Tempe, AZ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Table 4-202A sets maximum lot coverage, expressed as a percentage of net site area, for each of Tempe's agricultural and single-family zoning districts: AG at 25%, and R1-15, R1-10, R1-8, R1-7 and R1-6 all at 45%. The R1-5, R1-4 and R1-PAD districts carry NS, meaning no fixed maximum lot coverage standard applies in those districts. Net site area is the base against which the percentage is calculated. An applicant can seek relief from this maximum through the table's own Use Permit Standard column, which lists a 10% adjustment for lot coverage; combined with a public hearing use permit under Section 6-308, a project can raise its maximum coverage by up to 10 percentage points above the table figure, for example from 45% to 55% in an R1-6 lot.

Lot coverage calculations also absorb accessory structures: Section 3-402(C)(7) specifically folds the footprint of an accessory dwelling unit into the overall maximum lot coverage allowed in the district, pursuant to Section 4-202. An overlay district adopted under Part 5 of the Code can modify these baseline percentages for a specific area of the city, so a property inside an overlay should check that overlay's own standards before relying on Table 4-202A alone.