Building Setbacks & Zoning in Dearborn Heights, MI (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Dearborn Heights, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In the City of Dearborn Heights' R1 single-family district, the combined side yard must total 30 percent of the lot's width with at least 10 percent on the narrower side, the rear yard is 30 feet on lots 120 feet deep or less, and the front yard follows the block's average when a quarter or more of the frontage is already built, per Dearborn Heights City Code Section 36-108(d) through (f).
Dearborn Heights R1 Yard Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsDearborn Heights City Code § 36-108(d)-(f)
(d)Front yards. ... In cases where twenty-five (25) percent or more of the frontage on the same side of the street between two (2) intersecting streets has been built upon, the minimum front yard shall be established by using the average depth of the front yards provided on the lots built upon. (e)Side yards.(1)The total combined side yard required shall be thirty (30) percent of the lot width....
Structure Height Limits
In the City of Dearborn Heights' R1 district, a principal home on a lot narrower than 60 feet is capped at 30 feet in height, while a home on a lot 60 feet wide or greater can rise to 35 feet, under Dearborn Heights City Code Section 36-108(h). Other residential and mixed-use districts run 20 to 45 feet under the Section 36-106 dimensional table, with a height bonus for multi-use buildings.
Dearborn Heights Residential Height Limits
Some RestrictionsDearborn Heights City Code § 36-108(h)
(h)Maximum building height. The building height of the principal structure located on a lot that is less than sixty (60) feet wide in the R1 district shall not exceed thirty (30) feet. The building height of the principal structure located on a lot that is sixty (60) feet wide or greater in the R1 district shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet.
Lot Coverage Limits
In the City of Dearborn Heights, concrete flatwork, pavers, and other impervious surfaces cannot exceed 25 percent of a lot's total site area, 40 percent of the front yard, or 25 percent of the rear yard, per Dearborn Heights City Code Section 36-106(b)(3). Nonconforming lots of record get a looser 50 percent front-yard allowance instead of 40 percent. The Building and Engineering Department enforces the cap through site plan review, permit sign-off, and field inspection.
Dearborn Heights Lot Coverage & Impervious Limits
Some RestrictionsDearborn Heights City Code § 36-106(b)(3)
(3)Concrete flatwork, pavers or other impervious surfaces may not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the total site area, forty (40) percent of the front yard or twenty-five (25) percent of the rear yard, unless another standard is specified in the supplemental standards section following the table.
Looking for Wayne County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dearborn Heights city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Wayne County →