Miami-Dade County, FL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- RU-1 front setback
- 15 ft for 50% of house width, 25 ft for balance; 20 ft attached garages
- RU-1 interior side
- 10% of lot width, minimum 5 ft, maximum 7½ ft
- RU-1 side street
- 15 ft
- Estate front setbacks
- EU-M 25 ft, EU-S 35 ft, EU-1 50 ft
- Accessory building front
- 75 ft in RU-1, RU-3, RU-4, EU-M and EU-S
- Maximum front setback
- 50 ft in EU-M, RU-1 and RU-2 (§ 33-45)
- Court penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 60 days in jail, each day separate
Summary
Miami-Dade County Code § 33-50 sets the minimum setbacks for every residential and estate zoning district in the unincorporated county. An RU-1 house keeps 15 feet from the front for half its width and 25 feet for the rest, with a side setback of 10% of lot width held between 5 and 7½ feet and 15 feet on a side street. Estate lots begin at a 25-foot front setback in EU-M and reach 50 feet in EU-1.
The minimum setback distances and spacing requirements in residential and estate districts shall be as follows: District/Families Front (Ft.) Rear (Ft.) Interior Side (Ft.) Side Street (Ft.) RU-1: One 15 for 50% of the lineal footage of the width of the house and 25 for balance; except 20 for attached garages 15 for 50% of the lineal footage of the width of the house and 25 for balance — 10% lot width min.—5' max.—7½' 15 Acc. bldg. 75 5 same as RU-1 res. equal to front setback requirements for principal structure on key lot, plus 5'; 20' where there is no key lot. ... EU-M: One 25 25 — 15 25 Acc. bldg. 75 7½ 20 30 Canopy carport 5 5 — 2 5 EU-S: One 35 25 — 15 25 ... EU-1: One 50 25 — 15 25 ... (d) Spacing between buildings shall conform with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue requirements.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Subsection (a) of § 33-50 is a table with four columns, Front, Rear, Interior Side and Side Street, each measured in feet, for RU-1, RU-1M(a), RU-1M(b), RU-2, RU-3, RU-3B, the RU-4 family, EU-M, EU-S, EU-1, EU-1C, EU-2 and AU.
An RU-1 single-family house uses a stepped front line: 15 feet for 50% of the lineal footage of the width of the house and 25 feet for the balance, except 20 feet for attached garages. The rear uses the same 15-and-25 formula. The interior side setback is 10% of lot width, never less than 5 feet and never more than 7½ feet, and the side street setback is 15 feet. An accessory building in RU-1 sits 75 feet from the front, 5 feet from the rear, and on a side street at the principal structure's front setback plus 5 feet on a key lot, or 20 feet where there is no key lot. A canopy carport needs 5 feet front, 5 feet rear, 2 feet interior side and 5 feet side street.
RU-1M(a) cuts the interior side to 5 feet and the side street to 10 feet. RU-1M(b) uses 6 and 10 feet. RU-2, RU-3, RU-3B and the RU-4 family copy the RU-1 residence figures for one-unit and duplex buildings. A three- or four-unit building in RU-3 needs 25 feet front, 25 rear, 15 interior side and 25 side street, and its accessory buildings need 75, 5, 7½ and 30 feet.
Estate districts run deeper. EU-M requires 25 feet front and rear, 15 interior side and 25 side street. EU-S raises the front to 35 feet, and EU-1 raises it to 50 feet. EU-M and EU-S accessory buildings need 75 feet front, 7½ feet rear, 20 feet interior side and 30 feet side street. EU-2 buildings other than the principal building and entrance lodge stay at least 85 feet from the highway right-of-way, and AU follows EU-1 unless the AU district says otherwise.
Three notes close the section: solar energy systems follow § 33-20, utility sheds follow § 33-20(b)(1) or § 33-202.3(2)(q) in townhouse developments, and spacing between buildings must meet Miami-Dade Fire Rescue requirements.
Violations & Fines
Building within the table's setbacks is a violation of Chapter 33. Section 33-39 allows a County Court fine up to $500, up to 60 days in the County Jail, or both, plus Chapter 8CC fines, and each day counts as a separate offense. Section 33-39.1 adds a civil penalty up to $5,000 per offense per day, county enforcement costs due within 30 days, and 12 percent annual interest on late sums. The Director can issue a stop work order under § 33-38.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back must an RU-1 house sit from the front property line in Miami-Dade County?
What is the side setback on a typical RU-1 lot in Miami-Dade County?
Do estate districts have bigger setbacks than RU-1?
When does Miami-Dade County require a survey for a setback permit?
Where do setbacks start measuring when the lot borders a road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida building setbacks & zoning overview
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