West Des Moines, IA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

City Code Table 7.2, adopted under Title 9, Chapter 7, sets the minimum front, rear and side yard setbacks for principal dwellings across every single-family zoning district in the City of West Des Moines: Agricultural/Open Space (OS), Residential Estate (RE), Residential Single-Family (RS, tiered by lot size from 5,000 to over 15,000 square feet), R-1, SF-CR, SF-VJ, VJHB and MH. In R-1 the front yard is 30 feet, the rear yard 35 feet, and the minimum side yard on any one side is 7 feet, with a minimum sum of both side yards of 14 feet.

RE lots carry a 50 foot front and rear yard with a 20 foot side yard. All setbacks are measured from the closest part of the building foundation, not the roofline; on lots with a required setback of 7 feet or more, eaves and overhangs may still project up to 2 feet into the setback but no part of the structure may come within 5 feet of the property line. A detached or attached garage facing a public or private street must sit at least 25 feet back from the sidewalk or curb, or 20 feet where the garage faces an alley.

Corner lots must add 25 feet to the district's minimum lot width. Reduced setbacks down to a 25 foot front, 30 foot rear and 6 foot side yard are available on qualifying small lots (5,000 to 7,999 square feet) under Table 7.2 Note 3, but numerical variances are then barred for the principal dwelling.