Alexandria, VA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- R-20 side yards
- 1:2 ratio, 12-foot minimum each
- R-20 rear yard
- 1:1 ratio, 12-foot minimum
- R-20 front yard
- Matches block-face range, capped at 40 ft need
- Duke St setback
- 60-75 ft from centerline (§7-1006(B))
- Beauregard St setback
- 80 ft from centerline (§7-1006(E))
- Front-lot-line garage exception
- Within 1 ft if below curb grade
Summary
Alexandria sets yard setbacks zone by zone using ratios rather than flat numbers. In the R-20 single-family zone, Zoning Ordinance Section 3-106 requires two side yards on a 1:2 setback ratio with a 12-foot minimum, a rear yard on a 1:1 ratio with a 12-foot minimum, and a front yard matching the surrounding block face.
(A)Yard requirements.(1)Front yard. For each residential use, the required front yard shall be between the range established by the front yards within the contextual block face. If the minimum front yard, including the front yard of the property in question, within this range exceeds 40 feet, a residential use shall provide a front yard of at least 40 feet.(2)Side yards. Each residential use shall provide two side yards, each based on a setback ratio of 1:2 and a minimum size of 12 feet.(3)Rear yard. Each residential use shall provide a rear yard based on a setback ratio of 1:1 and a minimum size of 12 feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 156 | Zoning: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Section 3-106(A) of the R-20 residential zone regulations illustrates how Alexandria calculates yards: the front yard must fall within the range established by front yards on the same block face, and if that range's minimum exceeds 40 feet, a residential use still only has to provide 40 feet. Side yards are set at a 1:2 setback ratio with a 12-foot floor for residential uses (1:1 ratio and 25 feet for other uses), and the rear yard uses a 1:1 ratio with the same 12-foot floor for residential uses.
Every other residential zone in Article III runs on the same ratio-plus-minimum structure with its own numbers. On top of the zone-specific yards, Section 7-1006 layers additional setback lines along specific corridors: both sides of Duke Street carry a 60-foot setback from centerline between Diagonal Road and Quaker Lane (75 feet west of Quaker Lane), King Street requires 75 feet from centerline, Seminary Road requires 60 feet, and Beauregard Street requires 80 feet, all measured from the existing centerline as mapped on file with the director of transportation and environmental services.
Section 7-1001 carves out one exception: a single private garage may sit within one foot of the front lot line if its floor is not below curb grade and its roof stays entirely below finished yard grade, but detached garages built above grade after June 28, 1973 must meet the standard zone setbacks.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining a structure inside a required yard is a yard-regulation violation under Section 11-207(A)(3), a class five civil violation: $200 for the first offense and $500 for each later violation of the same requirement arising from the same facts, capped at $5,000 for a repeated series, with each day the encroachment exists counting as a separate offense (no more than once per ten-day period). The director may order the offending structure removed or altered under Section 11-204 before pursuing court action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum side yard setback in Alexandria's R-20 zone?
Does Alexandria use the same setback numbers in every zone?
Are there extra setbacks along major Alexandria streets?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alexandria
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