What's Required in Kansas City
- One-story detached sheds and playhouses with a projected roof area of 200 square feet or less need no building permit (KCBRC 18-16(b)(1)a).
- Exempt sheds must still meet the Zoning and Development Code and the Building and Rehabilitation Code.
- Zoning caps an individual detached accessory building other than a garage at a 200 square foot footprint (88-305-02-D).
- Sheds may not be in the front or street side yard and must sit at least 1.5 feet from rear and interior side lot lines.
- Keep at least 10 feet between the shed and the house or any other building on the lot.
- A storage shed may be no more than 10 feet tall, and all detached accessory buildings together may cover no more than 40% of the rear yard.
- Wiring a shed needs an electrical permit pulled by a licensed electrical contractor or by an owner-occupant doing the work.
- Accessory buildings may only be built with or after the house on the same lot.
Do You Need a Permit to Build a Shed in Kansas City?
Usually not. Section 18-16(b)(1)a of the Kansas City Building and Rehabilitation Code says no building permit is needed for one-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses, garages and carports whose projected roof area does not exceed 200 square feet. The measure is the roof, not the floor: a 10 by 20 foot shed with overhanging eaves can top 200 square feet of roof even though its floor is exactly 200. This page covers Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO). Kansas City, Kansas, across the state line, is a separate city with its own permit office and rules.
Exempt does not mean unregulated. The city says exempt work must still meet the Zoning and Development Code, and the zoning rules for sheds are tighter than the permit rule in one important way: Section 88-305-02-D caps the footprint of an individual detached accessory building at 200 square feet. Only detached garages may be larger (up to 800 square feet, or 1 square foot per 10 square feet of lot area, whichever is greater). A bigger storage building that is not a garage needs a variance from the Board of Zoning Adjustment, except in the AG-R and R-80 districts.
Kansas City Shed Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| One-story shed or playhouse, roof area up to 200 sq ft | None | KCBRC 18-16(b)(1)a |
| Shed whose roof, eaves included, covers more than 200 sq ft | Building permit (valuation fee) | 18-16(b)(1)a; 18-20(b)(2) |
| Storage building with a footprint over 200 sq ft | Not allowed without a zoning variance | Zoning 88-305-02-D |
| Shed taller than 10 ft | Not allowed without a zoning variance | Zoning 88-305-02-C |
| Running power or lights to the shed | Electrical permit ($52 minimum) | 18-16; 18-20(b)(2) |
| Contractor building an accessory building over 400 sq ft | Licensed Residential Building Contractor | IB152; Sec. 18-14(j) |
Where Can a Shed Go on Your Lot?
Information Bulletin 122 and Section 88-305-02 set the placement rules. A shed may not sit in the front yard or street side yard, so it can be no closer to the street than the house. It must be at least 1.5 feet from the rear and interior side lot lines and at least 10 feet from the house and every other building on the lot. A storage shed may be no taller than 10 feet; on a pitched roof the height is the average of the top plate and the ridge. All detached accessory buildings together may cover no more than 40% of the rear yard. Platted building lines and easements on your survey can push it farther in. A permitted building closer than 5 feet to a lot line needs a one-hour fire-rated wall, but IB122 waives that for sheds exempt under the 200 square foot roof rule.
How Much Does a Shed Permit Cost in Kansas City?
An exempt shed costs nothing. When a permit is needed, Section 18-20(b)(2) prices one- and two-family building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits from the same valuation table: $52 up to $1,000, $58 from $1,001 to $2,000, then $58 plus $4.33 for each additional $1,000 or fraction up to $100,000. For an $8,000 shed that is $58 + 6 × $4.33 = $83.98; a $5,000 shed is $58 + 3 × $4.33 = $70.99. The code charges no separate up-front plan review fee for one- and two-family work; that fee applies only to other buildings. Wiring the shed is a separate electrical permit priced on its own value, so a job of $1,000 or less adds $52. Start without a required permit and the fee is tripled.
Who Can Build It?
An owner who lives in a single-family home may pull the permits and do the work, including the wiring, with family or friends. A contractor building an accessory building over 400 square feet must hold a city Residential Building Contractor license, and anyone else doing electrical work needs a licensed electrical contractor.
How to Get a Shed Permit in Kansas City
Measure roof area and footprint
Include the eaves: 200 sq ft of projected roof area or less needs no permit, and the footprint may not exceed 200 sq ft under zoning.
Site it on the lot
Keep it behind the front of the house, 1.5 ft from rear and side lot lines, 10 ft from other buildings, and off easements shown on your survey.
Apply in CompassKC if needed
For a shed over the roof-area limit or one with power, apply online in CompassKC with a site plan and the job value.
Pay the valuation fee
The fee is $58 for the first $2,000 plus $4.33 per additional $1,000; an $8,000 shed pays $83.98.
Build and get inspected
Request inspections in CompassKC or at 816-513-1500; exempt sheds need no inspection but must still meet the codes.