Kissimmee, FL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- AC/RE districts
- 2-story flat height cap
- RA-1 to RA-4 districts
- 2 stories by right, 3rd via conditional use
- RB-1/RB-2 districts
- 3-story flat cap
- RC-1 district
- 4-story cap; RC-2 not capped here
- Non-residential (Table 4-5)
- 35-80 ft depending on district
- Near single-family zoning
- 1-ft setback per ft of height (§14-4-6.C)
- Rooftop equipment
- Max 10 ft above top floor
Summary
Kissimmee limits building height by zoning district through Land Development Code Table 4-3 and Table 4-5, measuring most residential buildings in stories rather than feet. AC and RE single-family districts cap at two stories flat; RA-1 through RA-4 allow two stories by right with a third only through conditional use; RB-1 and RB-2 cap at three stories, and RC-1 permits four. Non-residential heights run 35 to 80 feet depending on district, with a stepback rule adding setback for taller buildings next to homes.
Structure height (stories) (4)(9): AC 2, RE 2, RA-1 2/3(10), RA-2 2/3(10), RA-3 2/3(10), RA-4 2/3(10), RB-1 3, RB-2 3, RC-1 4, RC-2 NA, MH 1/3(10). Footnote (10): "The second figure represents the number of stories that may be authorized through conditional use review." § 14-4-6.A.4.d: "Rooftop equipment such as water towers, HVAC units, elevator machine rooms, ventilators, skylights, and similar elements shall be erected only to such height as necessary to accomplish the purpose they are to serve. In no case shall they exceed ten feet above the top floor of a building." § 14-4-6.C.2: "A setback of one foot from the abutting residential site for every foot of building height."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Table 4-3, adopted under § 14-4-6.B, sets "Structure height (stories)" at 2 for the AC and RE districts, "2/3 (10)" for the RA-1 through RA-4 districts, 3 for RB-1 and RB-2, 4 for RC-1, "NA" for RC-2, and "1/3 (10)" for the MH mobile-home district. A footnote explains the two-number entries: "The second figure represents the number of stories that may be authorized through conditional use review," so the extra story in an RA or MH district is never available by right. Table 4-5 measures non-residential height in feet instead of stories, ranging from 35 feet in RPB and B-2 up to 80 feet in the CF (Community Facilities) district, with several districts, including B-3, HC and BP, left uncapped ("NA").
Section 14-4-6.A.4 fills in how height is actually measured. Ground floors of commercial buildings must run "12 feet and no more than 25 feet from finished floor to finished ceiling," and "a floor exceeding the maximum height shall be counted as two stories," closing off the trick of building an oversized single story to dodge the story count. Rooftop features get their own limits: parapet walls and cornices "shall not extend more than four feet above the roof," architectural features like spires or domes are capped at "20 percent of the total height of the building or 20 feet above the top floor," and rooftop equipment such as HVAC units "shall be erected only to such height as necessary," never exceeding "ten feet above the top floor of a building."
Height and setback interact directly next to single-family neighborhoods. Section 14-4-6.C requires any multi-family building over four units, or a non-residential building, that abuts a single-family district to add "a setback of one foot from the abutting residential site for every foot of building height," applied as a stepback above the second story or across the whole façade, and bars "active uses that may produce noise" on the rooftop within the first 50 feet closest to the residential lot.
Violations & Fines
A building permit that exceeds the story or foot limit in Table 4-3 or 4-5, or that skips the one-foot-per-foot residential stepback required by § 14-4-6.C, is rejected at plan review; built without approval, it becomes a nonconforming structure barred under § 14-1-9 from further enlargement. The Board of Adjustment can grant a height variance under § 14-3-51 only on proof of a site-specific hardship that isn't self-created and isn't shared by other lots in the district.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many stories can I build on a single-family lot in Kissimmee?
Is there a height limit for commercial buildings?
Do taller buildings next to houses need extra setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kissimmee
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Kissimmee to another location·View the Florida building setbacks & zoning overview
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