Decatur, GA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- District covered
- R-60 Single-Family Residential
- Front (primary street) setback
- 30 feet minimum
- Side setback
- 10 feet minimum
- Rear setback
- 30 feet minimum
- Accessory rear-yard coverage cap
- 30 percent
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
In the City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia, the Unified Development Ordinance's R-60 Single-Family Residential District requires a principal house to sit at least 30 feet back from the primary street, 10 feet from each side lot line, and 30 feet from the rear line, with tighter accessory-structure setbacks as close as 3 feet.
Principal Building Setbacks Primary street 30' min or Avg. front yard (Sec. 2.1.5.B.1.) Side street 10' min Side interior 10' min Lot less than 60' in width see Sec. 2.1.5.A.6. Lot 60' or more in width 10' min Rear 30' min
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
1 where that average controls instead; the side-street setback is 10 feet; the side-interior setback is 10 feet for a lot at or above the district's 60-foot minimum width; and the rear setback is 30 feet. 6 lets one side setback shrink by half a foot for every foot the lot falls short, down to a floor of 5 feet. Accessory structures must stay in the rear yard, matching the main dwelling's side-street setback, with a 3-foot side-interior and rear setback for a one-story structure and 10 feet for a two-story structure; the rear yard they sit in cannot exceed 30 percent lot coverage, and their combined floor area, including any carriage house, is capped at 1,000 square feet.
5 feet into a required yard, allow a deck or patio to come within 5 feet of a side lot line, and require any residential pool or its mechanical equipment to stay at least 10 feet from a lot line. 5 also lets the Zoning Administrator approve enlarging a house that already fails to meet the current side-yard standard, provided the addition doesn't encroach further and keeps 10 feet from the neighboring principal building.
Violations & Fines
UDO Section 11.4.2 makes building or using land in violation of these setback standards a misdemeanor, and Section 11.4.5 punishes it under the citywide general penalty, Code Section 1-12: a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to six months, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense. Under Section 11.4.3 the UDO Administrator, city attorney, or a damaged neighboring property owner can also seek an injunction or other court order to stop or correct the encroachment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back from the street must a house sit in Decatur's R-60 district?
What is the side yard setback for a house in Decatur, Georgia?
Can I build a shed or garage closer to my property line than my house in Decatur?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Decatur
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