Clayton County requires front, side and rear yard setbacks for every structure, set individually for each zoning district in Article 3 of the zoning ordinance (Sec. 6.4). The exact distances depend on your district, so confirm your parcel's minimums with Community Development before you build.
Sec. 6.4 (Lot/Yard Standards) of the Clayton County Zoning Ordinance provides that no building or structure may be erected, altered or enlarged unless it conforms to the lot and yard rules of its district. The minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks are set separately for each zoning district in the two-page layout found in Article 3, so the numbers vary between agricultural, estate-residential and standard residential districts. Sec. 6.4 also governs what may sit inside a setback: outdoor sales displays are barred, while accessory structures, parking, drives and sidewalks may be allowed at normal grade. Georgia counties zone unincorporated land under O.C.G.A. Title 36, Chapter 66.
A structure encroaching into a required setback can be denied a permit or certificate of occupancy, cited by code enforcement, and required to obtain a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals or be relocated.
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See how Clayton County's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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