Green Bay, WI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Table 44-2, referenced in § 44-554's lot dimension and building bulk requirements, sets the maximum height for each residential zoning district in feet and stories: 35 feet/2.5 stories in the Rural Residential (RR) and R-3 Varied Density districts, 35 feet/3 stories in the R-1 Low-Density district, and 55 feet/5 stories in the R-2 Medium-Density district. A footnote to the table, note f, lets the Common Council increase any of these heights through a conditional use permit issued under § 44-83.

Section 44-361 supplies the citywide rules for how that height is measured and what does not count toward it. Under § 44-361(b), building height is measured from the average elevation of the finished lot grade at the front of the building to the mid-height of the roof on a flat or shed roof, to the deck line on a mansard roof, or to the average distance between the eaves and ridge on a gable, hip, or gambrel roof. Section 44-361(a) excludes ten specific features from the height limit entirely: church steeples, spires or belfries; chimneys or flues; cupolas and domes without usable space; flagpoles; mechanical or electrical equipment; monuments; parapet walls up to three feet above the limit; television antennas up to 20 feet; towers, poles, or structures for essential services; and water towers. Section 44-361(c) caps how much of the roof those excluded features can occupy: no more than 25 percent of the roof area.

Height limits apply on top of the same table's front, side, and rear yard setback minimums and lot area and width requirements for each district, all administered by the Zoning Administrator under Chapter 44's general permitting and site plan review process.