Fulton County, GA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard minimum
- 60 feet
- Rear yard minimum
- 50 feet
- Side yard, interior line
- 25 feet
- Side yard, adjacent to street
- 40 feet
- Max building height
- 40 feet
- Minimum lot area
- 2 acres
Summary
In unincorporated Fulton County's R-1 Single Family Dwelling District, new houses must sit at least 60 feet back from the front property line, 50 feet from the rear, and 25 feet from an interior side line (40 feet if the side line adjoins a street). Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek and Milton addresses follow their own city codes instead.
6.1.3 Development standards. A. Height regulations: No building shall exceed 40 feet in height. (Amended 2/7/96) B. Minimum front yard: 60 feet. C. Minimum side yard: — 25 feet adjacent to interior line. — 40 feet adjacent to street. D. Minimum rear yard: 50 feet. E. Minimum lot area: two acres. F. Minimum lot width: 200 feet. G. Minimum lot frontage: 35 feet adjoining a street. (Amended 11/3/93) ... I. Minimum accessory structure requirements: Accessory structures may be located in the rear or side yards only, but shall not be located within a minimum yard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 57).
Full Breakdown
3 sets the dimensional standards for the R-1 District, the county's lowest-density single-family zone, which applies only in unincorporated Fulton County: land inside Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Milton, Chattahoochee Hills or South Fulton is governed by that city's own zoning, not this resolution. 3, no building may exceed 40 feet in height (amended 2/7/96). The minimum front yard is 60 feet. The minimum side yard is 25 feet where it adjoins an interior lot line, but jumps to 40 feet where the side yard adjoins a street, so corner lots carry a heavier setback on their street-facing side than a standard interior lot.
The minimum rear yard is 50 feet. These setbacks pair with a two-acre minimum lot area, a 200-foot minimum lot width, and a 35-foot minimum lot frontage on a street (amended 11/3/93). 3(I) confines accessory structures, such as detached garages and sheds, to the rear or side yard and bars them from standing inside any minimum yard at all, meaning an accessory building must clear the same 25/40/50-foot lines as the primary house. Conservation subdivisions in the R-1 District instead follow the alternative dimensional standards in Section VI of the Fulton County Subdivision Regulations (added 5/5/04), which can permit reduced lots in exchange for preserved open space. 23 that can add further building limitations on a given lot.
Violations & Fines
Fulton County's Department of Public Works, Planning and Zoning reviews building permit applications for compliance with these yard minimums before construction begins; a structure built inside a required setback is a zoning violation subject to a stop-work order and can be required to be moved or removed at the owner's expense. Property owners who need relief from the 60/50/25-40 foot minimums must apply for a variance or exception under Section 4.3 rather than build first and ask later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these setbacks apply to my Atlanta or Sandy Springs address?
Why is my side setback 40 feet instead of 25?
Can I put a shed inside the setback area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fulton County
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