Building Setbacks & Zoning in Waukesha, WI (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Waukesha, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In Waukesha's RS-1 Single-Family Residential District, Municipal Code Sec. 22.24 sets a thirty-five-foot street yard setback, a fifteen-foot side yard on each side, and a fifty-foot rear yard. Waterfront lots also carry a seventy-five-foot shoreyard setback from the ordinary high-water mark.
Yard Setback Minimums in Waukesha
Some RestrictionsWaukesha Municipal Code Sec. 22.24
SETBACK AND YARDS. There shall be a minimum street yard setback of thirty-five (35) feet from any street right-of-way. There shall be a side yard on each side of all buildings of not less than fifteen (15) feet in width. There shall be a rear yard of not less than fifty (50) feet. There shall be a minimum shoreyard setback of seventy-five (75) feet from the ordinary highwater mark of a navigabl...
Structure Height Limits
In Waukesha's RS-1 Single-Family Residential District, Municipal Code Sec. 22.24 caps a principal home at forty feet and any accessory building at under twenty feet, and an accessory structure can never be taller than the house itself. The Plan Commission can adjust the cap only for a Planned Unit Development.
Residential Building Height Limits in Waukesha
Some RestrictionsWaukesha Municipal Code Sec. 22.24
BUILDING HEIGHT AND AREA. (Am. #11-16) No principal building or part of a principal building shall exceed forty (40) feet in height. Accessory buildings shall be less than twenty (20) feet tall and shall not exceed the height of the principal structure. ... PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS. (Cr. #38-02) The restrictions on lot area, lot width, building height, setbacks, and yards may be reduced or inc...
Lot Coverage Limits
In Waukesha's M-3 Limited Business and Industrial Park District, buildings, accessory structures, and surface parking and driveways cannot cover more than seventy-five percent of a lot under Municipal Code Sec. 22.40. The remaining twenty-five percent must be landscaped open space, which can include stormwater retention areas.
Max Lot Coverage Limits in Waukesha
Some RestrictionsWaukesha Municipal Code Sec. 22.40
LOT COVERAGE AND OPEN SPACE. Lot coverage by buildings, accessory structures, and surface parking and driveways shall occupy a maximum of seventy-five (75) percent of the lot area. Landscaped open space not covered by buildings, accessory structures, and surface parking and driveways shall occupy a minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of the lot area. The open space may include storm water reten...
Looking for Waukesha County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Waukesha city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Waukesha County →