St. Tammany Parish, LA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard range
- 25 to 50 feet by district
- Side yard range
- 7.5 to 15 feet by district
- Rear yard (all districts)
- 25 feet minimum
- Corner side yard
- 10 to 20 feet where required
- Lot coverage cap
- 50% to 60% of lot
- Governing table
- UDC Exhibit 400-2
Summary
St. Tammany Parish sets minimum yard setbacks by residential zoning district in Exhibit 400-2 of UDC Sec. 400-2.1, with the front yard running from 25 feet in the S-2, TF, and multi-family districts up to 50 feet in the E, R-1, R-2, and L-1 districts. Side yards start at 7.5 feet, corner side yards run 10 to 20 feet, and every district shares a 25-foot minimum rear yard.
Exhibit 400-2 Site and Structure Standards: Residential Districts.
Site and Structure Standards Residential Zoning Districts E R-1 R-2 L-1 L-2 S-1 S-2 TF M-L M-M M-H Front Yard (Min) 50' 50' 50' 50' 30' 30' 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' Side Yard (Min) 15' 15' 15' 15' 10' 10' 7.5' 10' 10' 10' 10'
Corner Side Yard (Min) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 20' 15' 10' 20' 20' 20' Rear Yard (Min)** 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' 25' Lot Coverage (Max) 50% 50% 50% 60% 60% 60% 60% 50% 50% 50% 50%
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Exhibit 400-2, Site and Structure Standards: Residential Districts, sits at the end of Sec. 400-2.1 and lays out the dimensional table the parish's eleven residential zoning districts must follow: E Estate, R-1 Rural Residential, R-2, L-1, L-2, S-1, S-2, TF Traditional Family, M-L, M-M, and M-H manufactured-home and multi-family districts. Minimum front yards scale down with density: 50 feet in the E, R-1, R-2, and L-1 districts; 30 feet in L-2 and S-1; and 25 feet in S-2, TF, M-L, M-M, and M-H. Minimum side yards run from 15 feet in the large-lot E, R-1, R-2, and L-1 districts down to 7.5 feet in S-2, with 10 feet elsewhere. Corner side yards, where the table sets one, range from 10 feet in TF to 20 feet in S-1, M-L, M-M, and M-H. Every district in the table carries the same 25-foot minimum rear yard.
The table also caps lot coverage, from 50 percent in the lowest-density districts up to 60 percent in L-1, L-2, S-1, and S-2, and sets maximum building height at 35 feet in E through TF, rising to 45 feet in M-L and M-M and 60 feet in M-H. Two footnotes matter for compliance: properties fronting Lakeview Drive carry additional rear-yard requirements under Sec. 400-2.2.G.4.e, and lots needing individual sewer systems must meet a 12,000-square-foot minimum lot size and 60-foot minimum lot width, unless combining pre-1967 lots of record into one larger lot. The Department of Planning and Development applies these standards during development plan review and building permit issuance for any new residential structure in the district table.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding a structure that encroaches into a required front, side, corner-side, or rear yard, or that exceeds a district's lot-coverage or height cap, is grounds for the Department of Planning and Development to deny a building permit or, if construction proceeds anyway, for code enforcement action under Chapter 2 of the UDC. Encroachments discovered after construction can require the structure to be relocated or removed at the owner's cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum front yard setback in St. Tammany Parish?
How close to my side property line can I build in St. Tammany Parish?
Is the rear yard setback the same across the parish?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
Compare St. Tammany Parish to another location·View the Louisiana building setbacks & zoning overview
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