Noblesville, IN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Under § 159.106 of the Noblesville Code of Ordinances (Table 8.B, Summary of Residential Bulk Requirements), every residential zoning district in the City of Noblesville, from the Suburban Residential (SR) district through General Business (GB) and Downtown (DT), carries its own minimum side yard setback. The rule requires side yards to equal at least 20% of total lot width, then sets a floor for each district: SR and R1 require 10 feet per side, R2 requires 8 feet, R3 requires 6 feet, and R4, R5, LB and GB require 5, 5, 5 and 3 feet respectively.

Rear yards apply citywide regardless of district: 20 feet for the primary structure and 5 feet for any accessory structure. Front yard setbacks are calculated separately in the same table depending on whether the lot sits in a developed or newly developing area. The Planning and Development Department reviews setback compliance during improvement location permit review, and the Board of Zoning Appeals hears requests to reduce a required setback through a developmental standards variance. That variance costs $320 for a single-family lot plus $50 for each additional variance sought in the same application, or $600 plus $50 per additional variance for any other use, per Appendix A, § 1(A)(3)(a) of the code.

A separate $150 fee applies to a fence variance for single-family or two-family lots only. Building without meeting the required setback, or violating the conditions of an approved variance, is a code violation under § 159.999.