Last updated October 21, 2026. Rules researched from each city's own code, handouts and permit pages in October 2026; codes change, so we confirm the current version for every project.
We design and build backyard offices across the Kansas City metro, on both the Missouri and Kansas sides. Plan on a permit for a wired, heated office at any size — every city below that addresses wiring requires one. What changes from city to city is how big, how tall and how close to the property line it can be, and whether it may have a bathroom or host clients.
The rules for 19 cities and counties are below. If your city is not listed, include your address in your inquiry and we will check its rules before anything else.
Your HOA's covenants sit on top of all of this. The city does not enforce them and its permit does not override them.
The short version, city by city
| City | Permit for a powered office | Accessory setbacks (rear / side) | Height | Size or coverage cap | Side yard? | ADU allowed? | Home business in an accessory building? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | Yes; the building-permit exemption (≤200 sq ft roof area) does not cover electrical work | 1.5 ft / 1.5 ft; 10 ft from other buildings | 10 ft (garage 16 ft) | 200 sq ft per building (garage, carriage house and ADU have their own caps); all accessory buildings ≤40% of rear yard | Interior side yes | Yes, ≤800 sq ft, owner-occupancy deed restriction | Not confirmed — ask |
| Overland Park | Yes; any wiring needs a permit regardless of size | 3 ft from interior lines; 5 ft from the house | One story, ≤20 ft and not above the house | ≤30% of rear-yard setback area; 2 buildings max; ≤50% of house area; ≤1,200 sq ft each | No | Only in the PRN district | No |
| Olathe | Yes; exemption excludes buildings with mechanical, electrical or plumbing | Sheds 5 ft; garages as house; 10 ft from the house | 25 ft | ≤30% of required rear yard; garage-type 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft of lot, max 1,200 | Not expressly barred — confirm | Yes, ≤1,000 sq ft or 50% of house, whichever is less | Yes, max 2 clients at once |
| Leawood | Yes; no accessory-building exemption at all | Confirm with the city | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lenexa | Building permit over 120 sq ft; ask about the electrical permit for smaller | Over 200 sq ft or 10 ft tall in R-1: 20 ft rear, 7 ft side | 25 ft | ≤ house ground floor; 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft of lot, max 1,500 | Rear yard generally | Not provided for, as last published | Not confirmed |
| Shawnee | Building permit over 120 sq ft; electrical work declared on the application | ≤250 sq ft: 5 ft; larger: district setbacks; 5 ft from house | Not stated in handout | ≤1,000 sq ft; ≤30% of rear yard; one accessory building per lot | No, rear only | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Prairie Village | Threshold not published — confirm | 3 ft side/rear; 60 ft from front (2018 draft) | ≤20 ft and not above the house (2018 draft) | One "major" accessory building ≤576 sq ft (2018 draft) | Effectively rear (2018 draft) | "Accessory living quarters" for related occupants (reported) | Not confirmed |
| Mission | Yes (exemption ≤120 sq ft and ≤8 ft) | 3 ft | ≤16 ft and not above the house | 360 sq ft storage-type building | No, rear only | No provision | Council approval and license required |
| Gardner | Yes (exemption ≤120 sq ft) | 5 ft; 10 ft from the house | ≤25 ft and not above the house | One building over 120 sq ft; 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft, max 1,200 | Behind front building line | Yes; owner occupancy reported | Yes |
| Spring Hill | Yes; basic building permit for any accessory building | Confirm with the city | Sheds ≤12 ft | Sheds ≤120 sq ft; larger buildings — confirm | — | Confirm with the city | No, except in the AG district |
| Uninc. Johnson Co., KS | Yes (exemption ≤200 sq ft storage) plus notarized use form | Apply at any size; numbers in Article 18 | — | — | — | Not found | Not confirmed |
| Lee's Summit | Yes (over 120 sq ft) | Sheds 3 ft | Sheds and hobby shops 15 ft | 250 sq ft for sheds and "hobby shops" | Not front | Limited: Old Downtown or lots ≥½ acre | No |
| Blue Springs | Yes; any electricity or water triggers a permit | 2.5 ft; 5 ft from buildings | ≤16 ft and not above the house (unofficial code copy) | ≤10% of lot | Yes, 10 ft behind front line (unofficial code copy) | Yes; size caps conflict — confirm | Yes, no exterior sign (unofficial code copy) |
