Jonesboro, AR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 117-138(d)(11)
- Standard residential cap
- 35 feet
- AG and RM districts
- 45 feet
- RI-U district
- 30 ft near street, 45 ft set back
- Exempt features
- Chimneys, spires, silos, flagpoles
- Extra setback trigger
- 8 ft per story/15 ft near RS districts
Summary
Residential structures in Jonesboro top out at 35 feet in most zoning districts, except the AG and RM districts, which allow up to 45 feet; the newer RI-U district splits the difference with a 30-foot limit near the street and 45 feet farther back, per Code of Ordinances Sec. 117-138(d)(11).
(11)Maximum height limitation is 35 feet in all residential zones with the exceptions of the AG and RM districts, where the limitation is 45 feet. Chimneys, smokestacks, ventilators, cooling and water towers, bulkheads, grain elevators and silos, utility and flagpoles, belfries, spires and steeples, and monuments and ornamental towers, may be erected to any height not in conflict with the airport overlay district or other city ordinances. Communication towers are exempt only to the extent authorized through conditional use approval.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Certain rooftop features are carved out of that cap entirely: chimneys, smokestacks, ventilators, cooling and water towers, bulkheads, grain elevators and silos, utility and flagpoles, belfries, spires and steeples, and monuments and ornamental towers may be built to any height that does not conflict with the airport overlay district or other city ordinances, while communication towers are exempt only through conditional use approval. The RI-U Residential Intermediate-Urban district gets its own graduated rule under Sec. 117-138(d)(13): buildings located between zero and ten feet from the front property line or a master street plan right-of-way line are capped at 30 feet, while any portion of a building set back more than ten feet from that right-of-way may rise to 45 feet.
Height is measured under the Sec. ' Height also interacts with setbacks: under Sec. 117-138(d)(8), multifamily and nonresidential structures adjacent to RS single-family districts that exceed one story or 15 feet must add an extra eight feet of side and rear setback for every additional story or 15 feet of height, and Sec. 117-138(d)(12) requires the side setback for multifamily buildings placed on the property line to grow by five feet for each story beyond the first.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a residential structure above the applicable 35-foot or 45-foot cap, or building a multifamily or nonresidential structure near a single-family district without the required additional height-triggered setback, is a class C misdemeanor under Sec. 117-3, fined $100.00 to $500.00 per day of continued violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a house in Jonesboro?
Are there different height rules for the RI-U district?
Do chimneys and antennas count toward the height limit?
Does a taller multifamily building need a bigger setback near single-family homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jonesboro
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