Permit rules are set locally, so the same deck, shed or fence can need a permit in one city and be exempt in the next. These city guides pull the thresholds straight from each building department's public pages — deck heights, shed sizes, fence limits, retaining walls and express-permit options — and link to the official sources so you can confirm before you build.
Looking for your own city's permit search? Our Building Permit Lookup by State links to official permit portals for 110+ cities across all 50 states.
City permit guides
- Portland Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Learn Portland permit patterns for decks, sheds, and fences, including the 30-inch deck trigger, 200-square-foot sheds, zoning, and fence rules.
- Seattle Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Learn Seattle SDCI permit patterns for decks, sheds, and fences, including the 18-inch deck trigger, 120-square-foot sheds, zoning, and ECAs.
- Denver Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — See Denver permit patterns for decks, sheds, and fences, including 12- and 30-inch deck thresholds, 200-square-foot sheds, zoning, and more.
- Houston Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Houston permit rules for sheds, fences and decks: 120 sq ft shed exemption, 8 ft fences, 30-inch decks, masonry walls, and deed restrictions.
- Phoenix Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Phoenix permit rules for sheds, fences, block walls, decks and retaining walls, straight from the city's work-exempt-from-permit list.
- Austin Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Austin permit rules for sheds, fences, decks and retaining walls: 200 sq ft sheds, 7 ft fences, 30-inch decks, plus the city's tree rules.
- Los Angeles Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Los Angeles permit rules for fences, block walls, sheds and decks: LADBS building permits vs zoning height limits, express permits, and ADUs.
- Chicago Building Permits: Porch, Shed & Fence Rules — Chicago permit rules for porches, decks, sheds and fences: small no-permit limits, the Express Permit Program, and licensed contractor rules.
- Dallas Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Dallas building permit rules for sheds, fences, and decks, from the city’s published exemption list, plus the DallasNow portal and the historic-district catch.
- Miami-Dade Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Miami-Dade building permit rules for sheds, fences, and decks in unincorporated county, including the zoning permit split, the 18-inch wood deck line, and House Bill 803.
- San Diego Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — San Diego building permit rules for sheds, fences, and decks: the 120-square-foot roof-area shed line, the 7-foot fence, and the deck triggers in Information Bulletin 211.
- Atlanta Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Atlanta building permit rules for sheds, fences, and decks. The city lists them as permitted work, limits exemptions to repairs, and adds a tree and historic-district check.
- Tampa Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Tampa building permit rules for sheds, fences, and decks. The city exempts a one-story shed at 120 square feet, lists fence permits separately, and does not publish a deck exemption on the same list.
- Charlotte Building Permits: Deck, Shed & Fence Rules — Charlotte building permit rules for sheds, fences, and decks. Mecklenburg County issues the building permit. The city adds zoning review, and the shed line is 12 feet in any dimension.
- New York City Building Permits for Homeowners — NYC permit guidance for DOB filings, Admin Code §28-105.4 exemptions, and ordinary plumbing with a Licensed Master Plumber.
- Philadelphia Building Permits for One- and Two-Family Homes — Philly L&I guidance for 1–2 family homes: zoning usually first, historic-registry catch, owner-builder limits, and eCLIPSE Residential Permits.
- Boston Building Permits for Homeowners: ISD, When You Need One, and What to File — Boston homeowner guidance for ISD building permits, short-form and long-form filings, zoning, decks, sheds, bathrooms, and where to file.
- Detroit Building Permits for Homeowners: BSEED, When You Need One, and What to File — Detroit homeowner guidance for BSEED building permits, ordinary repairs, trade permits, fees, zoning, and where to file.
- Minneapolis Building Permits for Homeowners: Minneapolis Development Review, When You Need One, and What to File — Minneapolis homeowner guidance for Development Review building permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
- Las Vegas Building Permits for Homeowners: Building and Safety, When You Need One, and What to File — Las Vegas homeowner guidance for Building and Safety permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
- Baltimore Building Permits for Homeowners: Department of Housing and Community Development, When You Need One, and What to File — Baltimore homeowner guidance for Department of Housing and Community Development permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
- Nashville Building Permits for Homeowners: Department of Codes and Building Safety, When You Need One, and What to File — Nashville homeowner guidance for Department of Codes and Building Safety permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
- Columbus Building Permits for Homeowners: Department of Building and Zoning Services, When You Need One, and What to File — Columbus homeowner guidance for Department of Building and Zoning Services permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
- Indianapolis Building Permits for Homeowners: Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, When You Need One, and What to File — Indianapolis homeowner guidance for Department of Business and Neighborhood Services permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
- Kansas City Building Permits for Homeowners: City Planning and Development Department, When You Need One, and What to File — Kansas City homeowner guidance for City Planning and Development Department permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
- Salt Lake City Building Permits for Homeowners: Building Services, When You Need One, and What to File — Salt Lake City homeowner guidance for Building Services permits, ordinary-repair exemptions, decks, sheds, trade permits, and where to file.
Your city isn't listed?
Start with Do I Need a Building Permit? for the rules that apply almost everywhere and the questions to ask your building department. For project-specific rules, browse permit guides by project.
Rules change. Always confirm current requirements with your local building department before starting work.
