Lake Charles, LA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Detached house yards
- 30 feet front, 5 feet each side, 10 feet rear
- Minimum lot and density
- 6,000 sq. ft. at 7 dwelling units per acre
- Maximum height
- 35 feet in every Figure 1 use
- Building coverage cap
- 40 percent of the parcel
- Arterial or collector frontage
- Additional 5-foot setback from the right-of-way line
- Street edge minimum
- 10 feet from the roadway surface; no variance
- Penalty
- $10 to $250 or 30 days in jail, per day
Summary
Lake Charles sets residential building setbacks in Figure 1 of Sec. 24-5-301. A single-family detached house on a 6,000-square-foot lot needs a 30-foot front yard, 5-foot side yards and a 10-foot rear yard, under a 35-foot height limit and a 40 percent building coverage cap. Lots on arterial or collector corridors and state or federal routes add five feet to the front setback.
(a) The proportion of lot area covered by buildings shall not exceed a maximum of 40 per cent on any parcel within this district. ... (c) Except as provided for by an approved conditional use, all development in the Residential Dwelling District shall conform to the development standards set out in Figure 1: RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT Figure 1. Use Density Lot Size Front (feet) Yards Side (feet) Rear (feet) Max Height (feet) Single-family detached 7 du/a 6,000 sq. ft. 30* 5 10 35 Single-family attached (7 du/a) 6,000 sq. ft. 30* 5 10 35 Churches (—) 1 acre 50* 10 10 35 Manufactured housing development (7 du/a) 6,000 sq. ft. 30* 5 10 35 Schools FAR 0.35 1 acre 50* 10 10 35 Public uses FAR 0.35 1 acre 50* 10 10 35 Accessory uses — — 30* 5 5 35 Recreation (low intensive) (—) — 50* 5 5 35 Bed and breakfast facilities (—) 6,000 sq. ft. 30* 5 10 35 ( ) Parentheses indicate intensity permitted as a conditional use. * Asterisks indicated refer to additional five-foot front setback along arterial or collector corridors and federal or state designated routes per Section 24.5-203(10).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Section 24-5-301(4)(c) makes Figure 1 the controlling table for all development in the Residential Dwelling District unless an approved conditional use says otherwise. Single-family detached homes, single-family attached units, manufactured housing developments and bed and breakfast facilities share the same yard numbers: 30 feet in front, 5 feet on each side, 10 feet in the rear and a 35-foot height limit. Detached, attached and manufactured housing sit on 6,000-square-foot lots at a density of 7 dwelling units per acre. Accessory uses keep the 30-foot front yard but need only 5 feet in the rear. Churches, schools and public uses require at least 1 acre, a 50-foot front yard and 10 feet on the sides and rear, and schools and public uses also stay within a floor area ratio of 0.35. Low-intensity recreation uses a 50-foot front yard with 5-foot side and rear yards. Subsection (4)(a) caps building coverage at 40 percent of the parcel, and (4)(b) allows no more than one residential use per lot.
The asterisk on the front yard figures adds a five-foot front setback along arterial or collector corridors and federal or state designated routes. Sec. 24-5-203(10) measures that five feet from the existing right-of-way line and applies it to buildings, parking lots, parking areas and any other permanently installed improvements. Facilities with retail fuel sales need an additional ten feet.
Other rules in Chapter 24 adjust the table. On a corner lot, the yard on the side that adjoins a public street is one-half of the minimum front yard (Sec. 24-5-203(5)). Where 40 percent or more of a block face already has buildings set back less than the district requires, the front setback becomes the average of the front yards along that block face (Sec. 24-5-203(6)). No building may be constructed, moved, reconstructed or enlarged within ten feet of the edge of the street or roadway surface of any public street or highway (Sec. 24-5-203(7)). Setbacks run to the nearest point of the foundation wall, and a roof overhang or projection of up to two feet may extend past it. No building, swimming pools included, can sit on a dedicated city easement or servitude, and the setback grows until it clears the easement (Sec. 24-5-203(18)).
Violations & Fines
Building inside a required yard, over a city easement or within ten feet of a street edge breaks the zoning ordinance, and Sec. 24-6-102 makes each day of the violation a separate offense. The owner, tenant, builder, contractor or anyone who assists is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $10 to $250, up to 30 days in jail, or both, for every day. The city can instead cite the offender to the administrative adjudication hearing officer for civil penalties up to $500 per offense count, fees, hearing costs and an abatement order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far from the property lines must a detached house in a Lake Charles residential district sit?
What does the asterisk next to the front yard numbers mean?
How is the setback figured on a corner lot?
Can a variance shrink a setback in Lake Charles?
Can I put a pool or a cargo container near the line?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake Charles
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