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Building Setbacks & Zoning in New Orleans, LA (2026)

3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for New Orleans, Louisiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Setback Rules

Required yards (setbacks) are set per zoning district in the CZO. In a Historic Urban Neighborhood two-family district (HU-RD2), the interior side yard for single/two-family homes is 3 feet and the rear yard is 20% of lot depth or 15 feet, whichever is less.

Building Setbacks in New Orleans

Some Restrictions

New Orleans CZO Table 11-2A (HU-RD2 district)

Interior Side Yard — SF, 2F & MF 3-4 Unit: 3'. Rear Yard — 20% of lot depth or 15', whichever is less.

Structure Height Limits

Maximum building height is set per district in the CZO. In the Historic Urban Neighborhood Two-Family (HU-RD2) district, the maximum building height is 35 feet. Detached accessory structures in a required yard are capped at 14 feet.

Building Height Limits in New Orleans

Some Restrictions

New Orleans CZO Sec. 21.6.A

When detached accessory structures are located within a required yard, structures are limited to a maximum height of fourteen (14) feet, unless otherwise permitted or limited by this Ordinance.

Lot Coverage Limits

The CZO controls buildout through required open space and impervious-surface limits rather than a single lot-coverage cap. In HU-RD2, front-yard impervious surface is capped at 40%, and detached accessory structures may cover no more than 40% of the required rear yard.

Lot Coverage and Open Space in New Orleans

Some Restrictions

New Orleans CZO Sec. 21.6.A

The combined square footage of all detached accessory structures located in the required rear yard is limited to no more than forty percent (40%) of the required rear yard area.