Salt Lake County, UT Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Salt Lake County zones the unincorporated valley and foothills under Title 19, and the R-1 chapter, Code Section 19.14, sets the single-family dimensional standard used across most of that area, covering ten sub-zones from the small-lot R-1-3 up to the one-acre R-1-43. Section 19.14.050(A) fixes yard minimums for a dwelling or attached private garage on a sliding scale: the smallest-lot zones, R-1-3, R-1-4 and R-1-5, need a 20-foot front yard, a 5-foot interior side yard unless the house is attached to a neighbor's, a 20-foot street-side side yard, and a rear yard of 20 feet without a garage or 15 feet with one. R-1-6, R-1-7 and R-1-8 step up to a 25-foot front yard, an interior side yard of 5 feet on one side and 11 feet or 8 feet on the other depending on garage placement, and a 30-foot rear yard without a garage. R-1-10, R-1-15 and R-1-21 require a 30-foot front yard and 10 feet on each side; R-1-43, the largest-lot zone, needs 30 feet in front and 15 feet on each side.

Subsection B governs detached accessory buildings, including a garage that does not meet the subsection A setbacks: it must sit in the rear yard, at least 6 feet from the dwelling, with only a 1-foot interior side setback, 10 feet if the accessory building backs onto a neighbor's side yard, and a 20-foot setback if it faces a public street. Subsection C sets separate, larger yards for non-residential main buildings in the same zones. Section 19.14.080 cross-references reduced-yard exceptions for private garages and carports at Section 19.76.140 and additional height allowances at Section 19.76.200.

A property owner who cannot meet these yards may apply to the land use hearing officer for a variance under Code Section 19.92.040, but only on proof of a hardship tied to the specific parcel, not one that is self-imposed or shared by the whole neighborhood.