Alpharetta, GA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Section 2.2.7 of the Unified Development Code sets the yard setbacks for Alpharetta's R-10 district, the city's 10,000-square-foot-lot single-family zone: a 30-foot front setback measured from the right-of-way of a local street (65 feet if the lot fronts any other classification of street), a 10-foot side setback and a 25-foot rear setback. These minimums are not fixed citywide; they scale with each district's lot size. The 5-acre AG and 3-acre RE districts require a 50-foot front setback (65 feet on non-local streets), a 25-foot side setback and a 50-foot rear setback, while the smaller R-22 and R-12 districts sit at 35-foot and 30-foot fronts respectively with 10-foot sides.

Accessory structures such as sheds and detached garages follow a separate setback schedule cross-referenced in Section 2.3(c) rather than the principal-building numbers quoted here. A homeowner whose plans cannot meet the R-10 setbacks because of an oddly shaped or sloped lot may apply for an exception under Section 4.5.5(A)(2)(a), which lists 'minimum building setbacks' among the standards eligible for relief; requests for up to 50% of the required setback go to the Board of Appeals, while a larger reduction needs City Council approval and a public hearing under Section 4.5.2.

Community Development reviews every building permit application against these setback lines before construction can begin, and encroachments discovered after a permit issues can require the structure to be moved or removed.