Charlottesville, VA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- R-A / R-B height cap
- 35 feet, or 40 feet where allowed
- RN-A height cap
- 35 feet flat maximum
- R-C height cap
- 40 feet, rising to 52 feet
- Basements
- excluded from height-in-stories count
- DX district
- height set by Board of Architectural Review
- First violation penalty
- $200 civil penalty
Summary
In the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, residential building height is capped district by district under the Development Code. Sec. 2.2.1 sets base maximums of 35 feet in RN-A, 35 or 40 feet in R-A and R-B, and 40 or 52 feet in R-C, while Sec. 2.10.9 bars any building from exceeding the stories or feet its district allows unless a listed exception or height bonus applies.
2.2.1. Summary of Districts ... R-A 25’ or 40’ lot width (min) 3 dwelling units (max) 35’ height or 40’ height (max)
60’ building width (max) RN-A 25’ or 40’ lot width (min) 1 dwelling unit (max) 35’ height (max) 40’ building width (max) R-B
25’ or 40’ lot width (min) 6 dwelling units (max) 35’ height or 40’ height (max) 60’ building width (max) R-C 25’ or 40’ lot width (min) 8 dwelling units (max) 40’ height or 52’ height (max) 70’ building width (max)
Full Breakdown
The Development Code's Summary of Districts table at Sec. 1 sets the base height ceiling for each of Charlottesville's core residential districts: Residential A (R-A) tops out at 35 feet, or 40 feet where the higher figure applies; Residential Core Neighborhood A (RN-A) is capped flat at 35 feet; Residential B (R-B) mirrors R-A at 35 or 40 feet; and Residential C (R-C) allows 40 feet, rising to 52 feet, alongside a larger 70-foot maximum building width. The operative height standard, Sec. A, applies to all lots in all zoning districts and states that no building, portion of a building, or structure may exceed the maximum number of stories or feet allowed in the zoning district, unless it is listed as an exception or the project qualifies for the height bonus under Div.
2, Development Bonuses. Sec. b excludes basements from the story count entirely and lets a mezzanine avoid counting as a story so long as its floor area is not more than one-third of the room it sits within and its perimeter stays largely unenclosed, with up to 15% of its interior floor area allowed to be enclosed. In Downtown Mixed Use (DX), height is not set by the numeric table at all: the Board of Architectural Review determines the maximum height under its own design guidelines wherever the BAR has review authority.
Height in stories is measured from finished grade under Sec. a, counting the ground story and every upper story, and can be measured per building module rather than for the whole structure where separately established ground-story modules exist.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the maximum height allowed for a zoning district is a dimensional-requirements violation of Article 2, enforced under Development Code Sec. 5.4.4.E.1.e. The Zoning Administrator can issue a correction order, and a first violation carries a $200 civil penalty, $500 for each repeat violation from the same facts, capped at $5,000 total; an owner may also face a misdemeanor charge with a fine up to $1,000 if the Administrator pursues criminal process instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in Charlottesville's R-A district?
Do basements count toward a building's height in stories?
Can a mezzanine push my building over its story limit?
Who sets the height limit for buildings in Downtown Mixed Use?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charlottesville
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