Memphis, TN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- R-15 front setback
- 30 ft minimum
- R-15 side interior setback
- 5 ft minimum
- R-15 rear setback
- 25 ft minimum
- R-6 front setback, alley access
- 15 ft minimum
- Governing table
- UDC § 3.6.1 by district
- Violation penalty
- Up to $50 fine per day
Summary
The joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code sets a separate minimum yard setback table for every residential zoning district, not one citywide number. In the R-15 single-family district a house must sit back 30 feet from the front line, 5 feet from an interior side line, 20 feet from a side street, and 25 feet from the rear line, per the § 3.6.1 dimensional tables.
B. Types of Setbacks There are five types of setbacks – front (min), front (max), side (street), side (interior), and rear yards. Double frontage sites are considered to have two front setbacks.
A. General
2. All building and parking setbacks are measured from the edge of the property line. For those lots and tracts that abut easements, front setbacks shall be measured from the outer edge of said easement.
[R-15 District dimensional table] Building setback (min ft.) Front 30 / Side (interior) 5 / Side (total) 10 / Side (street) 20 / Rear 25
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
9 of the joint UDC defines five setback types that apply across every zoning district: front (min), front (max), side (street), side (interior) and rear yards, with double-frontage lots treated as having two front setbacks. 9(A)(1)). 1 dimensional tables. minimum, 100-foot width) carries a 30-foot front setback, a 5-foot interior side setback, a 10-foot total side setback, a 20-foot side-street setback on corner lots, and a 25-foot rear setback, with curb and gutter required. 5 to 5 feet depending on alley access, a 7-to-10-foot total side setback, a 10-foot side-street setback, and a 15-foot rear setback.
2 Applicability makes these same district-by-district figures bind construction on both City of Memphis land and unincorporated Shelby County land, excluding separately incorporated suburbs such as Bartlett, Germantown and Collierville, which run their own zoning codes.
Violations & Fines
Building on a lot without meeting its district's setback line is a violation of the development code. Article 11.1 makes any violation punishable by a fine of not more than $50 upon conviction, with each day the encroachment stands treated as a separate offense; anyone who knowingly assisted the violation is guilty of a separate offense too. The City or County may also seek an injunction or abatement order requiring the structure be corrected or removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum front yard setback in Memphis?
Do Memphis and Shelby County use the same setback rules?
What happens if a structure is built inside the required setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Memphis
Compare Memphis to another location·View the Tennessee building setbacks & zoning overview
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