Tampa, FL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- City Code § 27-156(c), Table 4-2
- RS districts cap
- 35 feet
- RM-35 / OP-1 caps
- 120 feet / 200 feet
- Extra height rule
- 1 ft yard added per ft over cap
Summary
Tampa caps building height at 35 feet across every RS single-family district and most low-density RM districts, rising to 60, 120 or 200 feet in higher-density multifamily zones, with required yards increasing as buildings climb above those thresholds, under Table 4-2 of Section 27-156(c).
Maximum Height (ft.): RS-150 35; RS-100 35; RS-60 35; RS-50 35; RM-24 60 [2]; RM-35 120 [3]; OP-1 200 [3]; RM-75 n/a [5]. Table 4-2 Notes: "1.Except where lesser height is specified by Hillsborough County Authority regulations." "2.For each foot of building height above thirty-five (35) feet, the required yards shall be increased by one (1) foot." "3.For each two (2) feet of building height over thirty (30) feet, the required front and corner yards shall be increased by one (1) foot, except that if the zoning lot is immediately adjacent to a residential zoning district, the rear and side yards shall also meet the setback noted above."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 148).
Full Breakdown
Table 4-2, the Schedule of Area, Height, Bulk and Placement Regulations attached to Section 27-156(c), sets a flat 35-foot maximum height for every single-family district, RS-150, RS-100, RS-75, RS-60 and RS-50, and for the lower-density multifamily RM-12, RM-16 and RM-18 districts. Height allowances rise with density: RM-24 and the OP office district cap out at 60 feet, RM-35 reaches 120 feet, OP-1 and RM-50 reach 200 feet, and RM-75 carries no fixed cap under the table (marked 'n/a'). The table's footnotes tie extra height to extra yard depth rather than allowing it for free.
Note 1 caps the 35-foot limit generally 'except where lesser height is specified by Hillsborough County Authority regulations', the airport-hazard overlay. Note 2 requires that in the 60-foot districts, 'for each foot of building height above thirty-five (35) feet, the required yards shall be increased by one (1) foot,' and Note 3 requires a foot of added front and corner yard for every two feet of height above 30 feet in the 120- and 200-foot districts, with rear and side yards also increasing if the lot sits next to a residential district. Note 6 applies a similar one-for-one yard increase above 45 feet for places of assembly in the CG and CI commercial districts.
Violations & Fines
Constructing a residential building above the 35-foot cap in an RS or low-density RM district, or above a higher district's cap without adding the extra yard depth Table 4-2's footnotes require for that added height, is a Chapter 27 zoning violation that can block a certificate of occupancy or trigger a stop-work order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a single-family house be built in Tampa?
Can a building in Tampa go taller than the district's height cap?
Which Tampa zoning districts allow buildings taller than 35 feet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tampa
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Tampa to another location·View the Florida building setbacks & zoning overview
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