Hanover County, VA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Section 26-63, the RS District's "Yard requirements" table, ties minimum setbacks to whether a lot developed at the district's base density of one unit per acre or at a Board-approved higher density under § 26-61. At base density, the front yard minimum is 50 feet, the side yard minimum is 10 feet with a 25-foot aggregate of both side yards, and the rear yard minimum is 25 feet. Once the Board approves higher density, available up to four units per acre under § 26-61's tiered amenity standards for open space, street trees, sidewalks and street lighting, those minimums fall to a 15-foot front yard and zero required side or rear yard.

Three notes attached to the table matter for a specific lot: detached garages built in the rear yard of a lot where density exceeds one and one-quarter units per acre, with access provided through an alley, need no side yard at all, though the minimum rear yard for that garage is 5 feet; any structure or use not covered by the RS table defaults to the setbacks specified for the A-1 Agricultural District or elsewhere in the Zoning Ordinance; and corner lots must provide the full front-yard setback along every property line that touches a public road, not just the address-facing frontage.

The RS District covers most of the suburban subdivisions in Mechanicsville, Atlee and similar unincorporated growth areas; because setbacks hinge on the density actually approved for a given rezoning, a homeowner should check the zoning case conditions for the specific subdivision rather than assume the base-density figures apply.