Building Setbacks & Zoning in Decatur, GA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Decatur, Georgia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In the City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia, the Unified Development Ordinance's R-60 Single-Family Residential District requires a principal house to sit at least 30 feet back from the primary street, 10 feet from each side lot line, and 30 feet from the rear line, with tighter accessory-structure setbacks as close as 3 feet.
Yard Setback Minimums in Decatur, Georgia
Some RestrictionsDecatur Unified Development Ordinance § 3.2.4
Principal Building Setbacks Primary street 30' min or Avg. front yard (Sec. 2.1.5.B.1.) Side street 10' min Side interior 10' min Lot less than 60' in width see Sec. 2.1.5.A.6. Lot 60' or more in width 10' min Rear 30' min
Structure Height Limits
In the City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia, the Unified Development Ordinance caps residential height by district and lot size. In the R-60 Single-Family Residential District, a house on a standard lot of 9,000 square feet or more is capped at two stories and 35 feet, and narrower legacy lots lose height allowance under a width-based reduction formula.
Residential Height Limits in Decatur, Georgia
Some RestrictionsDecatur Unified Development Ordinance §§ 2.1.6, 3.2.5
2.1.6. - Height A.No building shall be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered to exceed the height limit established for the district in which the building is located. Height is measured as the vertical distance from the mean finished ground level at the front of the building to the highest point of a roof. ... 4.Where a lot of record in an R-60 zoning distri...
Lot Coverage Limits
Decatur, Georgia's Unified Development Ordinance limits how much of a lot a house can cover. For a legacy lot of record in the R-50 or R-60 single-family districts that is smaller than the district's current minimum lot area, Section 2.1.4 sets a sliding cap running from 69% on lots under 3,000 square feet down to 40% on lots of 9,000 square feet or more.
Max Lot Coverage Rules in Decatur, Georgia
Some RestrictionsDecatur Unified Development Ordinance § 2.1.4
2.1.4. - Lot Coverage A.Where a lot of record in R-50 or R-60 at the time of the effective date of this UDO had less than the required minimum lot area, the maximum lot coverage is as follows: Less than 3,000 SF 69% max 3,000 SF to 3,499 SF 67% max 3,500 SF to 3,999 SF 65% max 4,000 SF to 4,499 SF 63% max 4,500 SF to 4,999 SF 60% max 5,000 to 5,499 SF 58% max 5,500 to 5,999 SF 56% max 6,000 to ...
Looking for DeKalb County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Decatur city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in DeKalb County →