| Independence | Yes (over 120 sq ft); 2024 IRC, 2023 NEC | 5 ft | ≤25 ft and not above the house | ≤15% of rear yard or 50% of house coverage; 600 sq ft always allowed | Not stated | Only in the West Central overlay | Existing building only; no new building for a business |
| Liberty | Yes (over 200 sq ft) | 5 ft; 10 ft from other structures | Not stated | 800 sq ft on lots under ½ acre, up to 2,500 on 3+ acres; ≤ house size | Yes, side or rear | Conflicting city sources — confirm | Conflicting city sources — confirm |
| Parkville | Yes (over 120 sq ft); surveyor-sealed plot plan | 5 ft rear, 3 ft side; 10 ft from house | 1½ stories, not above the house | 576 sq ft or 35% of rear yard, one per lot | Behind front line | Conditional use, family or caregiver only | Existing building only; no new building for a business |
| Gladstone | Yes, regardless of size | 9 ft; 10 ft from house, 20 ft from a neighbor's house | ≤25 ft and not above the house | 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft of lot; ≤50% of house; max 1,200; 2 buildings | Not addressed | Planned district only (reported) | Special use permit for some businesses |
| Raymore | Yes (over 200 sq ft) | 5 ft; not in required side yard | Not above the house | ≤ house ground floor; all accessory ≤8% of lot | Not in required side yard | Proposed as special use (2018); adopted form not confirmed | Only on 1+ acre or A, RE, RR zoning |
| Uninc. Jackson Co., MO | Yes (≥200 sq ft); over 600 sq ft needs a primary use | Principal side setback (reported) | — | Finished garage or office space ≤1,000 sq ft | Rear (reported) | AG and RR only (reported) | Yes by definition; limits not confirmed |
"—" means the city's published material does not settle the rule; we ask the city before design.
Kansas side
Overland Park
Overland Park adopted the 2024 residential code and the 2023 electrical code. Its guidelines are blunt: a permit is required for any accessory structure over 200 sq ft, and "any electrical wiring or gas piping to an accessory structure requires a permit regardless of the size." Detached accessory buildings may sit in the rear-yard setback but not in a required front or side yard, no closer than 3 feet to an interior lot line, 5 feet from the house, and anything over 10 feet tall must be set back at least a third of its height. Together, detached accessory buildings may cover no more than 30% of the rear-yard setback area; no more than two per lot; each no larger than 1,200 sq ft; and all of them no more than half the house's floor area. Design must be "similar to or compatible with" the house, and the city says pre-engineered metal buildings generally are not. Two rules matter most for an office: accessory buildings in R-1 may not be used "for residential purposes" (ADUs are allowed only in the PRN district), and home occupations must be "entirely contained within the interior of a residence" — the July 2026 guidelines say they "are never allowed in accessory buildings." Footings go to 36 inches unless the building is free-standing light frame under 600 sq ft with eaves no higher than 10 feet.
Olathe
Olathe's building-code exemption covers accessory buildings up to 200 sq ft only if they "are not served with mechanical, electrical or plumbing systems," and its zoning code defines a shed as a building "not served by heat or plumbing" — so a conditioned office is not a shed here, and which standard applies to it (shed or garage-type setbacks) is a question for the planner. Accessory buildings may not exceed 30% of the required rear yard, must sit 10 feet from the house and out of easements, and may reach 25 feet. Olathe is one of the friendlier cities for a working office: a home occupation may operate "in garages or accessory structures," with residents only as workers and no more than two clients at a time, and ADUs are allowed with only a building permit — up to 1,000 sq ft or half the house, whichever is less, two bedrooms maximum, a separate address and one parking space.
Leawood
Leawood removed the accessory-structure exemption from its residential code amendments, so every accessory building needs a permit. Its setbacks, height and size limits for accessory buildings sit in the Leawood Development Ordinance, and we confirm them with the city before designing anything in Leawood.
