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

Section 42-440(b)(1)i of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances fixes the maximum building height in the R1 Single-Family and Two-Family Residence District at two and one-half stories or 30 feet, whichever is greater. The identical two-and-one-half-story, 30-foot ceiling is written word for word into the R1D Two-Family Residence District, the R2 Limited General Residence District and the R3M Medium Density Residence District subsections of the same section, so the cap does not loosen as lot sizes shrink from R1's 7,700-square-foot minimum down to R2's 5,000-square-foot minimum.

The height limit interacts with the setback rules in Section 42-440(a)(7): if a multiple-family building taller than two and one-half stories, or any nonresidential building, is proposed on a lot next to a residential use in an R1 or R2 District, the side and rear yard setback must grow to match the building's height above grade, or 25 feet, whichever is greater. A single-family dwelling built under the standards of Section 42-440(a)(11) must also carry a pitched roof with a minimum slope of three inches of rise for each foot of width, which effectively rules out flat-roofed, single-story construction that might otherwise sit well under the 30-foot cap.

The Zoning Board of Appeals can waive some of those single-family design standards, but height compliance itself is confirmed by the Building Division Director as part of the standard building permit review, not through a separate height variance process.