Do the rules apply if I'm replacing an existing building?

**Yes.** This is stated expressly, because people reasonably assume a like-for-like swap is exempt.

The Accessory Building Regulations require a Township zoning permit and County Building permit for all accessory building construction, or installation in the case of a prefabricated structure — and add that **this includes installations of new structures that are replacing existing structures**.

**Architectural Committee approval too.** The covenants require plans to be approved in writing before any building or structure is commenced, erected or maintained. Replacing one counts.

**Current standards apply to the new building**, not the standards in force when the old one went up:

- **10 feet** from any side or rear lot line, and 10 feet from your house, measured at the **drip edge**
- Height between 8 and 14 feet
- Minimum 1-foot overhang on all sides
- At least one man-door
- Design, materials and colour conforming with neighbouring structures
- Within the 25 percent total lot coverage cap

**So an old shed sitting three feet from the line is a problem.** That distance met the covenant when it was built, but the current requirement is 10 feet at the drip edge. An existing footprint does not entitle the replacement to occupy it.

**The Township's rules on non-conforming structures decide what is possible**, and they are strict. A non-conforming structure may not be enlarged or altered in a way that increases its non-conformity, and one that is moved must thereafter conform. There is a narrow provision for reconstruction where a structure has been destroyed, but whether it applies to a planned demolition and rebuild is a determination for the **Township Zoning Administrator** — not something to assume.

**Talk to the Zoning Administrator before you demolish anything.** Once the old building is down, your options are decided by the current rules.

*Source: Accessory Building Regulations (6/8/2025), item 16; Zoning Ordinance No. 8, Section 5.02; Restrictive Covenants, Article VI, Section 1.*