Building Setbacks & Zoning in New Bedford, MA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for New Bedford, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
New Bedford's residence districts require a 15-foot front yard, a 30-foot rear yard behind the dwelling, and side yards of 10 feet on one side and 12 feet on the other. Rear yards grow deeper on lots over 100 feet deep, capped at a 40-foot maximum, under the city's dimensional regulations.
New Bedford Front, Side and Rear Yard Setbacks
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Zoning Ordinance §§ 2752, 2753, 2755 (Yards in Residence Districts)
Where the alignment of a building is not controlled by subsection 2751, between every building and the line of the street upon which it fronts there shall be a front yard of a clear depth of fifteen (15) feet, except that on one side of a corner lot a yard of a clear depth of not less than ten (10) feet shall be provided... 2753. Rear Yards. There shall be a rear yard on every lot and it shall ...
Structure Height Limits
New Bedford's Zoning Ordinance caps residential building height at 45 feet in the RA and RB districts, 60 feet in RC, and 35 feet in RAA, with a bonus up to 60 feet for religious, educational or institutional buildings, all set by the Appendix B dimensional table under Section 2700.
New Bedford Residential Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Zoning Ordinance § 2700, Appendix B (Height of Buildings - maximum)
REQUIREMENT | RA | RB | RC | RAA | MUB | PB | IA | IB | IC | WI | AMC | KH-TOD | CC-TOD Height of Buildings - maximum (ft.) | 45; 60 for religious, educational, or institutional buildings | 45; 60 for religious, educational, or institutional buildings | 60 | 35; 60 for religious, educational, or institutional buildings | 45 for single or two family; 60 for three family, 100 1 for other allowed ...
Lot Coverage Limits
New Bedford caps building footprint at 30% of the lot in its RA, RB, RC, RAA and MUB residential districts, rising to 40% on corner lots, 50% in the Planned Business, Industrial A/B/C, Waterfront Industrial and AMC districts, and 50-80% in its two transit-oriented overlay districts depending on lot size.
New Bedford Maximum Lot Coverage by District
Some RestrictionsZoning Ordinance, Appendix B (Table of Dimensional Regulations)
APPENDIX B - TABLE OF DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS ... Lot Coverage by Buildings - maximum (%) ... 30; 40 on corner lots ... 30; 40 on corner lots ... 50 50 50 50 50 50% Sites <1 acre: 80% Sites ≥ 1 acre:50% Sites <1 acre: 80% Sites >1 acre:50%
Looking for Bristol County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement New Bedford city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Bristol County →