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Imperial County · Building on your lot

Sheds, garages and other accessory structures in Imperial County

In the R-1 to R-4 zones of unincorporated Imperial County, detached accessory buildings are limited to 35 ft.

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Key points

  • Accessory buildings: In the R-1 to R-4 zones of unincorporated Imperial County, detached accessory buildings are limited to 35 ft.

Each rule below links to the section of the Imperial County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Imperial County's code says

Imperial County code What Imperial County's code adds
Maximum height
  • No more than 3 stories or 35 feet high.
    Applies: Detached accessory buildings in the R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-4 zones.
    § 90501.12 · code text
    No detached accessory buildings in the R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-4 zones may exceed three stories, or thirty-five (35) feet in height.
  • No more than 15 feet high.
    Applies: One detached private garage on an interior lot in the R-1 to R-4 zones whose front half slopes over 2 feet in 4 feet.
    § 90501.12 · code text
    provided that no such building shall exceed fifteen (15) feet in height.
Size or lot coverage
  • No more than 1,000 square feet.
    Applies: A private garage that is part of the main building, sharing a wall at least 5 feet long.
    § 90501.12 · code text
    A private garage of not to exceed one thousand (1,000) square feet may be a part of the main building if the garage and the main building have a common wall of not less than five feet in length
  • Up to 8,000 square feet.
    Applies: Attached garages outside Urban Areas on A-2, A-3, S-1 or S-2 lots of 7 acres or more. Permit needed at 4,000 square feet or more.
    § 90501.12 · code text
    7+ | 8,000* | 4,000
  • No more than 600 square feet.
    Applies: One-story detached garages and storage buildings, used only for parking or storage, below base flood elevation in special flood hazard areas.
    § 90501.12 · code text
    Are one story and not larger than six hundred (600) square feet in area when located in special flood hazard areas.
Side and rear setback
  • At least 5 feet from any interior property line.
    Applies: Accessory buildings over 1 story in the R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-4 zones.
    § 90501.12 · code text
    No accessory buildings in the R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-4 zones, if more than one story in height shall be located nearer than five feet to any interior property line.
  • At least 15 feet from the side street line.
    Applies: Detached accessory buildings on corner lots in the R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-4 zones.
    § 90501.12 · code text
    On a corner lot no detached accessory buildings in the R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-4 zones shall be located at a distance less than fifteen (15) feet from the side street line.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

How big can a shed or accessory building be in Imperial County?

In the R-1 to R-4 zones of unincorporated Imperial County, detached accessory buildings are limited to 35 ft.

General information, not legal advice.

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Imperial County Municipal Code — full text