Bossier Parish, LA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1 height limit
- 2½ stories or 35 feet
- R-2 height limit
- 3 stories or 45 feet
- Excess-height rule
- +1 ft yard setback per 1 ft over limit
- Exempt features
- Spires, chimneys, water tanks, skylights, cornices
- Applies to
- Unincorporated area within five miles of Benton
Summary
In the R-1 one-family residence district near Benton, Bossier Parish caps new houses and other structures at 2½ stories or 35 feet. A structure may exceed that limit only if every required front, side and rear yard grows one foot for each foot of extra height.
(e)Building height limit. Except as provided in division 3 of this article, no structure shall be designed, erected, or altered within the R-1 district to exceed 2½ stories or 35 feet. ... Sec. 126-836. - Exceptions. The height limits for the various districts set forth in this article shall not apply to church spires, belfries, cupolas, penthouses or domes not used for human habitation, nor to chimneys, ventilators, skylights, water tanks, parapet walls, cornices or necessary mechanical appurtenances usually carried above the roof level, provided that such features are limited to the height necessary for their proper functioning.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 126-717(e) of the Bossier Parish Code sets the height limit for the R-1 one-family residence district within five miles of Benton: 'no structure shall be designed, erected, or altered within the R-1 district to exceed 2½ stories or 35 feet,' except as otherwise allowed under Division 3 of the article. The R-2 multiple-family district next door carries a taller limit of three stories or 45 feet under Sec. 126-718(e). Sec. 126-837 lets any structure exceed its district's height limit if every required front, side and rear yard is increased by one foot for each foot of excess height, or, where no front yard is required, the portion of the building above the limit is set back one foot from the street line for every two feet of excess height.
Sec. 126-836 exempts specific building features from the district height limits altogether: church spires, belfries, cupolas, penthouses or domes not used for human habitation, and chimneys, ventilators, skylights, water tanks, parapet walls, cornices or mechanical appurtenances, provided each is no taller than necessary to function. A structure that is not one of these exempt features, and does not meet the yard offsets of Sec. 126-837, may not exceed its district's height limit at all.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or altering a structure in the R-1 district beyond 2½ stories or 35 feet, without meeting the additional yard setbacks Sec. 126-837 requires for excess height, violates Sec. 126-696(2) and is enforced under Sec. 126-815(2). Absent a specific fine, the Code's general penalty in Sec. 1-13 applies: up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both, with every day the violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a house in unincorporated Bossier Parish near Benton?
Can I build higher than the district height limit?
Does a chimney or water tank count toward the height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bossier Parish
Compare Bossier Parish to another location·View the Louisiana building setbacks & zoning overview
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