The rule in 5 cities, with their permit counts
Rules from each department's own page, read 23 October 2026. Counts are garage permits in the city's file over three years to September 2026; Cincinnati files garages with sheds, Minneapolis and Saint Paul with other accessory buildings.
| City | The rule | Garage permits | Usual filed value | Usual days to final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | Express permit for a detached frame garage up to 600 square feet on a slab, with a hip or gable roof; masonry walls, a loft, heating or plumbing need a plan-based permit | 1,821 | $26,312 | 106 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Only "Tool and storage sheds that are one-story and less that 200 square feet" are exempt; garage fees are "based on the square footage of the garage" | 706 | $24,775 | 143 |
| Colorado Springs, CO (Pikes Peak Regional) | Exempt only one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet "supported directly on grade" | 136 | $36,160 | 133 |
| Saint Paul, MN | "A general building permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish… residences, garages, carports" | 431 | $17,472 | 263 |
| Cincinnati, OH | Exempt only sheds "not greater than 100 square feet", no higher than 8 feet average, in a rear yard | 111 (garages and sheds) | $20,000 | 332 |
Nine more departments, without garage counts in our file:
| Building department | The rule |
|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Exempt only accessory buildings up to 200 square feet and 15 feet tall with no plumbing |
| Bellevue, WA | "A permit with plan review is required for a new attached or detached garage" |
| Citrus Heights, CA | "DETACHED GARAGES", "CARPORT" and "GARAGE CONVERSION": yes |
| Naperville, IL | New accessory structures "(gazebos, carports, garages, etc.)" need a permit |
| Denton, TX | Detached garages need one; sheds up to 200 square feet with no power, water or AC do not |
| Wheaton, IL | Detached garage permit needs a grading plan sealed by an Illinois Registered Engineer or Land Surveyor, plus construction plans |
| Cary, NC | A detached garage needs a permit; so does finishing or conditioning an unfinished space |
| Waco, TX | Garages over 200 square feet need a Residential Accessory Structure permit; "All detached carports" need one regardless of size |
| San Diego County (unincorporated) | Exempt only accessory buildings up to 120 square feet, and carports up to 300 square feet of roof |
Carports are where the rules differ
A garage needs a permit everywhere here. A carport depends on the city: Waco permits every detached carport, Saint Paul and Citrus Heights list carports with garages, San Diego County exempts carports up to 300 square feet of projected roof, and Cary exempts temporary aluminum or canvas carports of 400 square feet or less. Sheds are covered in shed permits.
Who pulls it
Chicago's express garage permit lists a licensed general contractor (Class A to E) and a licensed electrical contractor as required; an owner can act as general contractor in some cases with Form 401. Chicago also requires the garage's outside walls to sit at least 2 feet from the lot lines, and as-built dimensions to match the application within 6 inches or the garage "must be rebuilt to be consistent with the permit at the contractor or owner's expense". The builder check is in hiring a home builder.
How long it takes
The usual garage permit closed in 106 days in Chicago and 143 in Minneapolis, against 263 in Saint Paul and 332 in Cincinnati. 93.4% of Minneapolis's garage permits a year or more old reached a final, against 59.8% of Saint Paul's. Hold back part of the last payment until the final passes.
Check it in five minutes
- Pull your plat of survey and mark the garage with its distance to every lot line; zoning checks setbacks before the building review starts.
- Decide the roof and wall type; in Chicago a flat roof or masonry walls move you off the express permit.
- Ask the builder for the permit number before the slab is poured.
See every Chicago garage builder by permits filed →
What this does not tell you
We read 14 departments' rules; zoning limits on garage size and height are separate and stricter in many. Our counts come from five cities, three of which mix garages with sheds or other accessory buildings.
How we know this
Rules are quoted from the pages under Sources, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts, filed values, usual days to final and finished shares come from each city's permit file over the three years ending September 2026. "Usual days" is the median from issue to final inspection; "reached a final" counts permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Chicago building permits (Chicago Data Portal); City of Minneapolis construction permits (CCS); City of Saint Paul building and trade permits (the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025, and the City's PAULIE permit system since September 2025), with the contractor named on each permit; Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permits inside Colorado Springs city limits; City of Cincinnati building permits (residential, Residential Code of Ohio), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How big can a garage be without a permit?
Too small to park in. The exemptions in these departments are for sheds: up to 200 square feet in Austin, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Denton and the Pikes Peak region (Colorado Springs), 120 in San Diego County and 100 in Cincinnati. Chicago's express garage permit requires clear floor space of at least 18 by 8 feet for one car, and every department we read permits garages.
- Do I need a permit for a carport?
Usually. Saint Paul, Citrus Heights, Bellevue and Naperville list carports with garages, and Waco requires a permit for all detached carports regardless of size. San Diego County exempts patio covers and carports up to 300 square feet of roof, and Cary exempts temporary aluminum or canvas carports of 400 square feet or less.
- Do I need a permit to convert a garage into a room?
Yes. Bellevue requires a permit with plan review 'for converting a garage into living space', Citrus Heights lists 'GARAGE CONVERSION', and Waco files garage conversions under its Repairs & Alterations permit. A conversion also changes parking, so zoning reviews it too.
- How long does a garage permit take?
The usual garage permit reached its final inspection in 106 days in Chicago, 133 in Colorado Springs and 143 in Minneapolis, against 263 in Saint Paul. That clock includes the build.
- What does a permitted garage cost?
The usual filed value on a garage permit was $17,472 in Saint Paul, $24,775 in Minneapolis, $26,312 in Chicago and $36,160 in Colorado Springs. More in detached garage cost.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a permit for a shed? The size limit in 16 cities, and how many get filed
- Do I need a permit to build a garage in Chicago? Yes: the express detached-garage permit and its limits
- Detached garage cost: what garage permits show in 16 cities
- Do I need a permit to build a garage in Denver? Zoning, building and sewer permits, fees and the old garage
- Does a detached garage add value? How appraisers count it, and what one costs against home values
- Do I need an HVAC permit in San Antonio? Who can pull it, the fees, and 19,298 permits
For one city
- Detached Frame Garage (Express Permit Program) — City of Chicago Department of Buildings (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Terms and Conditions for Detached Frame Garage — City of Chicago Department of Buildings (accessed 2026-10-23)
- When is a permit required? — City of Saint Paul DSI (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Construction work exempt from permit — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building permit fees for detached garages — City of Minneapolis (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Permit Not Required — Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Residential Permit Guide — City of Cincinnati Buildings & Inspections (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Work Exempt from Building Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Work requiring permits — City of Bellevue, WA (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Projects Requiring a Building Permit (CHB0600, rev. 08/23) — City of Citrus Heights, CA (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Guide to Building Permits (rev. 10/31/2022) — City of Naperville, IL (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Accessory Structures — City of Denton, TX (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Detached Garage Construction - Residential — City of Wheaton, IL (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Residential Permits FAQ — Town of Cary, NC (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Do I Need a Permit? — City of Waco Inspection Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- PDS 110 Building Permit Requirements per Adoptive Ordinance (rev. 01/01/2026) — County of San Diego (accessed 2026-10-23)