Oakland County, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Royal Oak's Chapter 770 caps the principal building at 30 ft in both the One-Family Residential (§ 770-34) and One-Family Large Lot Residential (§ 770-35) districts. Bloomfield Hills' Zoning Ordinance Chapter 24 controls the location, size, and height of structures including buildings, garages, and home additions. Bloomfield Township's R-1, R-2, and R-3 single-family districts allow up to 2.5 stories or 30 ft, and accessory buildings such as detached garages and sheds are typically capped at 15 ft and 1 story. Madison Heights limits detached accessory buildings to a single story with eaves no closer than 4 ft to any lot line. Height is generally measured from the average finished grade at the front of the building to the midpoint between the eave and the peak for a gable or hip roof, or to the deck line for a flat or mansard roof — verify the exact measuring method in your municipality. Most ordinances exempt chimneys, church spires, cupolas, antennas, water tanks, flagpoles, and elevator penthouses from the height limit, but typically require setbacks at least equal to the projection above the limit. Detached residential garages over 15 ft or that exceed the footprint of the principal house often require a special land use permit.