Fitchburg, WI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- R-L front setback
- 30 ft (25 ft for open porch/stoop)
- R-L side setback
- 10 ft, reducible to 5 ft by deed restriction
- R-L street-side setback
- 25 ft on corner lots
- R-L rear setback
- 35 ft (25 ft for CU screen porches)
- Governing section
- Fitchburg City Code § 22-58
- Penalty
- $100/day forfeiture
Summary
Fitchburg's R-L Low Density District requires a 30-foot front setback, ten-foot side setback, 25-foot street-side setback on corner lots, and 35-foot rear setback, with specific exceptions for porches, reduced side yards backed by deed restrictions, and screen porches.
(3)Minimum front setback: 30 feet, except that an open air front porch (with only railings and support posts) or stoop may protrude to within 25 feet of the front lot line.(4)Minimum side setback: Ten feet (can be reduced to five feet if adjacent parcel has a setback that provides a minimum of 15 feet from the adjoining property line, provided there remains a minimum of 20 feet of building separation. The adjoining setback must be committed be deed restriction).(5)Minimum street side setback (corner lot): 25 feet.(6)Minimum rear setback: 35 feet, except that the rear setback may be reduced to as low as 25 feet on a conditional use basis to allow screen porches, and three or four season rooms which are primarily glass or windows.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30).
Full Breakdown
Fitchburg City Code § 22-58 sets four yard setbacks for the R-L Low Density District. The minimum front setback is 30 feet, though an open-air front porch with only railings and support posts, or a stoop, may protrude to within 25 feet of the front lot line. The minimum side setback is ten feet, but it can be reduced to five feet if the adjoining parcel's own setback provides at least 15 feet from the shared property line and at least 20 feet of building separation remains between the two structures, provided the adjoining owner's setback commitment is recorded as a deed restriction.
Corner lots carry a minimum street-side setback of 25 feet. The rear setback is 35 feet, but the plan commission can approve a conditional use reducing it to as low as 25 feet specifically to allow screen porches or three- or four-season rooms that are primarily glass or windows. These figures apply only in the R-L district; the code sets different numbers for the R-LM (§ 22-92), R-M (§ 22-115), R-H (§ 22-146) and Rural Density R-R (§ 22-208) districts, so the applicable setback always depends on the parcel's zoning district shown on the city's zoning district maps referenced in § 22-7.
Violations & Fines
Building within a required setback without an approved reduction or variance is a Chapter 22 zoning violation. The zoning administrator investigates under § 22-648(c) and can demand the encroachment be halted, prevented or remedied before referring the matter to the city attorney for prosecution or an injunction. Section 22-648(d)(2) sets the penalty at a forfeiture of $100.00 per day for noncompliance. A property owner seeking relief from a setback figure can request a dimensional variance from the zoning board of appeals under § 22-644, which requires showing that strict enforcement creates an unnecessary hardship tied to the specific property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back from the street must a house sit in Fitchburg's R-L district?
Can my side setback be reduced?
What is the rear setback in the R-L district?
Are corner lots treated differently?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fitchburg
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Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle setback rules.