Dane County, WI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone
- SFR-08 Single-Family Residential, Small Lots district
- Side yard
- 10 feet from each lot line
- Rear yard (house)
- 25 feet from the rear lot line
- Rear yard (deck/porch)
- 13 feet from the rear lot line
- Front yard
- set by road-class table in ch. 10.102(9)
- Narrow-lot side yard
- 5 feet on lots under 50 feet wide
Summary
In Dane County's SFR-08 single-family district, the county's small-lot residential zone in unincorporated towns, front yards must meet the road-class setback table in ch. 10.102(9), side yards run a flat 10 feet from each lot line, and rear yards require 25 feet for the house, dropping to 13 feet for an attached deck or porch.
(5) Setbacks and required yards. (a) Front yard. Any permitted structure must comply with road setbacks as described in s. 10.102(9). (b) Side yard. 1. Except as exempted in 2. or 3. below, all principal and accessory buildings must be at least 10 feet from any one side lot line. ... 3. Lots of nonconforming width. a. On lots 50 feet or more in width but less than 60 feet, the minimum aggregate side yards shall be 15 feet and no single side yard shall be less than five (5) feet. b. On lots less than 50 feet in width the minimum side yard on each side shall be five (5) feet. (c) Rear yard. 1. Permitted residences must be at least 25 feet from the rear lot line. 2. Uncovered decks and porches attached to a permitted residence must be at least 13 feet from the rear lot line. 3. Except as exempted in 4 below, accessory buildings must be at least 10 feet from the rear lot line.
Full Breakdown
Dane County Code of Ordinances ch. 251(5) sets the yard requirements for the SFR-08 (Single-Family Residential, Small Lots) zoning district, the county's classification for compact residential parcels in the unincorporated towns that have adopted county zoning: it does not reach inside Madison, Fitchburg, Middleton, Verona, Stoughton, Monona or Sun Prairie, each of which zones under its own municipal code. Front yard depth is not a single number here; every structure must instead meet the road setback table in ch. 102(9), which scales by road class: 200 feet from the right-of-way on a divided highway, 100 feet from the centerline (or 42 feet from the right-of-way, whichever is greater) on a state or federal highway, 75 feet from the centerline on a county trunk highway, and 63 feet from the centerline on a town road.
251(5)(b) run 10 feet from each lot line for principal and accessory buildings, tightening only for legally nonconforming narrow lots: a lot 50 to 60 feet wide gets a 15-foot aggregate side yard with no single side under 5 feet, and a lot under 50 feet wide drops to a flat 5-foot side yard. 5 feet (narrower lots) to the rear line.
Violations & Fines
Zoning enforcement runs through the Dane County Planning and Development Department; a structure built inside the required yard without an approved variance from the county Board of Adjustment is a zoning violation subject to a stop-work order and a correction requirement, and the county can pursue a forfeiture action under Chapter 10 for continued noncompliance until the encroaching structure is moved, altered or removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a house sit from the side lot line in Dane County's SFR-08 zone?
What is the front yard setback in unincorporated Dane County?
Does the SFR-08 rear setback apply to a deck?
Does this zoning apply inside Madison or Sun Prairie?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dane County
Compare Dane County to another location·View the Wisconsin building setbacks & zoning overview
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