Salem, OR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

010(d) sets the setback standards for the RS zone through Table 511-3, and these figures apply to the great majority of Salem's single-family neighborhoods. Buildings abutting a street must be set back a minimum of 12 feet for most uses, stepping up to 20 feet where the lot fronts a collector or arterial street, while accessory structures over 4 feet tall need the same 12-foot (or 20-foot arterial) clearance; accessory structures 4 feet or under have no required street setback. Interior front setbacks mirror the street standard at 12 feet for buildings.

On the interior side, new single-family buildings need a minimum 5 feet, while existing buildings need only 3 feet; buildings over 35 feet tall must add a foot of setback for every foot of height above 35 feet, capped at 20 feet of depth, and infill lots abutting RA- or RS-zoned property must provide at least 10 feet on the interior side. Interior rear setbacks are 14 feet for a single-story portion of a building and 20 feet for any portion taller than one story, while accessory structures at the rear scale with height: none required under 9 feet, then a foot of setback for every foot over 9 feet, though structures next to an alley need only 1 foot.

New buildings within 100 feet of a waterway face an additional 100-foot setback for two-family through multiple-family structures built after March 16, 2022. All of these apply on top of Salem's chapter 800 general development standards, including the permitted-projection allowances (like eaves and bay windows) and special street-widening setbacks layered under SRC chapter 800.