Building Setbacks & Zoning in Portsmouth, VA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Portsmouth, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Portsmouth's zoning ordinance sets yard setbacks by residential district in Table 40.2-218(1). In the Neighborhood Residential (NR) district, a home needs a 40-foot front yard, 10-foot side yard, 15-foot corner side yard, and 40-foot rear yard; General, Urban, and Urban Residential-Mixed districts allow progressively smaller setbacks as density rises.
Portsmouth Residential Yard Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 40.2-218(G), Table 40.2-218(1), Area and Bulk Requirements (Residential Districts NR, GR, UR, UR-M)
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS (NR, GR, UR, & UR-M) | Front Yard Setback (ft.): 40 30 25 10 | Side Yard Setback (ft.): 10 10 7 0 10 7 0 10 | Corner/End Side Yard Setback (ft.): 15 15 10 10 | Rear Yard Setback (ft.): 40 30 25 25 20 25
Structure Height Limits
Portsmouth caps residential building height at 36 feet in the Neighborhood, General, and Urban Residential districts, rising to 45 feet for multi-family and other non-townhouse uses in Urban Residential-Mixed. Height is measured from established grade to the highest point of a flat roof, or the mean height between eaves and ridge for other roof shapes.
Portsmouth Residential Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 40.2-218(C)(1) and (G), Table 40.2-218(1)
(1)Building Height. The height of any building shall be measured as the vertical distance from the established grade at the corner of a front of a building to the highest point of the roof surface of a flat roof, to the deck line of a mansard or Bermuda roof, or to the mean height between eaves and ridge of a gable, hip, cone, gambrel, shed or other roof shape. | Maximum Height (ft.): 36 36 36 ...
Lot Coverage Limits
Portsmouth zoning caps building coverage, the share of a lot covered by a structure's footprint plus attached porches, accessory buildings, decks, and balconies, at 45 percent in Neighborhood and General Residential, 55 percent in Urban Residential, and 65 percent in Urban Residential-Mixed. Driveways and other impervious paving are not counted toward this limit.
Portsmouth Maximum Residential Lot Coverage
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 40.2-218(B)(1) and (G), Table 40.2-218(1)
(1)Building Coverage.(a)Building coverage is a measure of intensity of a use of land that represents the portion of a site that is covered by building footprint, as well as attached porches, accessory structures, decks, and balconies.(b)Building coverage does not include driveways, streets, sidewalks, areas of outdoor storage, and any other areas covered by an impervious surface material. | Max...