Jackson, MS Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height, R-1 district
- 35 feet
- Max height, R-1E district
- 35 feet
- Max height, R-2 district
- 35 feet
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 602.02.03(6)
- Enforcing office
- City of Jackson Zoning Administrator
- Max fine
- $1,000 plus costs, per day
Summary
Jackson's Zoning Ordinance caps single-family residential structures at 35 feet under Section 602.02.03(6), the dimensional regulations for the R-1 Single-Family Residential District. The same 35-foot ceiling repeats in the R-1E Estate district (Sec. 602.04.3(6)) and the R-2 Single- and Two-Family district (Sec. 602.05.4(6)).
602.02.03 Regulations:
1. Minimum lot area - 7,500 square feet.
2. Minimum lot width - sixty (60) feet measured at the front building setback line, except that corner lots shall be a minimum of eighty (80) feet wide.
3. Minimum front yard depth - twenty-five (25) feet from street right-of-way line.
4. Minimum side yard depth - five (5) feet, except on a corner lot the minimum side yard depth on the street side shall be twenty-five (25) feet.
5. Minimum rear yard depth - twenty-five (25) feet...
6. Maximum height - thirty-five (35) feet.
7. Maximum lot coverage - fifty percent (50%) including accessory structures.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
03 (Regulations) of the City of Jackson Zoning Ordinance, last amended December 19, 2024. Item 6 of that numbered list states plainly: "Maximum height - thirty-five (35) feet," alongside a 7,500-square-foot minimum lot area, a 60-foot minimum lot width, a 25-foot front yard, and a 50% maximum lot coverage for the R-1 District. 4(6), so the limit runs across Jackson's core single-family and two-family zones rather than applying only to one district. 03. 24 and does not carve out a bonus for pitched roofs or dormers in these residential subdistricts.
A property owner who wants to exceed 35 feet in an R-1, R-1E, or R-2 lot must seek a Variance under Article XIX rather than build by right, because the regulations list carries no administrative waiver for height alone. Compliance is checked at building-permit review by the Zoning Administrator's office, the same office that records and investigates complaints under Article XXI-A Section 2101-A.
Violations & Fines
Building over the 35-foot cap without an approved variance is a Zoning Ordinance violation under Article XXII-A, Section 2201-A, which makes noncompliance after notice from the Zoning Administrator a misdemeanor. Section 2202-A sets the penalty: a fine of not more than $1,000 upon conviction plus costs and expenses, with 15 days from notice to come into compliance before the fine attaches, and each day the violation continues is charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
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