# A container in your backyard. Is a permit required?

Check backyard shipping container permits by city and state. Use the free local-rule search and see documented placement and exemption examples.

Prepare your yard · United States · Updated 2026-10-01

[Read this guide on ContainerFox USA](https://containerfox.com/us/guides/shipping-container-building-permits)

Choose your state and city to research whether a storage container needs a permit, where it can be placed and which exemptions may apply.

## Search local rules

Choose your state, city or town, county where relevant and project on the web page to search official permit rules and conditions. The result identifies what can be confirmed and what still depends on your property. This text contains the shared guide, not a live research result or an issued permit.

[Open the local-rule search](https://containerfox.com/us/guides/shipping-container-building-permits#guide-tool)

## How the local-rule search works.

The search uses your location and project to find public documents from official authorities. AI helps research and summarize the rules found.

### Match the location and use

A home, an ADU and a storage container need different checks. City limits and county areas are treated separately; a mailing address alone does not establish jurisdiction.

### Summarize the sources

The result links a research summary to official sources found. A summary can miss amendments, exceptions or context. Read the original document and confirm the rule and its applicability with the responsible authority before relying on it for your project.

### Show what remains unknown

Unconfirmed rules and property-specific questions stay visible. A search result is an information summary; it does not approve a parcel or issue a permit.

Published by ContainerFox.

Each published example shows its document-check date. Search results show their research date; local requirements can change.

[Editorial responsibility and corrections](https://containerfox.com/us/editorial-methodology)

## Three checks before the container arrives.

### 1. Describe the actual use

List the contents, dates and number of containers. Flag power, alterations, workshop use or any overnight stay.

Get: the right use classification

### 2. Check the proposed position

Ask planning and building staff about location, setbacks, screening, supports and any permit application.

Get: the rules for your property

### 3. Agree a delivery plan

Confirm the placement and required approvals before dispatch. Check truck access, unloading and removal with the carrier.

Get: a delivery-ready site

## Bring a clear sketch, not just a size.

Start with these details for the first inquiry. The authority will tell you whether formal drawings or additional assessments are needed.

| Document | What to include | Who prepares it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Address and property details | Street address, parcel number if available, owner permission and jurisdiction. | You / property owner |
| Placement sketch | Boundaries, nearby buildings, container footprint and clearances to each. | You / site planner |
| Container dimensions | Length, width, total height, number of units and door opening direction. | Container supplier |
| Use and dates | What is stored, who enters, arrival date, duration and planned removal. | You |
| Support and site photos | Proposed supports, surface, drainage, slope and overhead / underground services. | Supplier + site team |
| Delivery access | Gate opening, route, turns, unloading position and any street occupation. | Carrier |

### Show the position and the approach

1. Mark boundaries and existing buildings.
2. Add dimensions and proposed clearances.
3. Draw vehicle access and unloading space.

The web guide includes an illustrative sketch. It is not a survey, a required setback or an approved design.

## What you do inside changes the questions.

Describe the real use from day one. A storage permission does not automatically cover a workshop or a place to sleep.

### Household storage

List the contents, how often you enter and the removal date. Confirm placement, screening, supports and any temporary-use conditions.

Start with: planning + building staff.

### Workshop or powered space

State the activity, equipment, occupants and added services. Ask about classification, fire safety, exits, electrical work and ventilation.

Start with: the actual activity and alterations.

### Sleeping or living space

Describe the dwelling or ADU proposal. Use the residential route to review land use, finished living space, structure, services and occupation.

Next: the container-home permit guide.

[Planning a home or ADU?](https://containerfox.com/us/container-homes/building-permits)

## Example results

Published examples for the stated location and project. They are not a live search or a decision for another property.

### San Diego, California — inside city limits — Detached metal freight container for private garden storage; no utilities

**Question:** Can I place a shipping container in my garden without a building permit if I call it temporary?

**Building permit required for this storage proposal:** San Diego's Bulletin 149 covers a detached cargo container used as a storage shed. Calling the placement temporary does not create an exemption.

**Conditions for this example**

- The bulletin's exception concerns stage sets or other production during a permitted special event, not ordinary garden storage.
- A limited foundation exception does not remove the building-permit requirement.
- Adding utilities requires the corresponding separate electrical, mechanical or plumbing permits, even for temporary placement.