Lenexa
Lenexa exempts accessory buildings of 120 sq ft or less from a permit. Its setbacks depend on size: in R-1, anything over 200 sq ft or 10 feet tall is "large" and needs 20 feet from the rear line, 7 feet from an interior side and 20 feet from a street side; smaller buildings need 5 feet. Accessory buildings belong in the rear yard, may not exceed the house's ground-floor area, and together are limited to 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft of lot (1,500 sq ft maximum on lots under an acre). Buildings over 200 sq ft must be compatible with the house. Lenexa's published accessory-building guide says buildings up to 600 sq ft do not need frost-depth footings.
Shawnee
Shawnee requires a permit for any accessory building over 120 sq ft, plans from a design professional, and 36-inch footings over 400 sq ft. Accessory buildings go in the rear yard only, one per residential lot, and on lots of an acre or less are limited by the most restrictive of 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft of lot, 30% of the required rear yard, the house's finished area, or 1,000 sq ft. The city adopted the 2023 electrical code in April 2026.
Prairie Village
These figures come from the 2018 final draft of Prairie Village's code; we confirm the adopted version before design. It allows one "major" accessory building up to 576 sq ft, 3 feet from side and rear lines and 60 feet from the front, no taller than 20 feet or the house, with any part above 10 feet stepped back a third of its height, and designed to match the house's materials, windows, roof form and style. Accessory structures count toward the 30% building-coverage limit.
Mission
Mission allows one rear-yard storage-type accessory building up to 360 sq ft and no taller than 16 feet or the house, 3 feet from side and rear lines, with a permit over 120 sq ft. It has no ADU provision, and detached garages may not have a sanitary sewer connection — a question to settle before planning any plumbing. Home occupations need City Council approval and an occupational license.
Gardner
Gardner allows one detached accessory building over 120 sq ft per lot, 5 feet from side and rear lines and 10 feet from the house, up to 25 feet and no taller than the house, limited to 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft of lot (1,200 sq ft maximum) and 30% of the rear yard, with materials compatible with the house. Home occupations may be conducted in accessory structures, and ADUs are allowed; a regional copy of the standards adds owner occupancy and a connection to the house's water and sewer.
Spring Hill
Spring Hill requires a basic building permit for any accessory building. Sheds are limited to 120 sq ft and 12 feet tall; the standards for larger accessory buildings are in the 2025 zoning ordinance, and we confirm them with the city. A home occupation must be conducted within the dwelling, except in the agricultural district, where an accessory structure may be used.
Unincorporated Johnson County
The county requires a permit for accessory buildings over 200 sq ft and a notarized accessory-building use form. Trade work needs permits by county-licensed contractors, and the county ties plumbing in a new structure to an environmental/wastewater review and a septic location verification; we confirm how that applies to an office. Most unincorporated residential lots are 10 acres or larger.
Missouri side
Kansas City, Missouri
The single most important rule in the metro for a backyard office: Kansas City, Missouri limits each detached accessory building to 200 sq ft and 10 feet tall, except detached garages (up to 800 sq ft or 1 sq ft per 10 sq ft of lot, whichever is greater, and 16 feet), carriage houses (1,500 sq ft, 28 feet) and ADUs. The city's own code-questions page says a Board of Zoning Adjustment variance is required for sheds, storage buildings and pool houses over 200 sq ft. Setbacks are generous — 1.5 feet from rear and side lines, 10 feet from other buildings — but a wall closer than 5 feet to a property line needs a one-hour fire rating and limited openings. Together, accessory buildings may cover 40% of the rear yard. ADUs are allowed in the rear yard up to 800 sq ft with a kitchen, a full bath and sleeping space, an owner living on site and a deed restriction recorded before occupancy. Owner-occupants may pull their own electrical permit. Kansas City, Missouri enforces the 2021 energy code.
What this means in practice: a 12×16 office (192 sq ft) with a single-slope roof fits the accessory cap if overhangs are not counted toward it, which we confirm with the city. A 14×20 office does not, unless it is designed and permitted as a garage, carriage house or ADU, or the owner seeks a variance.
Lee's Summit
Lee's Summit requires permits for detached accessory structures over 120 sq ft and a permanent 12-inch-deep footing above that size. Sheds and "hobby shops" are capped at 250 sq ft and 15 feet, 3 feet from side and rear lines. The city adopted the 2024 building codes and 2023 electrical code effective October 1, 2026. Accessory buildings may not be used for a home occupation or rented, and ADUs are allowed only in Old Downtown or on lots of half an acre or more, with an owner-occupancy attestation.
