Shed Permit in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
For any detached accessory building or shed, at any size
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Tulsa always requires a permit for a detached shed or accessory building; only the type of permit changes with size. A footing or building permit is not required for a one-story detached accessory structure whose floor area does not exceed 200 square feet and that is separated from other structures by at least 5 feet including projections, but a zoning clearance permit is still required for it. Larger accessory buildings are permitted as Building (Residential): Building: Accessory Structure and need a site plan, wall cross-section, foundation plan, floor plan, roof plan and elevations.
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
For any detached accessory building or shed, at any size
What a shed permit costs in Tulsa
Line itemAmountApplies to
shed permitBy formulaResidential zoning clearance permit fee is $75.50 under Title 49, Chapter 3, Section 303.G (Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024). A shed that needs a building permit is priced from declared valuation: $64.00 application fee for $0 to $15,000.00 declared valuation (Section 301) plus a building permit fee of $133.00 for estimated valuation $0 to $5,000.00 (Section 302), the application fee being deducted from the permit fee. Every permit also carries the general administrative fees in Title 49, Chapter 1: a $5.00 permit system maintenance surcharge on each permit (Section 103), a $4.00 Uniform Building Code Commission fee plus a $0.50 city administrative fee collected under 59 O.S. Section 1000.25 (Section 100), and a minimum fee of $80.00 on any permit (Section 107). Starting work before the permit is issued adds a penalty fee of $214.00 or three times the regular fee, whichever is greater (Section 105). All Title 49 figures are from Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024.
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.
How to apply in Tulsa
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. City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center sets the exact checklist for Tulsa.
Where to apply in Tulsa:
City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center
- 175 E. 2nd Street, 4th Floor, Tulsa, OK 74103
- Phone: (918) 596-9456
- Email: bldgandLic@cityoftulsa.org
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 Tulsa permit portal or by phone at (918) 596-9456.
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 Tulsa
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: For any detached accessory building or shed, at any size.
- Budget the fee. Residential zoning clearance permit fee is $75.50 under Title 49, Chapter 3, Section 303.G (Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024). A shed that needs a building permit is priced from declared valuation: $64.00 application fee for $0 to $15,000.00 declared valuation (Section 301) plus a building permit fee of $133.00 for estimated valuation $0 to $5,000.00 (Section 302), the application fee being deducted from the permit fee. Every permit also carries the general administrative fees in Title 49, Chapter 1: a $5.00 permit system maintenance surcharge on each permit (Section 103), a $4.00 Uniform Building Code Commission fee plus a $0.50 city administrative fee collected under 59 O.S. Section 1000.25 (Section 100), and a minimum fee of $80.00 on any permit (Section 107). Starting work before the permit is issued adds a penalty fee of $214.00 or three times the regular fee, whichever is greater (Section 105). All Title 49 figures are from Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024. 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 Tulsa permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center. Phone: (918) 596-9456. Address: 175 E. 2nd Street, 4th Floor, Tulsa, OK 74103.
- 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 Tulsa?
- Tulsa always requires a permit for a detached shed or accessory building; only the type of permit changes with size. A footing or building permit is not required for a one-story detached accessory structure whose floor area does not exceed 200 square feet and that is separated from other structures by at least 5 feet including projections, but a zoning clearance permit is still required for it. Larger accessory buildings are permitted as Building (Residential): Building: Accessory Structure and need a site plan, wall cross-section, foundation plan, floor plan, roof plan and elevations. Always confirm with the City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center before starting.
- How much does a shed permit cost in Tulsa?
