Toronto shed and garage rules, for your lot.
A shed, detached garage or other ancillary building in Toronto can’t go in the front yard. It can be up to 4.0 m tall, or 2.5 m if it is within 1.8 m of the house, usually 0.3 m from the rear and side lot lines, and all of them together may cover up to 10 % of the lot. Type your numbers to check yours.
From Zoning By-law 569-2013, clause 10.5.60 (Ancillary Buildings and Structures), office consolidation dated 31 July 2024, with city-wide amendments to 30 April 2026.
Your shed or garage
Where does it go?
Your lot
From your survey, or from Toronto lot size by address. Leave blank what you don’t know.
What the by-law allows
Eaves may reach 0.3 m into a setback but must stay 0.15 m from the lot line (10.5.60.60). Within 2.5 m of a lane’s original centreline nothing may be built (10.5.60.20(4)); a garage reached from a lane needs 1.0 m from that lot line (10.5.60.20(5), (6)). A through lot or a corner lot next to a house facing the side street has its own rear or side setback (10.5.60.20(2)(A), (3)(C)(i)).
Before you rely on it
- These are the rules in Zoning By-law 569-2013 for Residential zones (R, RD, RS, RT, RM). A lot still under a former city’s by-law, or with a site-specific exception (an x number in its zone label), can have different rules.
- A building permit is a separate question: a shed of 15 m² or more, or a garage or other building over 10 m², needs one. Check if you need a permit.
- Height is measured from the average ground level around it. Only one storey is allowed, and the top of its door can be at most 2.5 m above the ground in front of it (10.5.60.40(4)).
Source
Zoning By-law 569-2013, clause 10.5.60 (Ancillary Buildings and Structures), toronto.ca, office consolidation dated 31 July 2024, with city-wide amendments to 30 April 2026.
lotmara isn’t made by or connected to the City of Toronto. Rules change: check the source before you build.