Connecting free-standing shed to house

[Guv Bob]

I'm looking at building a 150 square foot workshop / storage building in the backyard. It won't need power or plumbing for what I'm doing and as long as it's at least 5-ft from the house or property line, no permit is required. Otherwise, it would add $700 to my annual property tax bill, which is would be more than the shed would be worth to me.

Next step would be to connect it to an existing door to the house with something that the city would not labeled a "structure" but would let me go in and out without opening either one to bugs, etc.

Any ideas about how to make some kind of connection like this and still be legal?

[DerbyDad03]

Since you seem to know what the town will accept as a "non-taxable property improvement" why don't you ask the town what they will accept as a non-taxable passageway between the 2 buildings?

Here's an idea...with this passageway you can get from the house to the shed and even get into/out of either building to/from your yard. I doubt the town will tax you if you use this...

[Sal Monella]

It depends on your local taxation stupidity.

Locally, an attached garage is taxed at a higher rate than an unattached garage.

But if you build a house and a garage separate and then 2-years later build a food-producing greenhouse between them, the food-producing greenhouse is tax exempt and you still enjoy the lower tax rate of an unattached garage.

[Guv Bob]

building in the backyard. It won't need power or plumbing for what I'm doing and as long as it's at least 5-ft from the house or property line, no permit is required. Otherwise, it would add $700 to my annual property tax bill, which is would be more than the shed would be worth to me.

with something that the city would not labeled a "structure" but would let me go in and out without opening either one to bugs, etc.

unattached garage.

build a food-producing greenhouse between them, the food-producing greenhouse is tax exempt and you still enjoy the lower tax rate of an unattached garage.

Or maybe make it out of solar panels and get a tax break.

[BurkesLaw]

Here is a serious answer. Get a portable garage and do not put on the ends, butt those to the house and shed. Or get a 10'x20 and not worry about the shed.

[Frank]

This happened to me. There was a small panel to access attic space above my attached garage and I put in a pull down stairs and added some composite board to take advantage of the storage space.

I was having a septic field addition done and when an inspector came out he looked in my garage and tacked on a tax assessment to include my "loft". Took a call to his boss to come out and actually look up the steps to see if there was a loft to take the assessment off.

[Guv Bob]

ends, butt those to the house and shed. Or get a 10'x20 and not worry about the shed.

Thanks, good idea! In fact, a portable garage instead of the shed might work in this case. Also thinking ahead to whenever I see the house. I've seen professional but unpermitted construction in this neighborhood kill a sale.

[DerbyDad03]

Can a portable garage handle the weather wherever it is that you live? Is snow load an issue?

[Moe DeLoughan]

Also, are there any regulations in your area limiting the amount of time a temporary structure can be in place, or even where it is located on the property? My town ended up creating rules on these after too many people put them into their yards for permanent storage. They are unsightly; too many make a neighborhood look low rent.

[Guv Bob]

worry about the shed.

neighborhood kill a sale.

Only regulations are that structures over 6-ft in height must be 5-feet from another structure or a property line. Still can't be connected to the house, though.

[HerHusband]

Yep, the county officials make mistakes sometimes.

Years ago our county assessor came by to put a value on our old mobile home. They pulled in the driveway, looked around without even getting out of the car, and filled out some paperwork. I caught them before they backed out of our driveway. They put 3 bedroom/2 bath on the paperwork, even though our mobile was only 2 bedroom/1.5 bath. If I hadn't been there to catch them, I probably would never have known they had made an inaccurate assumption.

A few years later we sold the mobile home and was having it moved off the property. That's when they told us we did not have a valid occupancy permit for the mobile. We lived there 13 years and I distinctly remember the inspector coming out and giving us the OK to move in, but somehow it never made it into the official paperwork. :)

Anthony Watson

[HerHusband]

We have a neighbor down the hill who has a large shed next to his house. The shed has a small gable roof over the shed door. The house has a larger gable roof over the house door that extends over the top of the sheds small gable. Officially, the two buildings are not connected at all, but he can walk from one building to the other in the rain without getting wet.

If you wanted to, you could easily add some removable screen panels to this kind of setup to keep out bugs. You could even use retractable screens so it's all open until you need them.

Years ago one of my building inspectors told me I could build a roof between our house and standalone garage. As long as it didn't have walls, I wouldn't need to worry about self closing doors, fire ratings, etc. I never pursued it, so I don't know if the rules would be the same now, but I always found that an interesting loophole.

A call to your county or city building department would probably be the best way to find out the best way to handle the situation.

Anthony Watson

[Guv Bob]

Good that you got it corrected. You should contact the city and be sure that it was removed from the records. I was checking on the city records of my house and noticed a violation by a previous owner was still listed. Took several phone calls to get it removed.

[Guv Bob]

worry about the shed.

neighborhood kill a sale.

Only regulations are that structures over 6-ft in height must be 5-feet from another structure or a property line. Still can't be connected to the house, though.

PS - A city worker told me that people around here rarely report their neighbors. Mostly it's done by the real estate agents.