Glendale, AZ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height, all R1 districts
- 30 feet
- Story limit
- Two stories (footnote 9)
- Governing table
- Table 2.300-2, § 35.2.303
- Applies to
- R1-10, R1-8, R1-7, R1-6, R1-4
- Alley garage face height cap
- 12 feet
Summary
Glendale limits homes in every Single Residence district, from the 10,000-square-foot-lot R1-10 down to the 4,000-square-foot-lot R1-4 patio-home district, to a maximum building height of 30 feet under Table 2.300-2 of Section 35.2.303, and footnote 9 caps that at two stories regardless of lot size or setback.
Table 2.300-2: Single Residence Districts Development Standards. Building Height, maximum (feet) [9]. R1-10 10,000 90 15-20 10 25 40 30 30. R1-8 8,000 80 15-20 5 & 10 [3] 20 40 30 30. R1-7 7,000 70 15-20 5 & 10 [3] 20 40 30 30. R1-6 6,000 60 15-20 5 & 10 [3] 20 [6] 40 30 30. R1-4 4,000 40 15-20 0 - 10 [4, 5] 15 45 30 30. [8]For private alleys established after the effective date (enter date) of this Code, the rear setback for alley-loaded garages may be zero (0) for the garage face only and garage height shall be limited to twelve (12) feet.[9]Limit to two-story maximum.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 115).
Full Breakdown
300-2 lists the same 30-foot 'Building Height, maximum (feet)' figure for R1-10, R1-8, R1-7, R1-6, and R1-4, and footnote 9 adds the qualifier 'Limit to two-story maximum,' so a design can't get around the two-story cap by building single tall stories. 303. Height is one of five dimensional standards set in the same table alongside minimum lot area, lot width, front/side/rear setbacks, and maximum lot coverage, and all of them apply together: a home capped at 30 feet and two stories must also stay within its district's setback lines (15 to 25 feet in the rear, for example) and lot coverage percentage (40 to 45 percent).
The height figure doesn't vary by lot size the way setbacks and coverage do, so a compact R1-4 patio home has the same 30-foot, two-story ceiling as a large-lot R1-10 home. A different height limit applies to an alley-loaded garage face, capped at 12 feet under footnote 8 of the same table, and other zoning categories such as the Professional Office districts set their own, separate height standards that don't apply to single-family homes.
Violations & Fines
Building above the 30-foot, two-story limit in Table 2.300-2 without an approved variance from the Board of Adjustment is a Unified Development Code violation. Title 35 doesn't carry its own fine for a dimensional standard, so Section 1-7's general penalty applies: an uncorrected violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor with each day treated as a new offense, and the City may also pursue it as a civil code infraction in City Court under Chapter 13.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in Glendale's single-family zones?
Does a bigger lot allow a taller house in Glendale?
Can I appeal Glendale's height limit for my project?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
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