Moore Liberty Buildings • Chad & Amanda Moore Thousands of structures built since 2015.
MooreLibertyBuildings.com • 512-548-6474
There are myriad great reasons to add a shed to your property. But before you order and put down money, you need to make sure it is allowed on your property. Here is what you need to know.
If you are outside city limits and don’t have an HOA, then no permits or permissions are required. You may have deed restrictions or easements that could restrict your shed placement, so check those.
If you are within city limits, all the cities in Williamson and Burnet counties require permits depending on the size of your shed. Georgetown, for example, requires a permit for any size shed. Other cities have size thresholds from 120-200 sq ft that trigger the need for a permit.
a. If you need a permit, you will need to locate your property survey as you’ll want to verify any easements and building setback lines (how far the shed must be from your property line).
b. You must mark the location of the shed on your survey and submit as part of your permit application.
c. Impervious cover: This is a technical term for surfaces on your property that water cannot penetrate. This includes your house, driveways, sidewalks, patios, garage, pools (50 percent of the surface area) and any other hard surfaces. You’ll have to add up all the square footage of your current impervious cover (including your new shed) and compare that to the total square footage of your property. Most cities require your impervious cover to be no more than 40 percent of your total property size.
d. If you are adding electrical to the shed, you will need a separate permit.
e. If you live in an historic district, often the city will mandate the design and aesthetic features of your building.
Is your neighborhood part of an HOA or POA? If so, you will need to obtain permission from your governing committee.
a. Again, you’ll need your property survey and mark the location.
b. The HOA will be concerned with how the exterior looks. Paint, shingle color, and sometimes the building materials are usually pre-determined and typically must match your house. They usually require a mockup of what your shed will look like.
c. HOAs will often have strict size and height restrictions. Sometimes they require the shed to be built on a slab.
If you are both in an HOA and within city limits, you will need a city permit and HOA approval. Just because one entity approves does not mean the other will.
Once you are armed with the requirements for your shed, you are ready to go shed shopping! Make sure your shed provider can meet the requirements you need. Some shed builders will take care of the city permitting for you for an additional fee. HOAs typically require the homeowner to apply for approval.
Taking the time to understand what’s allowed will save you time, money and the headaches of unforeseen regulations!