Amarillo, TX Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Front, side and rear yard minimums are fixed per zoning district in Table 1, Summary of Development Standards, cross-referenced from Sec. 4-10-170 (front), 4-10-171 (side) and 4-10-172 (rear). No structure built after the chapter's adoption may reduce an existing yard below these minimums, and a plat-recorded building line that requires a deeper front yard controls over the district's table figure (Sec. 4-10-170(b)(1)). The front yard is measured from the property line to the front face of the building, covered porch, or covered terrace; eaves and roof extensions may project up to four feet into it, and window sills, belt courses, cornices and similar features up to twenty-four inches (Sec.

4-10-170(b)(2)). Corner lots platted after August 19, 1968 must treat both street frontages as front yards, though the longer frontage can drop to a ten-foot side setback in certain districts (Sec. 4-10-170(b)(5)-(6)). Side yards must stay open and unobstructed except for permitted accessory buildings and limited eave projections (Sec. 4-10-171(b)(1)), and in Residential districts no main building may sit closer than ten feet to the rear property line, though a detached home without windows or doors facing an alley gets one foot of relief for every two feet of wall height (Sec.

4-10-172(b)(1)). In the R-1 and R-2 Districts, Table 1 sets the front yard at 25 feet, interior side at 5 feet, and lot coverage at 45 percent; R-3 tightens the front yard to 15 feet but allows 65 percent lot coverage.