Building Setbacks & Zoning in Dallas, TX (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Dallas, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Dallas fixes minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks district by district in Development Code Secs. 51A-4.401 through 51A-4.403, with the exact footage for each zoning classification charted in Sec. 51A-4.410. The rules also govern how far chimneys, eaves, and balconies may project into a required yard.
Dallas Front, Side, and Rear Yard Setbacks
Some RestrictionsDallas Development Code Secs. 51A-4.401, 51A-4.402, 51A-4.403
SEC. 51A-4.401. MINIMUM FRONT YARD. (a)(2) The front yard setback is measured from the front lot line of the building site or the required right-of-way as determined by the thoroughfare plan for all thoroughfares, whichever creates the greater setback. On minor streets, the front yard setback is measured from the front lot line of the building site or the existing right-of-way, whichever create...
Structure Height Limits
Dallas caps single family homes at 30 feet in most standard residential districts under Development Code Sec. 51A-4.112, with larger-lot estate districts allowed up to 36 feet. There is no maximum number of stories, so the 30 or 36-foot cap, not a story count, controls how tall a house can be built.
Dallas Residential Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsDallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.112(f)(4)(E), (H)
(4) Yard, lot, and space regulations. ... (f) R-7.5(A) district. ... (E) Height. Maximum structure height is 30 feet. ... (H) Stories. No maximum number of stories.
Lot Coverage Limits
Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.407 sets a hard ceiling on how much of a lot a building can cover, layered on top of the front, side, and rear yard setbacks in the same chapter. Institutional buildings in single-family, duplex, and several multifamily districts top out at 60 percent; every other use follows the percentage fixed in its own district regulations.
Dallas Maximum Lot Coverage Limits by District
Some RestrictionsDallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.407
(a) General provisions. (1) Except as provided in Paragraph (2), in single family, duplex, townhouse, MF-1(A), MF-1(SAH), MF-2(A), MF-2(SAH), MF-3(A), MH(A), NO(A), and NS(A) districts, institutional buildings may cover a maximum of 60 percent of the lot. (2) In single family and MH(A) districts, structures used solely for child or adult care facility uses are limited to the maximum lot coverag...
Looking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dallas city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Dallas County →