Hanover County, VA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 26-64 of the Zoning Ordinance sets two height tiers for the RS District. Any structure not specifically exempted under § 26-248 may not exceed three stories or 45 feet, whichever limit is lower; that cap applies to single-family dwellings as well as accessory structures and any other building permitted in the district. Telecommunications towers and related facilities are treated separately: a tower may rise to 50 feet as a matter of right, and to 100 feet if the applicant obtains a special exception from the Board of Supervisors under the standards in §§ 26-282 through 26-292.

A property owner who wants a structure taller than the by-right 45-foot cap, other than a telecommunications tower, must seek a special exception under § 26-60(3), which lets the Board approve any structure exceeding the maximum height limit except those structures specified in § 26-248. The RS District's height limit is lower than the county's commercial B-2 District, which allows a 45-foot by-right cap but a 120-foot special-exception ceiling for hotels, office buildings and conference centers under § 26-104. Because the RS District covers most of Hanover's suburban single-family subdivisions in Mechanicsville, Atlee and similar unincorporated neighborhoods, the three-story/45-foot cap is the height standard that applies to a typical new house built outside Ashland.