A detached garage or shop inside Medina has a clear envelope to fit. On residential lots, all detached accessory buildings together are limited to 744 square feet, or up to 1,032 square feet when that total is no more than 10 percent of the rear yard. A lot can have three detached accessory buildings at most, each in the rear yard, at least five feet from side and rear lot lines, and no more than 15 feet tall.
Those numbers still allow a solid building. A 24-by-30 two-car garage comes in at 720 square feet, under the base limit. A 24-by-40 workshop at 960 square feet works only if the rear yard is at least 9,600 square feet. Existing sheds count against the total, so we measure what is already there, then size the new building, its doors and its driveway to what remains. If you need a bigger shop than a city lot allows, township land around Medina is where that conversation goes next.
What to know before building in Medina
Do the rear-yard math first
The 1,032-square-foot option depends on the rear yard, meaning the area between the house and the rear lot line. To use the full amount, that area has to be at least 10,320 square feet. Many city lots fall short, which leaves the 744-square-foot base limit in charge. We calculate it from your survey or the county auditor's parcel map.
A garage needs a hard-surfaced drive
If the building will ever be used as a garage or carport, Medina requires a hard-surfaced driveway to it. Residential drives must be concrete, asphalt or brick, or permeable pavement the City Engineer approves, no wider than 20 feet on the lot and 22 feet at the curb, and driveways count toward the district's lot coverage limit.
Ten feet from the house, or a fire-rated wall
Detached buildings must be 10 feet from other buildings unless a closer distance is approved. Even then, the city's handout notes that the building code does not allow less than six feet unless the facing wall has no windows or doors and the garage interior is lined with fire-rated material, such as half-inch fire code drywall, for a one-hour rating.
Common residential garages & workshops projects around Medina
- 24 x 30 detached two-car garage within the 744 sq ft limit
- Workshop up to 1,032 sq ft on a lot with a deep rear yard
- Garage plus a small garden shed, within the three-building rule
- Insulated hobby shop with lighting and a concrete floor
- Single-bay garage with a hard-surfaced pad for a trailer beside it
Residential Garages & Workshops FAQs for Medina
Does my existing shed count toward the 744 square feet?
Yes. The limit applies to the combined area of all detached accessory buildings on the lot, and the shed also counts as one of the three buildings allowed. Swing sets and play structures that are not permanently anchored are exempt from the count and area limits, and swimming pools are exempt from the number and area limits.
How is the 15-foot height measured?
Medina's zoning code defines building height from finished grade to the mean level between eaves and ridge on a gable, hip or gambrel roof, not to the peak. The building department's accessory handout describes the measurement from the finished floor, so we confirm the reference point with the reviewer and show the calculation on the elevation drawing.
Where can I park a camper if the garage cannot hold it?
On a residential property, boats, campers and similar trailers may be kept on a hard-surfaced pad in the side or rear yard behind the front building line, and on the driveway only from April 1 to October 31. No more than two such vehicles are allowed per lot, and each must be operable, licensed and registered.
About our residential garages & workshops
Post-frame garages and workshops for vehicles, tools and projects, designed around the height and size limits on your lot.
Sizes, materials and options