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Washington County

Washington County, RI Permits for Metal Carports and Garages

Rhode Island

Yes, a carport over 64 square feet needs a building permit in Washington County, RI, but the permit comes from your town, not the county. Rhode Island counties have no government, so you deal with the building official in Westerly, South Kingstown, New Shoreham or whichever of the nine towns holds your land. Near the shore there can be a second approval: South Kingstown tells owners that building within 200 feet of a coastal feature takes a Coastal Resources Management Council assent.


Permit office: The county has no office. Each of the nine towns runs its own.


When a permit is required

  • Statewide, a one-story detached accessory structure is exempt from a building permit only at 64 square feet or less. That comes from SBC-2, the 2021 IRC with Rhode Island amendments, in effect since December 1, 2025.
  • Most carports, metal garages and barns are over that size and need a building permit from the town.
  • An electrical permit is required for any wiring, whatever the size of the building.
  • North Kingstown's FAQ names sheds among work needing a permit, and says shed permits usually issue within 7 to 10 days.
  • South Kingstown's FAQ words its line as a permit for any accessory structure 64 square feet or greater, so call the office if your building is exactly 64 square feet.


Zoning and setbacks

Zoning applies even when no building permit does, and South Kingstown says so directly: sheds of any size must meet the lot's setbacks. On Block Island, New Shoreham's zoning gives smaller setbacks to accessory structures with a footprint of 144 square feet or less and a height of 12 feet or less: 50 feet front, 15 side and 15 rear in the RA zone, 50, 10 and 15 in RB, and 25, 10 and 10 in RC. Bigger accessory buildings must sit farther back, at 50 feet on all sides in RA, 50 front, 25 side and 50 rear in RB, and 25 front, 20 side and 40 rear in RC. Accessory height tops out at 25 feet in RA and RB and 20 feet in RC. In Westerly, no accessory structure can go in a required front or corner side yard or be larger than the principal building, and reduced setbacks are only for single-story buildings up to 20 feet tall and 550 square feet. Westerly's side and rear numbers are in its district dimensional tables. North Kingstown sends setback questions to its Planning Department. New Shoreham's Zoning Official, reachable at 401-466-3205, posts a Zoning Plan Review Form.


What to bring

  • An online application where the town uses one. South Kingstown takes no paper copies, and Narragansett, North Kingstown and New Shoreham all run e-permit systems.
  • A site plan. Narragansett wants one stamped by a registered land surveyor, drawn to scale. North Kingstown wants one showing setbacks to all property boundaries. South Kingstown says a Class 1 survey may be required.
  • Building plans to scale. South Kingstown asks for PDF foundation, floor and framing plans, a cross section and elevations. Narragansett wants drawings stamped by a registered engineer or architect.
  • Flood paperwork if it applies. North Kingstown may ask for a stamped flood elevation certificate, and Narragansett's site plan must show flood zone elevation using mean sea level datum.
  • In Charlestown, the town posts a Shed/Accessory Structure Application for buildings under 200 square feet, plus a flood zone affidavit.


Farm buildings

There is no general farm-building exemption in Rhode Island. The state code carves out only plastic-covered temporary greenhouses, under R.I. Gen. Laws 23-27.3-109.1.3.5, so a steel barn on farmland anywhere in the county should be treated as needing a building permit. South Kingstown's permit checklist for accessory structures names barns right alongside garages and sheds.


Good to know

Coastal lots have an extra step. The Coastal Resources Management Council generally requires a permit for work on a coastal feature or within 200 feet of one, including salt ponds. Its office is at 4808 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, 401-783-3370. In New Shoreham's RC, RC/M and M zones, flood hazard lots have a lower limit: accessory structures can be no taller than 70% of the main structure, which is capped at 23 feet. Block Island permits run through the town's e-permitting portal, inspections happen Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a variance for a single-family or accessory use costs $300. South Kingstown has its own portal. Hopkinton does building inspections Monday, Wednesday and Friday and suggests calling before you come in. All nine Washington County towns are listed above. If a number is missing or does not connect, call that town hall and ask for the building official.


Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Washington County RI?
Yes, if it is over 64 square feet, and the permit comes from your town building official because Rhode Island counties have no government.


Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed on Block Island?
A one-story detached building of 64 square feet or less is exempt from the state building permit, but anything larger needs one from the New Shoreham Building Department. Either way it has to meet zoning setbacks, which in the RA zone start at 15 feet side and rear for structures of 144 square feet or less and 12 feet tall or less.


Do I need a coastal permit near the water in South County?
Generally yes for work on a coastal feature or within 200 feet of one, including salt ponds. That approval comes from the Coastal Resources Management Council in Wakefield and is separate from your town's building permit.


Sources


Rules and fees change. Call the office to confirm before you order.


See the full Rhode Island permit guide for statewide rules, farm exemptions and wind and snow ratings.


Looking at buildings? See our metal carports, metal garages and metal buildings.


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