Bloomington, IL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1A yards
- 40 ft front, 16 ft side, 40 ft rear
- R-1B/C/H yards
- 25-30 ft front/rear, 6 ft side
- R-2 detached yards
- 25 ft front, 6 ft side, 25 ft rear
- R-D rear yard
- 15% of lot depth or 25 ft, greater
- R-D side yards
- 25% of lot width or 10 ft combined
- Variance authority
- Zoning Board of Appeals, Sec. 44-1708
Summary
In the City of Bloomington, front, side and rear yard setbacks for homes are set district by district in Table 403A of City Code Section 44-403. R-1A lots need a 40-foot front yard, 16-foot side yards and a 40-foot rear yard; R-1B, R-1C and R-1H drop to 25 or 30 feet front and rear with 6-foot side yards.
Table 403A: Bulk and Site Standards R-1 Districts ... Front Yard (F) Side Yard (S) Rear Yard (R) ... R-1A 125 feet 22,500 40 feet 16 feet 40 feet 35 feet 2.5 R-1B 70 feet 7,000 30 feet 6 feet 30 feet 35 feet 2.5 R-1C 50 feet 5,400 25 feet 6 feet 25 feet 35 feet 2.5 R-1H 50 feet 5,400 25 feet 6 feet 25 feet 35 feet 2.5
Full Breakdown
Bloomington's Zoning Ordinance ties every required yard to the zoning district under Tables 403A through 403D of City Code Section 44-403, enforced by the Director of Development Services in the Community Development Department. Detached homes in the R-2 District need a 25-foot front yard, a 6-foot side yard and a 25-foot rear yard. R-3A detached homes step down to a 6-foot side yard with a 25-foot front and rear yard; R-3B keeps a 20-foot front yard but requires side yards of at least 9 feet, or one-third of building height, for buildings over three stories.
The R-4 District uses a 10-foot front yard and a minimum 5-foot side yard. The R-D District instead sizes yards to the block: the front yard averages the depths of neighboring homes on the same block face, the rear yard must be at least 15% of lot depth or 25 feet, whichever is greater, and side yards together must total at least 25% of lot width or 10 feet, whichever is greater. Where a lot rezoned to R-3A, R-3B or R-4 sits next to an R-1 or R-2 lot, Section 44-404B requires an added transitional yard equal to half the difference between the two districts' standards.
Section 44-903 bars counting one lot's required yard toward another lot's yard, and Section 44-904's Table 904 lists what may project into a required yard: eaves and chimneys up to two feet, bay windows up to three feet, and awnings up to 25% of the yard depth, but accessory buildings and detached garages may not encroach into a front or side yard at all.
Violations & Fines
The Director of Development Services enforces the yard tables through the building permit process: an application showing a structure inside a required setback is denied outright, and an encroachment built without a permit becomes a code enforcement case. A property owner who cannot meet a setback may apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance under Section 44-1708; without a granted variance, an encroaching structure must be relocated or removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front yard setback in Bloomington's R-1A district?
Can an accessory building sit in my side yard in Bloomington?
How are yard setbacks calculated in Bloomington's R-D District?
Can I get a smaller setback than the zoning table requires?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
Compare Bloomington to another location·View the Illinois building setbacks & zoning overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.