Dearborn Heights, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Section 36-108 sets the R1 district's supplemental setback standards on top of the base dimensional table in Section 36-106. Side yards: the two side setbacks combined must equal at least 30 percent of the lot's width, and the narrower of the two must be at least 10 percent of the lot width. On lots wider than 60 feet, the minimum single side setback drops to a flat 6 feet with an 18-foot combined total. A school, church, or other nonresidential permitted use must keep a 25-foot side yard on each side.

The building official can modify the "not adjacent to the neighbor's minimum" rule in subsection (e)(4) based on existing site conditions. Rear yards: where the lot is 120 feet deep or shallower, the minimum rear setback is a flat 30 feet, giving shallow older lots relief from a percentage-based rule. Front yards: rather than a single number, Dearborn Heights uses a block-average rule. Once 25 percent or more of the frontage on the same side of the street between two intersecting streets has been built upon, the required front setback becomes the average depth of the fronts already built, tying new construction to the established streetscape instead of a flat citywide minimum.

Corner lots developed after the chapter's effective date must be at least 65 feet wide, and their street-side setback must match the average setback of structures on the same side of the street. Other districts vary: the RM district uses flat 25/20/40-foot front, side, and rear setbacks per the Section 36-106 table, while commercial CX, C1, C2, and C3 districts can go to zero-foot side and rear setbacks against alleys or other commercial lots. The Building and Engineering Department verifies setback compliance during site plan review before issuing a building permit.