Dearborn Heights, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 36-108(h) ties the R1 district's maximum principal-structure height directly to lot width rather than using one flat citywide number: a home on a lot under 60 feet wide is capped at 30 feet, and a home on a lot 60 feet wide or wider can reach 35 feet, which the Section 36-106 dimensional table separately lists as "2 1/2 stories, 35 feet" for R1. The RM multiple-dwelling district allows the same 2 1/2 stories and 35 feet. Nonresidential and mixed-use districts run higher or lower depending on use: the CX commercial-residential mixed use district is capped at 3 stories and 35 feet under the table, but Section 36-111(d) lets a CX building with two or more uses earn an additional height bonus up to a total of 45 feet, and Section 36-116(a) grants the same 45-foot bonus in the MX industrial-commercial mixed use district for a qualifying multi-use building.

C1 neighborhood business tops out at 2 stories/20 feet, while C2 and C3 commercial districts allow 35 feet with no stated story cap. The O office district is capped at 2 stories/20 feet. In the M1 and M2 industrial districts, Sections 36-117(a) and 36-118(c) allow height variances, but each 10-foot increase in building height (or portion of one) requires the minimum side setback to grow by 5 feet, tying extra height directly to a wider buffer from neighboring property. A homeowner adding a second story or a dormer in R1 needs to confirm actual lot width against the 60-foot threshold before assuming the 35-foot cap applies, since a narrower lot is held to 30 feet regardless of roof style. The Building and Engineering Department checks height against these limits at plan review and again at framing inspection.