Building Setbacks & Zoning in Rochester Hills, MI (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Rochester Hills, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Rochester Hills sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks by zoning district in the Schedule of Regulations, Table 6. In the RE and R-1 single-family districts the baseline is a 40-foot front yard, 15-foot side yards and a 35-foot rear yard, and a footnote lets the front setback shrink toward the neighborhood average, never below 20 feet.
Yard Setback Rules by Zone, Rochester Hills
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Zoning Ordinance § 138-5.100 (Table 6); § 138-5.101(B)
Front Side (each) Side (total) Rear RE 43,560 120 2 35 40 B 15 C, D 30 D 35 O ... B.Average Front Setback. If there are existing homes within 200 feet of a subject lot, on the same side of the street, that have an average setback that differs from the front setback as required within this ordinance by more than ten feet, then the average front setback shall be used as the required front setback...
Structure Height Limits
Rochester Hills measures residential building height from the average grade at the front façade, and lets the R-3 and R-4 districts push past their normal 30-foot cap up to 35 feet if the lot is at least 13,500 square feet and the side yards grow to match. Lots 60 feet wide or narrower, or that used the reduced side-yard option, are instead capped at 24 feet.
Residential Building Height Limits, Rochester Hills
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Zoning Ordinance § 138-5.101(A), (P)
A.Building Height Measurement. In the R-1 through R-5 and RE districts, building height shall be measured from the average grade on the front façade of the building. ... P.Building Height. In the R-3 and R-4 districts, the maximum building height may be increased up to 35 feet when all of the following conditions are met:1.The building site shall contain at least 13,500 square feet of lot area....
Lot Coverage Limits
Rochester Hills caps how much of a residential lot buildings can cover: 25 percent of the lot in the RE, R-1 and R-2 districts, rising to 30 percent in the R-3 and R-4 districts. The same 25 percent ceiling also governs open-space option subdivisions in the RE, R-1, R-2, R-3-OS and R-4-OS districts under Section 138-5.201.
Maximum Lot Coverage Limits, Rochester Hills
Some RestrictionsRochester Hills Zoning Ordinance § 138-5.100 (Table 6); § 138-5.201(F)
(sq. ft.) Max. Lot Coverage (all buildings) Area (sq. ft.) Width (ft.) Stories Feet Front Side (each) Side (total) Rear R- ... 4 9,600 80 2 30 P 25 B 10 C, D 20 D 35 O 912 30% ... F.Lot Coverage. The maximum percentage of lot coverage by all buildings in the RE, R-1, R-2, R-3-OS and R-4-OS districts shall not exceed 25 percent.
Looking for Oakland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Rochester Hills city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Oakland County →