Yavapai County, AZ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- District 1-2 coverage cap
- 50 percent
- District 3 coverage cap
- 40 percent
- District 4 coverage cap
- 25 percent
- District 5 coverage cap
- 15 percent
- District 7.5 coverage cap
- 10 percent
- Largest acreage districts
- 5 percent maximum coverage
- Governing section
- Ordinance Section 516
Summary
Yavapai County caps how much of a lot a building can cover under the Section 516 Density District chart, not a single countywide percentage. The smallest-lot districts (1 through 3, 7,500 sq ft minimum) allow up to 50% lot coverage, falling to 25% in District 4, 15% in District 5, and 10% in District 7.5 as minimum lot size grows.
SECTION 516 DENSITY DISTRICTS A. The following Density Districts and regulations are intended to be combined with the appropriate Use Districts. The density provisions in the accompanying chart, together with applicable General Provisions (Section 500) shall regulate building heights, yards, lot sizes, lot area per dwelling unit, lot coverage and distance between buildings as though the same had been fully described in this Section. [Density Regulations chart, District 1 row:] 1 7,500 1,000 75 20 25 7 10 2 40 50 5
Full Breakdown
" Reading the chart's twelve columns for each numbered Density District: minimum lot size, minimum area per dwelling unit, minimum lot width and depth, front/rear/interior/exterior yard setbacks, maximum building height in stories and feet, maximum lot coverage percent, and minimum building spacing in feet. District 1, the smallest at 7,500 square feet minimum lot size and 1,000 square feet minimum area per dwelling, allows up to 50% maximum lot coverage with a two-story, 40-foot height cap. Districts 2 and 3, also 7,500 square-foot minimum lots but with larger minimum area per dwelling, hold coverage at 50% and 40% respectively.
5 permits 10%. The largest acreage districts, reserved for rural parcels up to 36 acres, fall to a 5% maximum coverage percentage. Footnote 2 to the chart waives the interior side and rear yard requirement, which interacts with buildable area, when the yard is contiguous to a C1, C2, C3, M1 or M2 zoned lot, though a 20-foot setback still applies wherever a commercial or industrial lot abuts residential zoning.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the maximum lot coverage percentage for a parcel's Density District is a zoning violation under Section 206. The Land Use Specialist can require removal of the noncompliant portion of a structure, and each day the excess coverage continues stands as a separate offense, civil penalties up to $750 for an individual or $10,000 for a corporation, plus possible Class 2 misdemeanor prosecution and injunctive action by the County Attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one lot coverage limit for all of unincorporated Yavapai County?
What is the maximum lot coverage in District 1?
Why does lot coverage shrink in the larger districts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yavapai County
Compare Yavapai County to another location·View the Arizona building setbacks & zoning overview
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