Albemarle County, VA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

19 governs setbacks and stepbacks within the R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6, R-10, R-15, Planned Residential Development, and Planned Unit Development zoning districts, splitting the rules into infill and non-infill development, a distinction the zoning administrator determines by official written determination. For a standard non-infill lot, the minimum front setback is five feet from the right-of-way or the outer edge of the sidewalk if the sidewalk sits outside the right-of-way, the minimum side setback is five feet unless the building shares a common wall with its neighbor, and the minimum rear setback is 20 feet.

The R-4, R-6, R-10 and R-15 districts also cap the front setback at 25 feet from the right-of-way, while R-1 and R-2 have no front-setback maximum. Non-infill buildings that exceed 40 feet in height, or rise above the third story, must step back at least 15 feet for each story above that threshold. An infill lot instead sets its minimum front setback at whatever distance matches the closest existing main building within 500 feet in either direction along the same side of the street, with a 20-foot rear minimum and a 10-foot side minimum unless walls are shared.

In the R-10 and R-15 districts, any dwelling taller than 35 feet must add one extra foot of side setback for every foot of height above 35 feet when the abutting lot carries different residential zoning. Any minimum setback can be reduced by special exception, and proffered setbacks from a rezoning override the standard table.