Apple Valley, MN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1 front yard
- 30 feet (Appendix A, R-1 row)
- R-1 side yard
- 20 feet interior lot, 30 feet corner lot
- R-1 rear yard
- 30 feet (Appendix A, R-1 row)
- Eaves and projections
- Up to 30 inches, never within three feet of a lot line in R districts
- Front porch or deck
- Up to eight feet into the setback, 30 inches high at most
- Highway setbacks
- Set by Appendix E of Chapter 155 (§ 155.333(D))
Summary
In the City of Apple Valley, Minnesota, the R-1 row of Chapter 155 Appendix A prints a 30-foot front setback, 20 feet on an interior side, 30 feet on a corner side and 30 feet in the rear. Section 155.333 lets eaves and similar projections extend 30 inches into a required yard but never within three feet of an R-district lot line.
(C) The following shall not be considered as encroachments on yard area or setback requirements: ... (a) Chimneys, flues, sills, pilasters, lintels, ornamental features, cornices, eaves, bays, gutters and other similar projections, provided they do not extend more than 30 inches into the required setback area and in no instance in the R districts nearer than three feet from a lot line. ... (D) The minimum required building setback for any building in any yard in all zoning districts along any interstate or state highway, principal or minor arterial and community collector, either existing or proposed as designated in the city’s comprehensive guide plan is as shown in Appendix E of this chapter. ... Agriculture and residential districts shall have the following lot area, height, frontage and yard requirements. The dimensions are measured in feet, unless directly stated otherwise. ... R-1* One-family 40,000 150 30 20 30 30 35 See §
Full Breakdown
Yard setbacks in Apple Valley sit in district tables in Chapter 155, and § 155.333 supplies the rules that apply to every district. Appendix A covers the agricultural and one- and two-family districts. Its R-1 row for one-family residential prints 40,000, 150, 30, 20, 30, 30 and 35 under the columns for lot area in square feet, lot width, front yard setback, interior lot side yard setback, corner lot side yard setback, rear yard setback and maximum height, all in feet unless stated. The asterisk on the row sets a minimum lot size of 10 acres and width of 200 feet where there is no municipal sewer. Multiple-family and business districts have their own appendices.
Section 155.333(B) bars reducing any yard or open space that existed when the chapter took effect below the chapter's minimum. Section 155.333(C) lists what is not counted as an encroachment. Chimneys, flues, sills, eaves, bays, gutters and similar projections can extend up to 30 inches into the required setback and in R districts no nearer than three feet from a lot line. A window well can encroach up to 48 inches into a side or rear setback but stays at least five feet from the lot line and out of any easement.
Front yards allow patios, decks, open-air porches, steps and stoops that extend eight feet or less into the setback, with no front deck, porch or stoop higher than 30 inches above finished grade. Side yards keep ramps, terraces, steps, stoops and uncovered patios or decks at least five feet from the side lot line. In rear yards, attached uncovered balconies or decks higher than 18 inches can extend up to 12 feet into the setback. None of these allowances reaches an easement of record.
Along interstates, state highways, arterials and community collectors, § 155.333(D) sends the reader to Appendix E for the required building setback. The City Council can waive a side yard setback when two legal lots of record in one ownership are combined by the Dakota County Assessor into one tax parcel (§ 155.333(E)). A building that met setbacks when permitted can be replaced within its existing foundation footprint unless the lot's setback has since been amended (§ 155.333(F)).
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 155 is a misdemeanor under § 155.999(A), and each day a violation occurs is a separate violation; § 155.333 carries a note pointing to that penalty section. Relief from a setback that a lot cannot meet goes through the variance process in § 155.397(B), which requires practical difficulties and does not accept economic considerations alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the R-1 setbacks in Apple Valley?
Can a front porch or deck extend into the front setback?
Can Apple Valley waive the side yard setback for two lots?
Can I rebuild a house that no longer meets current setbacks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apple Valley
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