Building Setbacks & Zoning in West Palm Beach, FL (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for West Palm Beach, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
West Palm Beach's SF3, SF5 and SF7 single-family districts require a 25-foot front setback, a 12.5-foot corner setback, a rear setback of 15 feet or ten percent of lot depth (whichever is less), and side setbacks of five feet minimum with 15 feet total, per Sec. 94-72. Minor encroachments like eaves and chimneys get separate, narrower allowances under Sec. 94-305.
West Palm Beach Yard Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsWest Palm Beach, FL Code of Ordinances § 94-72(a)(3)
3. Minimum setbacks for principal building. a. Front: 25 feet; b. Corner: 12.5 feet; c. Rear: 15 feet or ten percent of lot depth, whichever is less; d. Side: Five feet minimum, 15 feet total. 4. Maximum building height: 30 feet. 5. Minimum setbacks for principal building for the single-famil...
Structure Height Limits
West Palm Beach caps single-family homes at 30 feet in the SF3, SF5, SF7, SF11 and SF14 districts, per Sec. 94-72(a)(4). Multifamily MF20 and MF32 districts get a formula instead: the greater of 40 feet or two feet of height for every foot of side and rear setback provided. Sec. 94-306 lets rooftop equipment, chimneys and steeples exceed the limit by ten percent.
West Palm Beach Residential Height Limits
Some RestrictionsWest Palm Beach, FL Code of Ordinances § 94-72(a)(4)
4. Maximum building height: 30 feet.
Lot Coverage Limits
West Palm Beach only caps building footprint as a percentage of lot area within its historic residential overlay districts. Sec. 94-80 limits the SF7-C4 historic district to 25 to 35 percent lot coverage depending on lot size; base, non-historic single-family districts (SF3, SF5, SF7, SF11, SF14) carry no separate lot-coverage percentage.
West Palm Beach Historic District Lot Coverage
Some RestrictionsWest Palm Beach, FL Code of Ordinances § 94-80(b)(4)
4. Maximum lot coverage for all structures. a. For lots up to 4,999 square feet: 35 percent; b. For lots 5,000 to 7,499 square feet: 30 percent; c. For lots 7,500 square feet and over: 25 percent.
Looking for Palm Beach County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement West Palm Beach city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Palm Beach County →