What's Required in Pittsburgh
- One-story sheds and playhouses up to 200 square feet accessory to a 1-2 family home need no BDA, per PLI's Work Not Requiring a Permit page.
- The Department of City Planning's zoning FAQ (revised 11/06/2025) still lists 120 square feet, so confirm sheds between 120 and 200 square feet with zoning.
- Exempt sheds must still meet the Zoning Code, including front and side setbacks that apply to the house.
- Accessory structures sit at least 5 feet from the rear lot line, or 2 feet where the rear line borders a way (Zoning Code 912.04.B).
- A shed must be at least 3 feet from the house unless attached, and may not sit on a recorded easement or over a known utility.
- Maximum height is 15 feet or one story in a residential zoning district.
- Sheds over 200 square feet need a Building and Development Application with PLI and zoning review in OneStopPGH.
- Wiring a shed needs a separate PLI electrical permit, and the person doing permitted electrical work must hold a city electrical trade license.
Do You Need a Permit to Build a Shed in Pittsburgh?
Usually not. PLI's Work Not Requiring a Permit page lists one-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar structures up to 200 square feet, accessory to a single-family or two-family home, as exempt from both PLI and Zoning review: you do not file a Building and Development Application (BDA) at all. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code would exempt sheds under 1,000 square feet at a detached one-family home, but the state lets a city require more, and Pittsburgh's code says its own exemption list supersedes the state's. So 200 square feet, not 1,000, is the Pittsburgh line.
One wrinkle: the Department of City Planning's zoning FAQ, last revised in November 2025, still gives 120 square feet as the no-approval size. A shed of 120 square feet or less is exempt under both pages. Between 120 and 200 square feet the two city pages disagree, so ask [email protected] or start a BDA in OneStopPGH, which tells you whether a review is needed, before you buy a kit in that range.
No permit does not mean no rules. Every exempt project still has to meet the Zoning Code. Under Section 912.04 a shed must meet the front and side setbacks that apply to the house, sit at least 5 feet from the rear lot line (2 feet where the rear line borders an alley or way), stay 3 feet from the house unless attached, stay off easements and known utilities, and be no taller than 15 feet or one story in a residential district.
Pittsburgh Shed Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| One-story shed or playhouse up to 120 sq ft at a 1-2 family home | None | PLI exempt list; DCP zoning FAQ |
| One-story shed from 120 to 200 sq ft | None per PLI; confirm with zoning | PLI says 200 sq ft, DCP FAQ says 120 |
| Shed over 200 sq ft | BDA: building plus zoning review (about $192) | 2026 PLI fee schedule; zoning fee schedule |
| Shed taller than 15 ft or two stories | Not allowed without zoning relief | Zoning Code 912.04.E |
| Running power or a light to the shed | Electrical permit (about $142) | PLI electrical permit page |
| Any shed in a historic district | Zoning review of exterior work | PLI zoning-review-only list |
How Much Does a Shed Permit Cost in Pittsburgh?
For an exempt shed, nothing. Above 200 square feet you file a BDA and pay two sets of fees. PLI's 2026 fee schedule sets the residential base fee at $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value, minimum $130, and adds a $4.50 state training fund fee, a $5.00 digital record retention fee and a technology fee of $2 when the base fee is $200 or less. The zoning review fee is $1.00 per $1,000, minimum $50. For an $8,000 shed the base fee works out to $48, so the $130 minimum applies: $130 + $2 + $4.50 + $5 + $50 = $191.50. Any shed valued up to about $21,600 pays that same amount, because both minimums apply; above that the fee grows by $7 per $1,000. Forty percent of the base fee is due, non-refundable, when you apply. Those are PLI's residential rates; its permitting page puts attached single- and two-family dwellings in the commercial category, where the minimum base fee is $605, so confirm which category the portal assigns your house.
Who Can Build It?
PLI lets the homeowner do the work on a primary residence, or hire a licensed City of Pittsburgh contractor or a registered Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor. Wiring is different: PLI's licensing rules say anyone doing work that needs an electrical permit must hold a city electrical trade license.
How to Get a Shed Permit in Pittsburgh
Measure floor area and height
Up to 120 sq ft and one story needs nothing under either city page; 120 to 200 sq ft is exempt per PLI but worth confirming with zoning.
Check the setbacks
Plan at least 5 ft from the rear lot line (2 ft on an alley), the house setbacks at the sides and front, and 3 ft from the house.
File a BDA if over 200 sq ft
Start a Building and Development Application in OneStopPGH with a site plan and the construction value; PLI and zoning review it together.
Pay the fees
Forty percent of the base fee is due at application and the rest at issuance; a typical shed totals $191.50 with the $50 zoning minimum.
Build and get inspected
Request inspections through OneStopPGH, and pull a separate electrical permit before running power to the shed.