit fee bucket that includes "accessory buildings," plus the dollar-value-of-construction fee, per the Building Fee Schedule effective 11/01/2025. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a shed permit in Alachua County?
- You can apply through the Alachua County permit portal or contact the Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a shed permit themselves in Alachua County?
- Under Florida law (F.S. 489.103(7)(a)-(c)): Florida lets you pull your own permit as an owner-builder under section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes, which exempts property owners from the contractor licensing law when they act as their own contractor and provide direct, onsite supervision of all work not performed by licensed contractors. The exemption covers building or improving a one-family or two-family residence or a farm outbuilding for your own occupancy or use, and commercial buildings only up to a $75,000 cost, and the property may not be built or improved for sale or lease. If you sell or lease the property within 1 year after completing the work, the law presumes it was built for sale or lease, which violates the exemption. To qualify, you must personally appear and sign the building permit application and sign a state-prescribed disclosure statement acknowledging that you are the party legally and financially responsible for the construction, that you must provide direct, onsite supervision, and that unlicensed people you use must be your own employees, bringing federal tax withholding and workers' compensation obligations. You may not hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor and may not delegate supervision to anyone who is not licensed for the work being done; if these requirements are violated, the local permitting agency shall withhold final approval, revoke the permit, or pursue unlicensed-activity remedies. A separate narrow branch of the exemption also lets an owner take over and complete a permit on a one-family or two-family residence when the original contractor substantially completed the project. Confirm how Alachua County applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Alachua County
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No deck-specific flat fee is published. |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No electrical-specific flat fee is published |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No fence-specific flat fee is published. |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Flat fee: Res Mechanical Alt/Repair $110.00, per the Building Fee Schedule effective... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No plumbing-specific flat fee is published |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Flat fees: swimming pool (in-ground) $380.00, swimming pool (above-ground) $205.00, per... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | area of roof repair or replacement | Flat fee: Roof: New Residential $220.00, Roof: Repair Residential $220.00, per the... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No solar-specific flat fee is published |
Shed Permit in other Florida localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Alachua County documents; the office above sets the local rules.
- IRC R105.3 (permit application), R106.2 (site plan), R403.1 (footings and anchorage for accessory structures), and R403.1.6 (sill anchorage), 2021 IRC
- IRC R109.1.1 (foundation inspection), R109.1.4 (frame inspection), R109.1.6 (final inspection), and R106.1.2 (manufacturer's instructions on site), 2021 IRC
- Florida Statutes 553.73(10); Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Section 1609.1
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Permit office
Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division
352-374-5243Permit portalFlorida rule changes
- Broward County, FL updates building permit fee schedule (Ordinance 2025-038)
Ord. 2025-038 ·
- Florida waives permits for small single-family jobs under $7,500 (HB 803)
ch. 2026-63 (HB 803), F.S. 553.79 ·
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Shed Permit across Florida