Building Setbacks & Zoning in Richardson, TX

Every city handles building setbacks & zoning a little differently. In Richardson, Texas, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Structure Height Limits

In Richardson's R-1250-M single-family district, a house is capped at two stories, with the first story limited to 25 feet and the second to 15 feet, while a detached accessory building like a garage or servants' quarters tops out at one story and 12 to 25 feet depending on its footprint.

Key details: Principal building: Max two stories (Art. VI §3(a)). First story cap: 25 feet. Second story cap: 15 feet. Accessory building: One story; 12 ft (≤150 sq ft) or 25 ft. Zoning fine: Up to $2,000 per offense (§1-8).

Building a principal residence taller than two stories, or exceeding the 25-foot first-story or 15-foot second-story limits, or building an accessory structure over one story or its applicable 12- or 25-foot cap, is a zoning code violation subject to the Code's general penalty, Section 1-8. That section fines zoning violations up to $2,000.00 per offense, with the enhanced tier applying because zoning is one of the categories the Code singles out for the higher fine, and each day a noncompliant structure stands can be charged as a separate offense.

Setback Rules

Richardson's R-1250-M single-family district requires a 30-foot front setback, a 25-foot rear setback, and a side setback that scales with lot width from 7 to 15 feet, with narrow carve-outs letting eaves, fireplaces and bay windows project up to two feet into the setback.

Key details: Front setback: 30 feet minimum (Art. VI §4(e)). Rear setback: 25 feet minimum (Art. VI §4(g)). Side setback: 7 to 15 feet, scales with lot width. Corner lot side street: Minimum 20 feet. Accessory building rear/side: 3 feet, 18 in. if alley-adjacent.

Building a principal structure or an addition inside the required front, side or rear setback without qualifying for one of the ordinance's listed exceptions is a zoning violation. Under the Code's general penalty, Section 1-8, zoning violations are fined up to $2,000.00 per offense, and each day a noncompliant structure remains standing can be charged as a separate offense.

Lot Coverage Limits

Richardson caps total building footprint at 32 percent of the lot in the R-1250-M single-family district, with a grandfathered 35 percent for subdivisions platted and filed before March 31, 1975, and separately limits detached garages and accessory buildings to 8 percent of the lot.

Key details: Base coverage cap: 32% of lot area (Art. VI §4(d)(1)). Pre-1975 exception: 35% if platted/filed before 3-31-75. Accessory structure cap: 8% of lot area, max 40% of house size. Driveway/impervious cap: 50% of front-yard strip. Varies by district: R-1500-M cap is 40%, not 32%.

Exceeding the lot coverage cap, the 8 percent accessory-structure limit, or the front-yard impervious-surface cap is a zoning violation. Because the Code's general penalty, Section 1-8, singles out zoning offenses for its higher fine tier, a violation can be fined up to $2,000.00 per offense, and each day an oversized structure remains in place can be prosecuted as a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Richardson's building setbacks & zoning rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Richardson is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Richardson's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.