Blue Springs
Blue Springs exempts sheds under 250 sq ft only if they have no electricity or water; a powered office needs footing, framing, electrical and final inspections. Accessory buildings sit 2.5 feet from side and rear lines and 5 feet from other buildings and may cover up to 10% of the lot; an unofficial copy of the code adds a height limit of 16 feet or the house and allows home occupations in accessory structures without exterior signs. We confirm both with the city. The city adopted the 2024 codes and 2023 electrical code effective June 1, 2026.
Independence
Independence requires a permit above 120 sq ft, follows the 2024 residential and 2023 electrical codes, and requires 5-foot setbacks, a height no greater than 25 feet or the house, and coverage of no more than 15% of the rear yard or half the house's footprint (600 sq ft is always allowed). A home business may use one existing accessory structure, but "no building addition or construction of a new accessory structure associated with a home business is allowed." ADUs are allowed only in the West Central Independence Overlay District. Water service must be at least 42 inches deep.
Liberty
Liberty requires a permit over 200 sq ft and frost footings over 400 sq ft, 5-foot setbacks and 10 feet from other structures, and allows accessory buildings in a side or rear yard — up to 800 sq ft on lots under half an acre, and never larger than the house. Its guide is the strictest in the metro on plumbing: "Sleeping space, showers, baths, and kitchens are not permitted," and plumbing "is limited to a cleanup sink and a toilet." Residential siding is required; metal panels are not allowed. The city's published home-business guidance contradicts itself on accessory buildings, so we ask before designing for client use.
Parkville
Parkville requires a permit over 120 sq ft with a plot plan sealed by a licensed surveyor, allows one accessory building over 120 sq ft per lot, limited to 576 sq ft or 35% of the rear yard (whichever is less) and 1½ stories, 5 feet from the rear line, 3 feet from the side and 10 feet from the house. Electrical work requires a master electrician; the homeowner permit covers only accessory buildings "not intended for occupancy." A new accessory building may not be built to house a home business. ADUs are a conditional use, limited to family members or caregivers.
Gladstone
Gladstone requires a building permit for detached accessory structures "regardless of the size," with the widest setbacks we found — 9 feet from side and rear lines, 10 feet from the house and 20 feet from a neighbor's house — and a footing and foundation over 200 sq ft. Accessory buildings may total 250 sq ft per 3,000 sq ft of lot, half the house's area or 1,200 sq ft, two at most, and "the color and roof pitch must match the home."
Raymore
Raymore requires a permit over 200 sq ft and frost-depth pier footings (at least 36 inches) over 400 sq ft. Accessory buildings must be 5 feet from property lines and other buildings, out of the required side yard and easements, no taller than the house and no larger than its ground floor, with all accessory buildings under 8% of the lot. A home occupation may be conducted in a detached accessory building only on a lot of an acre or more or in the A, RE or RR districts.
Unincorporated Jackson County
The county exempts buildings under 200 sq ft; from 200 to 600 sq ft a building is allowed in listed residential zones, and over 600 sq ft it needs a permitted primary use. Finished accessory space used as an office is capped at 1,000 sq ft. Electrical work needs a licensed electrician unless the owner signs an affidavit to occupy the property for a year after completion. A regional copy of the county code limits ADUs to the AG and RR districts.
What applies everywhere
- Frost depth is 36 inches, but each city decides whether a small accessory building needs frost-depth footings (see the planning guide's foundation section).
- Easements are off limits in most cities, and drainage swales must stay open.
- Call 811 before any digging, on both sides of the state line.
- Missouri's 2022 home-business law (HB 1662) is reported to limit how Missouri cities regulate no-impact home businesses, so some older city rules may no longer apply as written. Ask the city which version it applies.
- The HOA comes first in practice. Get written architectural approval before the permit application.
How we handle the city side
For every project we check the address against the city's current code, call the planner where the rule is unclear, design to the strictest applicable limit, and handle the permit applications. If a variance or a different classification (garage, ADU) is the only way to get the building you want, we tell you before you pay for design.
Planning the building itself? The backyard office planning guide covers size, foundation, insulation, heating and power; the cost guide shows what each choice costs. Our services: custom backyard offices, backyard studios, and offices with a bathroom.
Request a project proposal — include your address, and we will check your city's rules before we draw anything.