Pima County, AZ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone
- SR Suburban Ranch, unincorporated Pima County
- Max building height
- 34 feet, § 18.17.040(D)
- Max lot coverage
- 30 percent of site, § (E)
- Min site area
- 144,000 sq ft (about 3.3 acres)
- Accessory building height cap
- 24 feet, § 18.17.050(B)
- Max civil penalty
- $750/day individual, $10,000/day corporation
Summary
In the unincorporated county's SR Suburban Ranch zone, Pima County Code § 18.17.040(D) caps the maximum building height at thirty-four feet. The same section sets a 30 percent maximum lot coverage, fifty-foot front and rear setbacks, and a twenty-foot minimum separation between main buildings on a lot of at least 144,000 square feet.
18.17.040 Development standards—General. a. Minimum site area: One hundred forty-four thousand square feet. B. Minimum lot area per dwelling unit: One hundred forty-four thousand square feet. C. Minimum setback requirements: 1. Front: Fifty feet; 2. Side: Ten feet each; 3. Side, when adjacent to street: Twenty feet; 4. Rear: Fifty feet. D. Maximum building height: Thirty-four feet. E. Maximum lot coverage by structures: Thirty percent. F. Minimum distance between main buildings: Twenty feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
040 sets the general development standards for the SR Suburban Ranch zone, the county's low-density rural residential designation for unincorporated land outside Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson. Subsection (D) caps building height at thirty-four feet, the same limit that applies across most of the county's rural residential zones. 3 acres), with the same minimum lot area per dwelling unit under (B); subsection (C) requires a fifty-foot front setback, ten-foot side setbacks (twenty feet where a side lot line adjoins a street), and a fifty-foot rear setback; subsection (E) limits lot coverage by structures to thirty percent; and subsection (F) requires a minimum twenty-foot separation between main buildings on the same site.
050, are held to a lower twenty-four-foot maximum height and must sit at least one hundred feet from the front lot line. Where an accessory structure houses poultry or animals, it must be set back one hundred feet from side and rear lot lines, inside a stock-tight fence enclosing at least four hundred square feet per animal, with the corral kept at least fifty feet from any residence on an abutting lot. These standards trace to Ordinance 1986-66 and remain in force for the SR zone; a taller structure requires either a rezoning or a variance from the Pima County Board of Adjustment.
Violations & Fines
Building above the thirty-four-foot cap without a variance is a zoning violation enforceable by the chief zoning inspector under Pima County Code § 18.95.030, with a hearing officer deciding contested cases. Civil penalties under § 18.95.040 run up to $750 per day for an individual or $10,000 per day for a corporation, accruing separately for each day the oversized structure remains. A property owner may appeal an adverse ruling to the Board of Supervisors and, beyond that, to Pima County Superior Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a house in Pima County's SR zone?
What setbacks apply along with the height limit?
Can I exceed the height limit with a variance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pima County
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