- Residential zoning clearance permit fee is $75.50 under Title 49, Chapter 3, Section 303.G (Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024). A shed that needs a building permit is priced from declared valuation: $64.00 application fee for $0 to $15,000.00 declared valuation (Section 301) plus a building permit fee of $133.00 for estimated valuation $0 to $5,000.00 (Section 302), the application fee being deducted from the permit fee. Every permit also carries the general administrative fees in Title 49, Chapter 1: a $5.00 permit system maintenance surcharge on each permit (Section 103), a $4.00 Uniform Building Code Commission fee plus a $0.50 city administrative fee collected under 59 O.S. Section 1000.25 (Section 100), and a minimum fee of $80.00 on any permit (Section 107). Starting work before the permit is issued adds a penalty fee of $214.00 or three times the regular fee, whichever is greater (Section 105). All Title 49 figures are from Ord. No. 25351, 7-17-2024. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- How long does a shed permit take in Tulsa?
- Average time to first review, May 2026: 6.00 business days for the building review of a Building (Residential) Accessory Structure permit. Times can vary by workload and project scope, so confirm with the office.
- Where do you apply for a shed permit in Tulsa?
- You can apply through the Tulsa permit portal or contact the City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a shed permit themselves in Tulsa?
- Under Oklahoma law (11 O.S. 43-109.2(B); 59 O.S. 1692(B)(3), 1017(6), 1151.17(B), 1850.10(A) and (B)(1), 1693(A)): Oklahoma does not license general or residential contractors at the state level, which is unusual and was verified by reading the whole of Title 59: the state licenses plumbing (59 O.S. 1001 et seq.), electrical (59 O.S. 1680 through 1699), mechanical (59 O.S. 1850.1 et seq.), roofing by registration (59 O.S. 1151.1 et seq.) and building and construction inspectors (59 O.S. 1031 through 1046), and no chapter licenses a general contractor. A homeowner may pull their own permit and do their own work. 11 O.S. 43-109.2(B) exempts a person doing construction or remodeling on their own single-family or duplex structure on their own property from the insurance verification a permit office must otherwise obtain before issuing a residential building permit, and it applies even when the structure is a rental, but the exemption disappears the moment a general contractor or subcontractor performs the work and pulls the permit. The trade acts carry matching self-work exemptions: no state license is needed to do electrical work on your own property or residence (59 O.S. 1692(B)(3)) or plumbing work on your own property of residence (59 O.S. 1017(6)), and a person roofing their own property is exempt from roofing registration though they must still give the permit office the registration number of any roofing subcontractor (59 O.S. 1151.17(B)). Every one of those is a licensing exemption only, expressly subject to local ordinances in the electrical case, and none of them waives the city permit; 59 O.S. 1693(A) still bars electrical work in a city or town without a permit first being obtained. Mechanical work is the sharp exception: the property-owner exemption in 59 O.S. 1850.10(B)(1) reaches only minor repair, and 59 O.S. 1850.10(A) requires a mechanical or plumbing licensee to install, replace or repair gas piping, floor furnaces, wall heaters or radiant-floor heating with no owner carve-out. Oklahoma has no statewide owner-builder disclosure form and no sale restriction comparable to Florida's one-year rule; the term owner-builder appears nowhere in Title 11 or Title 59. Confirm how Tulsa applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Tulsa
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 | Priced as a building permit from valuation: the application fee is $64.00 for $0 to... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Not specified | Title 49, Chapter 4, Section 401 sets residential electrical permit fees for one- and... |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Residential zoning clearance permit fee is $75.50 under Tulsa Revised Ordinances Title... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Title 49, Chapter 5, Section 501 prices mechanical work by item: heating appliance, each... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | covered patios, carports and porches | A carport permit fee is $98.00 under Title 49, Chapter 3, Section 304. |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Title 49, Chapter 8, Section 801 prices plumbing work by item: backflow prevention... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated swimming pools | Priced as a building permit from declared valuation: application fee $64.00 for $0 to... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Priced as a building permit from valuation: $64.00 application fee for $0 to $15,000.00... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Title 49 has no solar line item. |
Shed Permit in other Oklahoma localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Tulsa 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
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Permit office
City of Tulsa Development Services Department, Permit Center
(918) 596-9456Permit portalCompare
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