{"id":9728,"date":"2021-08-03T19:51:46","date_gmt":"2021-08-03T19:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=9728"},"modified":"2025-05-01T10:14:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:14:52","slug":"can-you-build-a-shed-and-then-decide-to-turn-it-into-a-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/can-you-build-a-shed-and-then-decide-to-turn-it-into-a-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you build a shed and then decide to turn it into a house?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you thought about turning a backyard shed into a small cottage to rent out? Or have you considered turning a shed into a tiny house and renting out your own house?<\/p>\n

Can you turn a shed into a house legally?<\/h2>\n

I was told that yes, a Tuff Shed or Classic Manor building could be used to build a house, but you had to pull the permits that way in the first place, before it was built. I was told that you have to have the residential-type inspections and everything all along the way. If you pull permits to build a shed, you have a shed. Period.<\/p>\n

It seems that is not exactly true! Someone just talked to zoning about converting an accessory building into a residential dwelling unit. They want to turn a Home Depot 2-story shed into a home.<\/p>\n

Change of Use Zoning Permit<\/h2>\n

They were told that a Home Depot 2-story shed can be converted into an accessory dwelling unit. If it meets the setback requirements and is 800 square feet or less they can get a Change of Use Zoning Permit from the Building Inspections Department to change the use from shed to residence.<\/p>\n

Change of use permits essentially change the use of the space and must meet requirements specified by that use. Change of Use permits, once approved, will also require a new certificate of occupancy for the space. Essentially that space is now certified for that use as long as the basic permit requirements are met. This change of use permit and certificate of occupancy will stay with the property for the life cycle of the parcel.<\/p>\n

Change of Use Permits<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Our neighborhood zoning allows for Accessory Dwelling Units. Each house can basically have another house. You just can\u2019t sell an Accessory Dwelling Unit separately from the main house unless they are far enough apart.<\/p>\n

ADUs or Accessory Dwelling Units are not unusual. They were zoned here since the \u201820s. Different areas have different zoning and rules for ADUs. HUD had a report written on them in 2008.<\/p>\n

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) \u2014 also referred to as accessory apartments, second units, or granny flats \u2014 are additional living quarters on single-family lots that are independent of the primary dwelling unit. The separate living spaces are equipped with kitchen and bath-room facilities, and can be either attached or detached from the main residence.<\/p>\n

Accessory Dwelling Units: Case Study June 2008<\/a>
\nU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The report compares rules and zoning in different areas.<\/p>\n

The lot that our Classic Manor New Day Cabin is on is zoned commercial, C-3. The setbacks are 20-feet in front, 10-feet in the back and 8-feet to the sides. Our building is too close to the property lines. It meets the setbacks for a shed, not for a residence.<\/p>\n

It is possible to have that lot rezoned as residential, since the other lot is. In that case the setback would only have to be 5-feet.<\/p>\n

There is another way it can be done. You can get a Hardship Exemption if you have a special need, like elderly parents.<\/p>\n

I found out about that another time and wrote about the Granny Flat Zoning Temporary Use Permit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Different areas have different rules, but check! Maybe you can legally turn your shed into a house.<\/p>\n

Home Depot now sells the Summer Wind Storage Barn and the Sundance 2-Story Building instead of the Classic Manor New Day Cabin.<\/p>\n

See all Posts about Summer Wind, Sundance and Classic Manor New Day Cabins ><\/a><\/p>\n

