Rochester Hills, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Section 138-5.100's Table 6, the Schedule of Regulations for Residential Districts, sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks for each single-family zoning district. In the RE and R-1 districts, the baseline is a 40-foot front yard, a 15-foot side yard on each side (30 feet total), and a 35-foot rear yard; the R-2, R-3 and R-4 districts step the numbers down as lots get smaller. These figures carry superscript footnotes that modify how they apply. Footnote B lets the required front setback float toward the existing neighborhood average: if homes within 200 feet on the same side of the street already average more than ten feet off the code's front setback, that block average becomes the required setback, but it can never be pushed below 20 feet.

Footnote D addresses narrow lots: on a lot 60 feet wide or less, one side yard can shrink to five feet as long as the two side yards still total at least 15 feet and the neighboring lot's own side yard is at least ten feet. Footnote O lets the rear setback drop to 30 feet where the lot backs onto at least 100 feet of land permanently dedicated for park, recreation or open space. The Building Department checks every building permit application against these figures, and the Zoning Board of Appeals under Section 138-5.209 is the only path to a variance when the standard yard regulations cannot reasonably be met.