Corvallis, OR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

LDC § 3.1.50, Table 3.1-3 (RS-6 Zone Development Standards) sets out the yard setbacks that apply to a single detached home, duplex, triplex, or fourplex built in the RS-6 Zone, the City's baseline single-family district. The front yard must be set back at least 10 feet from the front lot line but no more than 25 feet, a standard meant to keep new houses close enough to the street to match existing neighborhood patterns. The rear yard setback is a flat 15-foot minimum, and the side yard setback is a flat 5-foot minimum on each interior side lot line.

Townhouses get a carve-out: an end-unit townhouse only needs a 0-foot setback on the shared wall side and a 5-foot setback on its open side, while an interior townhouse unit needs 0 feet on both sides since it is attached wall-to-wall to its neighbors. A separate exterior side yard, which applies to corner lots facing a second street, needs a 10-foot minimum. All of these minimums can be pushed out further where LDC § 4.1.30.c's vision-clearance standard requires extra setback at a street corner or driveway, and LDC § 4.9.50.02 lists general exceptions that can modify the standard setback further.

Property owners planning an addition or new home should confirm current lot lines and any Flag Parcel or alley-access exceptions with the Community Development Department's Planning Division before finalizing a site plan.