Waukesha, WI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Street yard setback, RS-1
- 35 feet minimum
- Side yard setback
- 15 feet each side
- Rear yard setback
- 50 feet minimum
- Shoreyard setback
- 75 feet from high-water mark
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Sec. 22.24
- Relief options
- PUD overlay or Board of Zoning Appeals variance
Summary
In Waukesha's RS-1 Single-Family Residential District, Municipal Code Sec. 22.24 sets a thirty-five-foot street yard setback, a fifteen-foot side yard on each side, and a fifty-foot rear yard. Waterfront lots also carry a seventy-five-foot shoreyard setback from the ordinary high-water mark.
SETBACK AND YARDS. There shall be a minimum street yard setback of thirty-five (35) feet from any street right-of-way. There shall be a side yard on each side of all buildings of not less than fifteen (15) feet in width. There shall be a rear yard of not less than fifty (50) feet. There shall be a minimum shoreyard setback of seventy-five (75) feet from the ordinary highwater mark of a navigable body of water.
Full Breakdown
2 dwelling units per net acre. A home needs at least thirty-five feet between it and any street right-of-way, at least fifteen feet on each side yard, and at least fifty feet from the rear lot line. 22. These figures are specific to RS-1; Waukesha's other zoning districts, including RS-2 through RS-4, the RD and RM residential districts, and the various business and manufacturing districts, each carry their own Setback and Yards subsection in Chapter 22 with different street, side, and rear yard numbers suited to that district's density and use. 68, which requires showing an exceptional or extraordinary condition tied to the specific property.
Violations & Fines
Constructing or expanding a principal building closer to a lot line than the RS-1 setback minimums, without an approved Planned Unit Development or a Board of Zoning Appeals variance, is a Chapter 22 violation enforced by the Zoning Administrator under Section 22.67, with injunctive relief available to the City or an affected neighboring owner. The Municipal Code's general penalty in Section 25.05 applies: $10 to $2,500 for a first offense plus prosecution costs, $100 to $5,000 for each repeat offense, and each day a structure remains in violation counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a house sit from the street in Waukesha's RS-1 district?
What are the side and rear yard setbacks for a Waukesha single-family home?
Is there an extra setback for waterfront property in Waukesha?
How do I get a smaller setback than the code allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukesha
Compare Waukesha to another location·View the Wisconsin building setbacks & zoning overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.