Fort Worth, TX Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- District
- One-Family ("A-7.5")
- Front yard (local street)
- 20 feet minimum
- Front yard (limited local street)
- 15 feet minimum
- Rear yard
- 5 feet minimum
- Side yard, interior
- 5 feet minimum
- Side yard, corner lot street side
- 10 feet minimum
- Detached garage setback
- Reducible to 3 feet
Summary
Fort Worth's One-Family ("A-7.5") zoning district requires a front yard of 20 feet on local streets (15 feet on limited local streets), a 5-foot minimum rear yard, and 5-foot interior side yards with 10 feet on the street side of a corner lot. These are the baseline setbacks for the city's most common single-family lot size.
Front yard*: 20 feet minimum (local streets) 15 feet minimum (limited local streets)
Rear yard: 5 feet minimum Side yard*: 5 feet minimum Interior lot: 10 feet minimum adjacent to side street and Corner lot: 5 feet minimum for interior lot line
Full Breakdown
5") district: front yard 20 feet minimum on local streets, reduced to 15 feet minimum on limited local streets; rear yard 5 feet minimum; side yard 5 feet minimum on an interior lot line, stepping up to 10 feet minimum adjacent to a side street on a corner lot. 101(f) for projected front yard (setback averaging) rules on infill lots. 101(a)(4) further specifies that the front setback is measured from the front property line to the main wall of the structure, and that an open porch or patio with a vertical roof support may not sit closer than 15 feet from the front property line on a local street, or 10 feet on a limited local street.
704(d)(8) carves out a narrower rear and side setback for detached garages set behind the rear wall of the house, allowing them within 3 feet of the property line, and permits an attached garage within 3 feet of a side property line if it sits at least 18 feet back from the front wall of the house. 5-zoned lots and can differ in an adjoining district.
Violations & Fines
Appendix A § 4.103(b)-(c) bars issuance of a building permit or certificate of occupancy for any structure that encroaches into a required yard or exceeds a district's setback limits. Fort Worth's code compliance and planning and development departments enforce through permit review and stop-work orders; an owner who has already built into a required setback must seek a board-of-adjustment variance or remove the encroachment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a house sit from the front property line in Fort Worth's A-7.5 district?
Can a garage sit closer to the property line than the house?
Are setbacks the same in every Fort Worth single-family district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Fort Worth to another location·View the Texas building setbacks & zoning overview
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Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle setback rules.