Fayetteville, AR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Fayetteville's Unified Development Code regulates building height by number of stories rather than a fixed foot measurement, a departure from most cities. Under Chapter 161, rewritten by Ordinance 6945 (December 16, 2025), the single-family residential districts, RSF-.5 through RSF-8, all cap buildings at 3 stories maximum. Denser and mixed-use districts allow taller structures: several urban and downtown form-based districts permit 5 stories, and the tallest downtown districts rise higher subject to design review. Because the limit is expressed in stories, the code's definitions of story and habitable space control how tall a structure may actually reach. Exceeding a district's story limit requires a variance from the Board of Adjustment.