Amarillo, TX Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1 / R-2 lot coverage max
- 45 percent of lot area
- R-3 lot coverage max
- 65 percent of lot area
- Non-res. building in residential zone
- 50 percent maximum coverage
- Parking exclusion
- Unenclosed off-street parking not counted
- Governing table
- Table 1, Summary of Development Standards
- Penalty
- $1 to $2,000 fine per day, Sec. 4-10-4
Summary
Amarillo caps how much of a lot a structure can cover by zoning district under City Code Sec. 4-10-173, with the actual percentage set in Table 1, Summary of Development Standards. R-1 and R-2 lots max out at 45 percent coverage, R-3 allows 65 percent, and unenclosed parking or loading areas do not count toward the total.
No Structure shall hereinafter be located, erected or altered so as to have a greater Lot coverage than hereinafter required, and no Lot Coverage existing at the time of passage of this chapter shall exceed the maximum set forth in Table 1, Summary of Development Standards.(1)Off-street unenclosed parking or loading areas shall not be computed in Lot Coverage as herein specified.(2)In addition to Lot Coverage requirements structures must meet all other requirements of the zoning District in which they are located.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
Section 4-10-173 bars any structure from exceeding the lot coverage ceiling fixed for its zoning district in Table 1, Summary of Development Standards (Sec. 4-10-174), and locks in that ceiling for existing buildings too: coverage already in place when the chapter took effect cannot grow beyond the table maximum. Table 1 sets R-1 and R-2 single-family lots at 45 percent maximum lot coverage, R-3 at 65 percent, and MD-1 and MD-2 residential lots, covering single-family detached, single-family attached, duplex and apartment uses, also at 65 percent.
Non-residential main buildings in those same residential districts are held to a flat 50 percent. Two calculation rules apply across every district. First, off-street unenclosed parking or loading areas are excluded from the lot coverage calculation, so a paved parking lot does not count against the building footprint limit. Second, meeting the lot coverage number is not enough on its own: Sec. 4-10-173(2) requires the structure to satisfy every other applicable requirement of its zoning district, including yard setbacks, height and parking, before it can be built.
The Building Safety Department checks lot coverage against Table 1 as part of building permit and site plan review, and a proposed footprint that exceeds the district maximum cannot be approved without a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the Table 1 lot coverage maximum is a Chapter 4-10 zoning violation. Sec. 4-10-4 sets the penalty at a fine of $1.00 to $2,000.00 per conviction, with each day the excess coverage remains a separate offense, and affected property owners retain a separate civil right of action. The Building Safety Department will not issue a certificate of occupancy for a structure that exceeds its district's coverage limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a driveway or parking lot count toward my lot coverage limit in Amarillo?
What is the maximum lot coverage in an Amarillo R-1 neighborhood?
Can I get a variance if my planned addition exceeds the lot coverage limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Amarillo
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Amarillo to another location·View the Texas building setbacks & zoning overview
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