Allentown, PA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front setback, GX-C
- 30 ft minimum
- Front setback, N zones
- 15 ft minimum
- Side setback
- 4 ft (GX zones) / 6 ft (N3, N4)
- Rear setback
- 35 ft minimum, all zones
- Rear landscape yard
- 15 ft deep, 150 sq ft min
- Permit required
- Zoning permit, § 660-114
Summary
Allentown's standard detached house type, House A, must sit back 30 feet from the front lot line in the GX-C zone and 15 feet in the GX-N, NX, N2, N3 and N4 zones, with four to six feet on each side and a uniform 35 feet at the rear, under Zoning Ordinance § 660-29.D. Front-yard averaging can adjust the front figure.
Building Siting. [See Figure 660-29(2).]
Zones GX-C GX-N, NX, N2 N3, N4
... 3 Front Setback or Build-to Zone 30 ft. min. — 15 ft. min. 25 ft. max. 15 ft. min. — Front-yard averaging applies. See § 660-131G for measuring. ... 6 Side Setback 4 ft. min. 4 ft. min. 6 ft. min. 7 Rear Setback 35 ft. min. 35 ft. min. 35 ft. min. 8 Rear Landscape Yard — 15 ft. min. depth; 150 s.f. min. area 15 ft. min. depth; 150 s.f. min. area
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4995055; v49 updated 2026-06-26; through 06-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under the City's form-based Zoning Ordinance (Ord. No. 16166, effective Jan. D. In the GX-C zone the minimum front setback is 30 feet; in GX-N, NX and N2 it is 15 feet minimum with a 25-foot maximum build-to zone; and in N3 and N4 it is 15 feet minimum with no stated maximum. Front porches and enclosed porches get their own, shallower setback: 20 feet in GX-C and five to eight feet in the other zones. Side setbacks run four feet minimum in GX-C, GX-N, NX and N2, and six feet in N3 and N4, while the side-street setback on corner lots is 10 feet in GX-C and N3/N4 and five feet in GX-N, NX and N2.
Every House A lot carries a uniform 35-foot minimum rear setback, and N3/N4 and the GX-N/NX/N2 zones additionally require a rear landscape yard at least 15 feet deep and 150 square feet in area. Front-yard averaging is permitted under the measuring rules of § 660-131G, letting a builder match the setback of neighboring homes rather than the table figure. These numbers apply specifically to House A; other building types, such as the Storefront or Town Rowhouse, are sited under their own tables in Article 4. A zoning permit application under § 660-114 must show compliance with the applicable table before the Zoning Officer issues it.
Violations & Fines
Constructing within the required setback without approval violates Chapter 660. The City pursues civil enforcement under § 660-123.D, with a judgment capped at $500 per violation plus court costs and the City's attorney fees, and each day the encroachment continues is a separate offense. The Zoning Officer can withhold a certificate of occupancy, and an owner seeking relief from the table must apply to the Zoning Hearing Board for a variance under § 660-116.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back from the street must a house sit in Allentown?
What is the side yard setback for a house in Allentown?
Is the rear setback the same in every zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allentown
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