Hernando County eases rules for small sheds, raises wall height limits

Hernando County has loosened the paperwork for some of the smallest backyard sheds, a change that could save homeowners time and money while still leaving plenty of land-use rules in place. Under an update to Ordinance 26-38 approved by the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners on April 7, sheds with impervious roof coverings of 120 square feet or less no longer need a zoning permit, so long as they meet the county’s other requirements.

The county also raised the maximum wall height for those exempt structures from 5 feet to 8 feet. That gives residents more room for storage buildings and similar accessory structures without forcing them through the same zoning process that applied before. The change is aimed at small residential projects, but it stops well short of a blanket exemption.

Even without a zoning permit, a shed still has to meet setbacks, stay on the same parcel as the primary residence, avoid easements and rights-of-way, and comply with floodplain rules if it sits in a flood zone. It also must fit the accessory-structure height limits in the zoning district and cannot be used as living space. If a homeowner adds electrical service, plumbing or a concrete installation, separate building permits are still required. The county also warned that corner-lot and waterfront-lot properties can face additional placement restrictions, and that HOA rules and deed restrictions still apply even when county zoning no longer requires a permit.

The change was approved at a land-use meeting in the John Law Ayers Commission Chambers, Room 160, at the Hernando County Government Center in Brooksville. Hernando County’s 2026 meeting schedule lists April 7 as a land-use hearing date, underscoring that the update moved through a regular public process rather than a special session.

For Hernando County’s zoning and code-enforcement offices, the revision narrows the line between a simple storage shed and a structure that still needs formal review. The Zoning Division says it administers zoning codes, reviews site plans and provides zoning information, while the Code Compliance Department says it enforces zoning rules to support safe, sustainable growth and quality of life. County shed application materials also referenced earlier rules under Ordinance No. 2016-17, showing how long accessory buildings have been managed through permits before this latest easing.