Paterson, NJ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Side yard floor
- 3 ft minimum
- Standard side yard
- 5 ft each side
- Rear yard floor
- 10 ft minimum
- Front yard floor
- 10 ft (averaging rule)
- Source
- Article V, certified 2016
Summary
Paterson's zoning ordinance sets citywide floor setbacks: side yards never below 3 feet (5 feet standard), rear yards never below 10 feet, and front yards can average down but never below 10 feet, under the certified 2016 Article V zoning text.
For each foot that a lot is less than 37 1/2 feet in width, each required side yard may be reduced by 3 inches. However, in no event shall a side yard be less than 3 feet. The required side yard for lots 37 1/2 feet in width shall each be 5 feet (for a total side yard of 10 feet). When such lots are 37 1/2 feet or more in width, the side yards shall meet the normally applicable side yard requirement of the district in which the lot is located.
2. For any platted and recorded lot in a residential district having a depth of less than (100) feet, the required rear yard may be reduced by three (3) inches for each foot that the lot is less than 100 feet deep; provided that no rear yard shall be less than ten (10) feet.
F. Yard Modifications for Lots in Non-Residential Districts. When an industrial parcel abuts a railroad siding, the structure may be built on the property line adjoining the railroad siding.
G. Projections and Encroachments into Required Yards. Yards required by this Ordinance shall be free of buildings, structures or parts thereof, and no building or structure shall project into any front, side or rear yard required by this Article, nor shall use be made of such yard, except as follows:
1. Uncovered steps may project not more than 4 feet into any required yard.
143
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Paterson's zoning ordinance sets citywide floor setbacks that apply beneath each zone's own dimensional table. Side yards can never go below 3 feet, and a standard 37.5-foot-wide lot needs 5 feet on each side (10 feet total); narrower lots get a small reduction, never past that 3-foot floor. Rear yards shrink only on shallow lots, and never below 10 feet. Front yards can average down to match the existing setback line on the block, but a front yard can never be reduced below 10 feet either. These floors sit in Article V, the portion of the ordinance the City Council certified as current in the February 2016 codification; the full zone-by-zone maximums live in the separate Schedule of Bulk and Dimensional Requirements on file with the Zoning Officer.
Violations & Fines
Building within these floor setbacks without a variance breaches § 500-3.2 and can block a zoning permit, building permit, or certificate of occupancy until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum side yard setback in Paterson?
Can a rear setback be reduced on a shallow lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
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