Pima County, AZ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max lot coverage (SR zone)
- 30% of lot
- Minimum SR lot size
- 144,000 sq ft
- Front/rear setback (SR zone)
- 50 ft
- Accessory building coverage
- 1,500 sq ft or 70% of main building
- Modification fee
- board of adjustment base fee
- Protest window
- 15 days from notice
- Penalty
- up to $750-$10,000 per day
Summary
In Pima County's SR Suburban Ranch zone, no more than thirty percent of a lot can be covered by structures, alongside a fifty-foot front and rear setback and a thirty-four-foot height cap. Other rural and residential zones in the unincorporated county set their own lot coverage percentages in their individual zone chapters. Section 18.17.040(E) sets the SR standard.
a. Minimum site area: One hundred forty-four thousand square feet. B. Minimum lot area per dwelling unit: One hundred forty-four thousand square feet. C. Minimum setback requirements: 1. Front: Fifty feet; 2. Side: Ten feet each; 3. Side, when adjacent to street: Twenty feet; 4. Rear: Fifty feet. D. Maximum building height: Thirty-four feet. E. Maximum lot coverage by structures: Thirty percent. F. Minimum distance between main buildings: Twenty feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Pima County's zoning code sets maximum lot coverage zone-by-zone rather than in one countywide table. 040 caps coverage by structures at thirty percent of the site alongside a minimum lot area of 144,000 square feet, a fifty-foot front and rear setback, ten-foot side setbacks (twenty feet where a side abuts a street), a thirty-four-foot maximum building height, and twenty feet of minimum separation between main buildings on the same lot. 050: fifteen hundred square feet or seventy percent of the largest main building's footprint, whichever is greater.
070. The application requires a sketch plan, an application fee equal to the board of adjustment's standard base fee, and mailed notice to adjacent property owners and anyone within 100 feet whose parcel is separated by a road; the zoning inspector must find the change won't cut into a neighbor's privacy, block scenic views, hurt traffic visibility, or worsen drainage, noise or odor before approving it. 030, and an applicant unhappy with the zoning inspector's decision can appeal there directly.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the lot coverage or setback limits without an approved modification is a zoning violation under Section 18.95.040: each day the excess coverage or encroachment continues is a separate offense, punishable by up to $750 per day for an individual or $10,000 per day for a corporation or association. The board of supervisors, the county attorney, the zoning inspector, or an adjacent owner who is specially damaged can sue to force removal of the noncompliant structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the maximum lot coverage in Pima County's SR zone?
Do accessory buildings like sheds count against the 30% limit?
Can I get an exception to build over the lot coverage limit?
What happens if I exceed the lot coverage limit without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pima County
Compare Pima County to another location·View the Arizona building setbacks & zoning overview
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