Pharr, TX Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max building coverage
- 50% of lot area
- District
- R-1 single-family residential
- Minimum lot size
- 6,000 sq ft
- Front setback
- 20 feet
- Max height
- 36 ft or 2½ stories
Summary
In Pharr's R-1 single-family district, a house and its attached structures can cover no more than 50 percent of the lot, under the city's zoning ordinance area requirements.
E.Area requirements: ... 9.Minimum distance from the public right-of-way to the entrance to a garage or enclosed carport, unless otherwise specified by the planning and zoning commission, 18 feet. 10.Maximum building coverage as a percentage of lot area, 50 percent. 11.Maximum height of structures, 36 feet or 2(1/2) stories.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
Pharr's zoning ordinance sets a hard numeric ceiling on how much of a residential lot a building can occupy. For the R-1 single-family residential district, the city's standard single-family zone, Section 1.11(E)(10) caps maximum building coverage at 50 percent of lot area, on top of the district's minimum 6,000-square-foot lot size, 20-foot front setback, and side/rear yard requirements. Commercial and industrial districts elsewhere in the same appendix carry their own separate building-coverage and impervious-coverage percentages, but for a typical single-family homeowner or builder in Pharr, the 50 percent figure is the number that governs how large a house, garage, and covered patio can be relative to the lot.
Violations & Fines
Building beyond the 50 percent coverage cap without a variance blocks certificate of occupancy and building permit approval; the planning and zoning administration and board of adjustment enforce area requirements under Article VII (Sections 1.70–1.73) of the zoning ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 50 percent cap include the garage and patio?
Can I exceed 50 percent coverage with a variance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pharr
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Pharr to another location·View the Texas building setbacks & zoning overview
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hidalgo County handle lot coverage limits.