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

Article V of Warren's Zoning Ordinance sets three separate yard minimums for the R-1-A One Family Residential District. 05 requires a front yard of not less than thirty (30) feet, though where more than half the lots on one side of a block already carry a shallower or deeper setback, new construction must match the block's average depth instead; homes on adjacent lots must also stagger their building lines by at least two feet, with no building closer than 30 feet to the front line.

06 requires two side yards on every lot, each at least ten (10) feet wide, with the combined width of both totaling not less than twenty-five (25) feet, and principal buildings on adjoining lots kept at least twenty-five feet apart (an eave overhang of up to 24 inches doesn't count against that gap). Lots under 90 feet wide that predate the amendment get relief: the combined side-yard width can shrink six inches for every foot the lot falls short of 90 feet, down to a floor of a 5-foot minimum side yard and 15-foot combined width, with buildings still at least 15 feet apart.

07 adds a separate 20-to-30-foot side yard for corner lots abutting a street, depending on rear-yard configuration. 08 sets the rear yard at not less than thirty-five (35) feet. All three yards are measured and enforced by the Department of Buildings and Safety Engineering at the building-permit stage, and Section 1-11(b)(5) lets a zoning inspector issue a municipal civil infraction citation, carrying a $100-$1,000 fine under Section 1-8(b), for any structure built into a required yard.