**What to do next**

1. **Describe the storage project** — Identify the container, intended use, location and absence of utilities on the plans. (San Diego Development Services)
2. **Prepare the drawing package** — Show the site, dimensions, floor plan and applicable support details with the bulletin's required forms. (Applicant and design team)
3. **Submit electronically** — Apply through Development Services and resolve the requirements for this configuration before installation. (San Diego Development Services)

**Still depends on the property**

- Parcel restrictions, support conditions and any additional project-specific documentation still need assessment.

Documents checked 2026-10-01.

[San Diego: Cargo Containers, Bulletin 149](https://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/forms-publications/information-bulletin/149)

### Phoenix, Arizona — inside city limits — Detached accessory storage container on a single-family lot; size and alterations not finalized

**Question:** Could my garden shipping container qualify for Phoenix's building-permit exemption?

**A specific storage exemption may apply:** Phoenix's adopted 2024 IBC amendment, Section 105.2, Building item 1, includes unaltered intermodal shipping containers of no more than 320 square feet within the one-story detached accessory-storage exemption, subject to zoning. Ask Planning & Development which code applies to this single-family-lot proposal before relying on that provision; the code route, size and alteration conditions are not established here.

**Conditions for this example**

- Confirm the applicable code, floor area, unaltered condition and accessory storage use. Do not assume an IBC provision applies to an IRC project; this exception does not establish permission for a dwelling.
- Building-permit exemption does not waive zoning or other applicable code requirements.
- For a single-family lot, Section 706.B addresses accessory-structure placement, setbacks and height; the chosen position matters.

**What to do next**

1. **Confirm the code route and proposed unit** — Ask Planning & Development whether the IBC or IRC route applies, then record dimensions, existing condition and planned changes before relying on the IBC Section 105.2 exemption. (Owner and Phoenix Planning & Development)
2. **Check the exact placement** — Map the container against lot boundaries and the house; check the applicable accessory-structure zoning rules. (Phoenix Planning & Development)
3. **Resolve the permit route** — If the proposal does not meet the exemption, proceed through building-permit review. Assess any utility work separately. (Phoenix Planning & Development)

**Still depends on the property**

- The applicable code, area, alteration status and zoning compliance must be established before treating this particular container as exempt.

Documents checked 2026-10-03.

[Phoenix: adopted 2024 IBC, Section 105.2](https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/pddsite/documents/codes-ordinances/amendmentcodes/2024-ibc-ch1.pdf)
[Phoenix: accessory structures, Section 706](https://phoenix.municipal.codes/ZO/706)

## Before ordering. Before delivery.

### Before you buy or rent

- Confirm the use, location and any written permit decision.
- Agree the exact unit size, condition, dates and removal terms.
- Check owner / HOA restrictions and permit-related cancellation costs.

### Before the truck arrives

- Confirm all required approvals and a prepared support area.
- Clear access, turning space, door swing and unloading space.
- Identify utilities and agree site readiness with the carrier.

An inquiry or a supplier’s quotation is not an issued permit. Keep the authority’s written decisions with your project records.

## Before you commit: quick answers

### Can I put a 20ft container in my backyard without a permit?

There is no nationwide answer based on size alone. Give the city or county the address, dimensions, use, position and dates, then confirm any zoning or permit requirements for that property.

### Does renting it for a few weeks change the rules?

It may change the local review, but rental is not an automatic exemption. Give the exact start and removal dates and ask whether temporary placement has conditions, a time limit or a separate application.

### Can I turn it into a workshop or bedroom later?

Treat that as a new proposal. Work, public access, power, plumbing or sleeping can change the classification and required approvals. Confirm the new use before fitting out or occupying it.

### Can it sit on blocks instead of a foundation?

Describe the actual support proposal to the supplier and building department. Blocks do not establish an exemption or a safe support design. Ground, drainage, loads and anchorage still need assessment.

### Is my HOA’s approval enough?

Private restrictions and public permits are separate checks. Obtain the owner or HOA agreement where relevant and ask the responsible public authority about the proposed installation.

## Know what you need before comparing quotes.

Include the container, delivery, unloading, duration and removal in the same request.

[Prepare my quote](https://containerfox.com/us/request-a-quote?produit=stockage&mode=location&lieuStockage=surSite)

## Continue planning

- [Prepare the ground](https://containerfox.com/us/guides/container-site-preparation)
- [Plan delivery access](https://containerfox.com/us/container-delivery)