How tall can a shed or pole barn be?

**Between 8 and 14 feet.** The Accessory Building Regulations require all accessory buildings to have a building height between 8 feet and 14 feet as measured at the eaves (wall height).

The minimum surprises people. There is a floor as well as a ceiling — an accessory building cannot be shorter than 8 feet.

**How height is measured.** The Accessory Building Regulations define building height as the vertical distance from the established grade to:

- The highest point of the roof surface, if it is a flat roof
- The deck, on a mansard roof
- The **midpoint between the eaves and the ridge**, on a gable, hip or gambrel roof

That last one matters most, because most sheds and pole barns have a gable roof. Height is measured to a point halfway up the slope, not to the peak. So a building can have a ridge above 14 feet and still comply, as long as the midpoint is at or under 14 feet.

**Height ties into another limit.** An accessory building that does not exceed one story **or** 14 feet in height may occupy no more than 25 percent of the required rear yard.

**Barns.** These are treated separately and may be permitted at any size, provided they sit at least 25 feet from the property line and at least 50 feet from any dwelling.

**Design still gets reviewed.** Meeting the height range does not by itself mean approval. Size, materials, design and colour should conform with neighbouring structures, and the Architectural Committee has final approval of all design features.

If you are ordering a prefabricated building, check its height figures against this before you buy.

*Source: Lake of the Pines Accessory Building Regulations (6/8/2025), items 2 and 7, and Definitions.*