Mesa, AZ Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height, all RS districts
- 30 feet
- Max stories, RS districts
- 2 stories
- RSL third story
- Allowed if pitched ≥1:3 or ≤60% footprint
- Height measured to
- Midpoint of plate line and roof ridge
- Governing sections
- § 11-5-3(A), Table 11-5-3.A.1; § 11-2-3(E)(1)
Summary
Mesa caps single-family homes at 30 feet in every RS district, from the large-lot RS-90 to the compact RS-6, under Table 11-5-3.A.1 at Title 11, Chapter 5, § 11-5-3(A). The Zoning Ordinance measures that height from the average ground level under the building to the midpoint between the wall plate and the roof ridge, not to the peak, per § 11-2-3(E)(1).
Maximum Height (ft.) 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 for RS-90, RS-43, RS-35, RS-15, RS-9, RS-7, RS-6 Districts. Building height is measured from the average level of the highest and lowest point of that portion of the lot covered by the building to the mean point between the plate line (where the vertical wall attaches to the roof) and the highest point of the roof ridge, or to the top of a parapet wall or flat roof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
Title 11, Chapter 5, § 11-5-3(A) sets Maximum Height at a flat 30 feet across every RS single-family district in Mesa. RS-90, RS-43, RS-35, RS-15, RS-9, RS-7, and RS-6 all carry the identical figure in Table 11-5-3.A.1, alongside a two-story maximum. RSL small-lot districts (Table 11-5-3.A.2) also cap at 30 feet, though § 11-5-3(A)(5) lets a Single Residence in an RSL district add a third story if it sits inside a roof pitched at least 1:3, with dormers no more than 15 feet deep or wide and set below the ridge, or if the third-story floor area is no more than 60% of the building's footprint and set back at least 8 feet from the front wall (or 5 feet front and 5 feet on one side).
Mesa doesn't measure height to the roof peak. Section 11-2-3(E)(1) defines building height as running from the average level of the highest and lowest point of that portion of the lot covered by the building to the mean point between the plate line (where the vertical wall attaches to the roof) and the highest point of the roof ridge, or to the top of a parapet wall or flat roof. That averaging method means a sloped lot or a pitched roof can carry ridge framing above 30 feet as measured to the peak while still complying with the 30-foot limit as the code defines it. Section 11-30-3 separately lists exceptions allowing chimneys, antennas, and similar projections above the height limit.
Violations & Fines
A residence built above the 30-foot height cap in Table 11-5-3.A.1, measured under § 11-2-3(E)(1)'s averaging method, is a zoning violation Mesa's Building Safety and Planning divisions can catch at plan review or field inspection; correcting it means redesigning the roof form or seeking relief from the Board of Adjustment, since the standard exceptions in § 11-30-3 cover only specific projections like chimneys, not overall building height.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be built in Mesa's residential zoning districts?
Does Mesa measure building height to the top of the roof ridge?
Can a Mesa home in an RSL district add a third story?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa
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