What is a Setback and How Do I Find the Building Setback in My Neighborhood?

Have you ever walked down a street and paid attention to how the houses are aligned in a somewhat uniform manner? Houses tend to be a certain distance from the street or sidewalk, a certain distance away from their adjacent neighbors, and have a certain depth of yard.

This spacing is called a setback and is the required distance that a building must be located away from the streets, easements, and other structures. The size of the setbacks is determined by a municipality's Planning and Zoning Department and the size of the setback all depends on the zoning of the property.

In dense urban neighborhoods, building side yard setbacks can be as narrow as three feet. In estate-like subdivisions or more rural neighborhoods, the side setbacks might be 50 or 100 feet. Even the distance from the house to the street is determined by the city with some municipalities allowing "zero lot line" front setbacks while others require 20 feet or more. Because the setbacks are so varied, it's never wise for a property owner to assume that he can build a storage shed, pergola, chicken coop, dog run, or even a driveway in any old location. Before building any type of structure, a property owner should contact his city's Planning and Zoning Department and ask about the property setbacks.

Is it possible to gauge the setback distances without calling the city? Not really. Some of the older structures you see in your neighborhood may have built before building setbacks had even been established. Building on the corner of the property may have been allowed in 1940 but might not be allowed under the current building guidelines.

So what is the purpose of the building setback?

Setbacks have a number of purposes:

1. They provide uniformity to a neighborhood and determine the relationships and placement between the structures.

2. Setbacks allow a certain measure of privacy between neighbors, provide space for light and air circulation, and provide open space for landscaping and recreational use. They also provide distance between neighbors to mitigate noise and odors.

3. Setbacks also ensure that there is adequate room for emergency vehicles between and around the properties and access for utility workers who need to deal with power, water, and gas lines. It also provides space for maintenance on the home.

4. It provides places for cars to park in front of their garages without having to overhang and block a sidewalk.

5. Setbacks also improve street visibility.

A building setback is an important part of zoning regulation and one that not only preserves a neighbor's privacy and light, but provides for emergency access around the property. Most municipalities enforce the setbacks so stringently that an outbuilding that's been illegally constructed in the setback area must be taken down.

With the cost of construction materials being what they are, it really does make sense to call your city's Planning & Zoning Department, and ask about the setbacks before tackling that home improvement project. Got a neighbor who just built a carport that now blocks the sunlight in your kitchen window? The Planning & Zoning department can handle that as well.