Omaha, NE Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Section 55-22 defines impervious coverage as the total horizontal area of all buildings, roofed or covered spaces, paved surface areas, walkways and driveways, and any other site improvements that decrease the ability of the surface of the site to absorb water, expressed as a percentage of site area. The surface water area of pools is excluded. That definition makes the impervious limit the tighter practical constraint, because a driveway, a walkway and a paved patio all draw on the same allowance as the roof.

Section 55-68 summarizes the numbers. In the residential districts, building coverage climbs with density: 5% in AG, 20% in DR, 25% in R1, 30% in R2, 35% in R3, 40% in R4 and 50% in R5. The multiple-family districts go higher, with 55% in R6, 60% in R7 and 70% in R8. The impervious limit sits 5 points above the building limit in AG, DR and R1 (10%, 25% and 30%) and 10 points above it everywhere else: 40% in R2, 45% in R3, 50% in R4, 60% in R5, 65% in R6, 70% in R7 and 80% in R8.

The office, commercial and industrial table pairs the limits this way (building, then impervious): LO 50% and 65%, GO 60% and 80%, LC 50% and 75%, CC 60% and 85%, GC 70% and 90%, CH 50% and 90%, LI 60% and 80%, GI 90% and 90%, and HI 90% and 100%. The NBD, CBD and DS districts allow 100% on both measures, so the summary table sets no coverage cap there.

Two residential columns print a dash instead of percentages. The R-WRN walkable residential neighborhood district carries footnote (4), which sends readers to the additional standards in sections 55-213 and 55-214. The MH column carries footnote (3): mobile home subdivisions are subject to the R4 zoning district site development regulations, and mobile home parks are subject to the regulations established by section 55-286.

The section opens by calling the tables summaries of the regulations elsewhere in Chapter 55. Its last amendment is Ord. No. 44245, adopted 4-22-25.