Washington County, OR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- R-5 front yard
- 15 feet (12 feet to a porch)
- R-5 side yard
- 5 feet
- R-5 street-side yard
- 10 feet
- R-5 rear yard
- 15 feet
- Garage setback (street-facing)
- 20 feet
- Governing section
- CDC § 302-7.2.B (R-5 District)
Summary
Standard single-family lots in the R-5 District, Washington County's baseline residential zone, follow a set yard formula under CDC § 302-7.2.B: a 15-foot front yard, a 5-foot side yard, a 10-foot street-side yard on corner lots, and a 15-foot rear yard, with a 20-foot setback to any garage that faces the street.
B.Yard (Setback) Requirements. Yards shall be measured from the property line, sidewalk, or easement for public travel, whichever is closest to the building line. The minimum yard requirements shall be:(1)Fifteen-foot front yard to the front building wall and 12 feet to a porch or other covered or enclosed entryway;(2)Twenty-foot front or street side yard to garage vehicle entrance, or four-foot rear yard to vehicle entrance from an alley. Portions of a structure located directly above a rear alley-loaded garage are also subject to a minimum four-foot rear yard and shall not be closer to the rear lot line than the garage vehicle entrance;(3)Ten-foot street side yard;(4)Five-foot side yard;(5)Fifteen-foot rear yard, except as provided in (2), above;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
Washington County ties yard setbacks to the zoning district rather than setting one countywide number, and the R-5 District, the county's baseline single-family zone allowing up to five units per acre, sets the standard most homeowners in the unincorporated area will use. B, a detached house needs a 15-foot front yard to the front building wall, shrinking to 12 feet for a porch or other covered entryway. Any garage that faces the front or a street-side yard must sit back 20 feet from that lot line so a parked vehicle clears the sidewalk; a garage entered from a rear alley only needs a 4-foot setback, though anything built above that alley-loaded garage still needs the 4-foot rear setback and cannot project closer to the rear line than the garage door itself.
Interior side yards need just 5 feet, while a street-side yard on a corner lot needs 10 feet. The rear yard is 15 feet, except where the reduced 4-foot alley setback applies instead. These yards are measured from the property line, or from the sidewalk or public-travel easement if either sits closer to the house. 2. 2 requires every development to meet 'applicable setback and lot coverage requirements of the primary district,' not a single county-wide number.
Violations & Fines
Building closer to the property line than the R-5 yard minimums, or any other district's setback, violates CDC § 215-1's bar on development that conflicts with the Development Code. The county can hold up a building permit over an unresolved setback violation under § 215-2, and confirmed violations are prosecuted under Washington County Code Chapter 1.14 (§ 215-3), with a citation heard by a hearings officer or the county's courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front yard setback in Washington County's R-5 zone?
How far back does my garage need to be from the street?
Do these setbacks apply outside the R-5 District?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon building setbacks & zoning overview
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