Loudoun County, VA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Loudoun County is governed by the Revised 1993 Zoning Ordinance (as amended, including significant 2023 updates for ZOAM-2017-0005 and the new Loudoun County Code of Ordinances renumbering). Major residential districts and typical setbacks: R-1 (Single Family Residential - 1 DU/ac): front 40 ft, side 10 ft, rear 25 ft. R-2 (medium density): front 35 ft, side 8 ft, rear 25 ft. PD-H (Planned Development Housing, common in Ashburn, Brambleton, Broadlands, One Loudoun): setbacks set by approved development plan, often 15-25 ft front, 5-10 ft side, 15-20 ft rear. A-3 (Agricultural Rural) west of Route 15: front 75-100 ft from road centerline, side 50 ft, rear 50 ft to preserve rural character. AR-1 and AR-2 (Agricultural Residential): similarly large. TR (Transitional Residential): intermediate setbacks. CLI (Commercial Light Industrial) and PD-IP (Planned Industrial Park, including Ashburn's Data Center Alley): commercial setbacks 30 ft front, 20 ft side/rear. Accessory structures (sheds, garages): typically 10 ft rear, 5 ft side in R-1, reduced from primary structure. Corner lots have two 'front' setbacks on street-facing sides. Flag lots and irregular parcels use special dimensional standards. Variances under VA Code §15.2-2309 require BZA hearing with hardship finding. Loudoun's Facilities Standards Manual supplements with engineering details.