Building Setbacks & Zoning in Memphis, TN (2026)
2 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Memphis, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
The joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code sets a separate minimum yard setback table for every residential zoning district, not one citywide number. In the R-15 single-family district a house must sit back 30 feet from the front line, 5 feet from an interior side line, 20 feet from a side street, and 25 feet from the rear line, per the § 3.6.1 dimensional tables.
Memphis Yard Setback Minimums by Zoning District
Some RestrictionsMemphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code §§ 3.2.9(A)-(B), 3.6.1
B. Types of Setbacks There are five types of setbacks – front (min), front (max), side (street), side (interior), and rear yards. Double frontage sites are considered to have two front setbacks. A. General 2. All building and parking setbacks are measured from the edge of the property line. For those lots and tracts that abut easements, front setbacks shall be measured from the outer edge of s...
Structure Height Limits
The joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code caps residential building height at 40 feet in the R-15 and R-6 single-family districts, dropping to 30 feet for the cottage housing type in R-6, per the § 3.6.1 dimensional tables. Height is measured from grade to the highest roof point for a flat roof, or to the mean height between eaves and ridge for a pitched roof, under § 3.2.6(A)(1).
Memphis Residential Building Height Limit
Some RestrictionsMemphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code §§ 3.2.6(A)(1), 3.2.6(A)(6), 3.6.1
A. Building Height 1. The vertical distance measured from grade to the highest point of the roof for flat roofs, to the deck line for mansard roofs or to the mean height between eaves and ridge of any pitched roof. For buildings on sloped sites, the height shall be measured from the average ground level as measured along either the frontage of the lot or the front façade of the building. 6. Ad...
Looking for Shelby County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Memphis city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Shelby County →