Dearborn, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max coverage, detached garage
- 25% of lot area
- Max coverage, attached garage
- 30% of lot area
- Governing provision
- Zoning Ordinance § 29.02, footnote c
- Permeable paver cap
- 5% of landscaping area
Summary
Dearborn caps a one-family home's footprint at 25% of lot area with a detached garage, or 30% with an attached garage, under the Zoning Ordinance's Section 29.02 Schedule of Regulations, regardless of lot size.
In a one-(1)-family residential district the maximum permitted lot coverage shall be based upon the size of the lot and garage configuration per the table below: ... Less than 5,000 sq. ft. Detached 25 ... Attached1 30 ... Greater than 10,000 sq. ft. Detached 25 ... Attached 30
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-07: Code: Updated through: July 22, 2026 | Zoning: Updated through: July 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Article 29.00, Section 29.02 of the Dearborn Zoning Ordinance limits the principal structure, the house plus any attached garage, to 25% of lot area when the garage is detached, or 30% when it is attached, in every one-family district (R-A, R-B). The same footnote sets minimum landscaped-area requirements that scale with lot size: front-yard landscaping runs from 55% up to 75%, and total-property landscaping from 40% up to 55%, both rising as lots get smaller. Up to 5% of the required landscaping may be permeable pavers instead of planting.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the coverage cap or building without a permit is enforced as a Code of Ordinances § 1-9 general penalty violation: a fine up to $500 and up to 93 days, with each day counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dearborn's lot coverage limit include detached sheds?
Does a bigger lot let me cover more of it in Dearborn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn
Compare Dearborn to another location·View the Michigan building setbacks & zoning overview
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle lot coverage limits.