Building Setbacks & Zoning in Trenton, NJ (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Trenton, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Trenton's Land Use Ordinance sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks by zoning district in Table 4-1. Low-density RL districts require 25- to 30-foot front setbacks and 35-foot rear setbacks, while the denser RM and RH districts drop to as little as 5-foot front and side setbacks.
Trenton Yard Setback Minimums by Zoning District
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 315-4.3, Table 4-1
Setbacks Minimum Front Setback 30' or average of front setback of abutting structures In no case is a setback greater than 45' required [RL-1/RL-2] ... 25' or average of front setback of abutting structures In no case is a setback greater than 35' required [RL-3] Minimum Interior Side Setback 8' 8' 7' [RL-1/RL-2/RL-3] Minimum Corner Side Setback 15' 12' 10' Minimum Rear Setback 35' 35' 35' ... ...
Structure Height Limits
Trenton caps residential building height at 40 feet across every low, medium, and most high-density zoning district. The RH-2 district is the sole exception, allowing multi-family buildings up to 65 feet while single-family, two-family, rowhouse, and nonresidential structures there stay capped at 40 feet, per Table 4-1 of § 315-4.3.
Trenton Residential Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 315-4.3, Table 4-1
Maximum Building Height 40' 40' 40' [RL-1/RL-2/RL-3] ... Maximum Building Height 40' 40' [RM-1/RM-2] ... Maximum Building Height 40' SF, SF-A, 2F, RH, NR: 40' MF: 65' [RH-1/RH-2]
Lot Coverage Limits
Trenton's Land Use Ordinance caps how much of a residential lot can be covered by buildings and pavement. Table 4-1 sets maximum building coverage at 40% in the RL-1 district, 35% in RL-2 and RL-3, rising to 50-65% in the RM and RH districts, with impervious surface caps from 45% up to 75% depending on zone and use type.
Trenton Maximum Lot Coverage and Impervious Limits
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 315-4.3, Table 4-1
Table 4-1: Residential Districts Dimensional Standards RL-1 RL-2 RL-3 ... Maximum Building Coverage 40% 35% 35% Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage 45% 45% 45% ... RM-1 RM-2 ... Maximum Building Coverage SF, SF-A, 2F: 50% RH, NR: 60% SF, SF-A, 2F: 50% RH, NR: 60% Maximum Impervious Surface Coverage 70% 70% ... RH-1 RH-2 ... Maximum Building Coverage SF, SF-A, 2F: 50% RH, MF, NR: 65% SF, SF-A, 2...
Looking for Mercer County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Trenton city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Mercer County →