Featured Image Tiny House in the backyard in Portland, Oregon
\nPhoto by Tammy, Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you thought about turning a backyard shed into a small cottage to rent out? Or have you considered turning a shed into a tiny house and renting out your own house? Can you turn a shed into a house legally? I was told that …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[85,40,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adus","category-she-shed","category-office"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/featured-ADU.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9235,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/16-x-16-sundance-tr-1600-2-story-building\/","url_meta":{"origin":9728,"position":0},"title":"16 x 16 Sundance TR-1600 2-Story Building","author":"Carla","date":"March 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the Sundance TR-1600 from TuffShed. They are sold at Home Depot. This is the smallest one I've seen, only 16' x 16'. This building is way more than just another shed. The TR-1600 boasts the most usable floor space and cubic square feet of any TUFF SHED Sundance\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Garages & Storage"","block_context":{"text":"Garages & Storage","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/garage-storage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tuff Shed 16 x 16 Sundance Series TR-1600","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/featured-16x16-TuffShed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/featured-16x16-TuffShed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/featured-16x16-TuffShed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/featured-16x16-TuffShed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6694,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/tuff-shed-upgrades-and-options\/","url_meta":{"origin":9728,"position":1},"title":"Tuff Shed Upgrades and Options","author":"Carla","date":"November 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It depends on what shed you get, but you don't get much before the options. Basically, you get a box with one door to get into it. No windows. There is no real option available to finish it inside. You can have them add shelves, pegboard and a workbench. Anything\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Garages & Storage"","block_context":{"text":"Garages & Storage","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/garage-storage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tuff Shed Upgrades and Options","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/featured-sundance-options.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/featured-sundance-options.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/featured-sundance-options.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/featured-sundance-options.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8029,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/912-sq-ft-2-story-24-x-24-tuff-shed-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":9728,"position":2},"title":"912 Sq Ft 2-Story 24 x 24 Tuff Shed Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"August 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Tuff Shed cabins and auxiliary buildings are built on your location. The outside is finished and you complete the inside yourself. With planning, these little houses like the Tuff Shed TR-1600 2-story farmhouse can be finished to make an economical house. The Yellowstone Cabin Shell is 912 square feet, with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "House Plans"","block_context":{"text":"House Plans","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/house-plans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tuff Shed Cabin Shell Series The Yellowstone 912 sq ft | 1.5 Story 1 or 2 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/featured-yellowstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/featured-yellowstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/featured-yellowstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/featured-yellowstone.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7995,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/2-story-tuff-shed-cabin\/","url_meta":{"origin":9728,"position":3},"title":"2-Story Tuff Shed Cabin","author":"Carla","date":"August 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"With planning, the Tuff Shed TR-1600 2-story farmhouse can be finished to make an economical house. It is available with a foot print of up to 18' x 36' with two full floors. You can see it at many Home Depots. Tuff Shed also makes cabin shells. Tuff Shed puts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "House Plans"","block_context":{"text":"House Plans","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/house-plans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"2-Story Tuff Shed Cabin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/featured-yukon.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/featured-yukon.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/featured-yukon.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/featured-yukon.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7251,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/tuff-shed-cabin-shells\/","url_meta":{"origin":9728,"position":4},"title":"Tuff Shed Cabin Shells","author":"Carla","date":"March 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"You can use a Tuff Shed auxiliary building to make a small house. Now they have new line of cabin shells make it easier with floor plans and interior framing options. Tuff Shed builds the shell and can add interior framing that you finish yourself. Interior Wall Framing TUFF SHED\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "House Plans"","block_context":{"text":"House Plans","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/house-plans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Colorado Cabin Tuff Shed Cabin Shells","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/featured-tuff_shed_cabin_shell.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/featured-tuff_shed_cabin_shell.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/featured-tuff_shed_cabin_shell.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/featured-tuff_shed_cabin_shell.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7409,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/selecting-a-premier-lean-to-from-tuff-shed\/","url_meta":{"origin":9728,"position":5},"title":"Selecting a Premier Lean-To from Tuff Shed","author":"Carla","date":"May 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I have just spent hours calculating the best price on storage. I'm sure you want to know, too. We plan to build a large storage building work shop behind the house, but we have to wait for the city to finish some work they are doing. It has been dragging\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Garages & Storage"","block_context":{"text":"Garages & Storage","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/garage-storage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Selecting a Premier Lean-To from Tuff Shed","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/featured-selecting-a-premier-lean-to-from-tuff-shed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/featured-selecting-a-premier-lean-to-from-tuff-shed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/featured-selecting-a-premier-lean-to-from-tuff-shed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/featured-selecting-a-premier-lean-to-from-tuff-shed.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9728"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9924,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9728\/revisions\/9924"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}