Hillsboro, OR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- SR-6 front yard (interior lot)
- 20 ft to dwelling or garage door
- SR-6 side yard
- 5 feet minimum
- SR-6 rear yard
- 20 feet minimum
- Cottage cluster front/rear to dwelling
- 10 feet
- Compliance date
- structures built after Sept. 4, 2014
- Deck exception
- first-story decks within 3 ft of line
- Special street setback
- up to 49 ft on listed streets
Summary
In Hillsboro's SR-6 zone, the most common single-family and middle-housing district, front yard setbacks on interior lots run 20 feet to the dwelling or garage door, side yards are 5 feet, and rear yards are 20 feet, per Community Development Code § 12.21.450, Table 12.21.450-1. Every setback in the city is measured and enforced under the citywide standard in CDC § 12.50.130.
A. Definition and Purpose. Setbacks (also known as "yards") are defined in Section 12.01.500. Minimum setback standards are intended to provide light and air between buildings and protection to neighboring properties. Maximum setback standards are intended to complement applicable standards for building height, floor area ratio, and design to promote an attractive streetscape and pleasant pedestrian environment in higher density neighborhoods. Maximum setbacks are not applicable in all zones. Minimum and maximum setback standards apply to all structures and portions of structures more than 24 inches above grade. ... Minimum Setbacks* Front Yard (interior lots): to dwelling or garage door 20 feet Front Yard (corner lots): to dwelling 10 feet on 1 frontage; 20 feet on the other; to garage door 20 feet Side Yard 5 feet Rear Yard 20 feet Maximum Setbacks None
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
130(A)). 450-1 sets the front yard at 20 feet to the dwelling or garage door on interior lots; on corner lots the front yard is 10 feet on one frontage and 20 feet on the other, with 20 feet to any garage door. The side yard is 5 feet and the rear yard is 20 feet, and the zone carries no maximum setback. 450-1). These SR-6 numbers apply uniformly to single detached dwellings and to the middle housing types (duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters, and townhouses) that Oregon's House Bill 2001 requires the city to permit in its single-family zones; the code does not layer extra setback restrictions onto middle housing beyond the cottage-cluster figures above.
130(D)(1)). 130(H)(5)). 130(C)(2)(a)). 130-1, such as NE Cornell Rd and NW Brookwood Ave, the front setback is pushed back by up to 49 feet from the street centerline to reserve future right-of-way.
Violations & Fines
CDC § 12.50.130 sets no dollar fine of its own; a setback violation runs through the city's land use process rather than a criminal penalty. A structure built out of compliance with Table 12.21.450-1 must be corrected to meet the standard, or receive a Variance under CDC § 12.80.150 or a Minor or Major Adjustment, before it can be finaled. Structures that predate the September 4, 2014 setback standards and are already nonconforming may remain and be altered only if the alteration does not increase the deviation from the current standard, per CDC § 12.30.600.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front yard setback in Hillsboro's SR-6 zone?
How close to my property line can I build a deck in Hillsboro?
Do duplexes and other middle housing get different setbacks in Hillsboro?
Can I get a smaller setback than the code requires?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsboro
Compare Hillsboro to another location·View the Oregon building setbacks & zoning overview
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Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washington County handle setback rules.