Building Setbacks & Zoning in Dane County, WI (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In Dane County's SFR-08 single-family district, the county's small-lot residential zone in unincorporated towns, front yards must meet the road-class setback table in ch. 10.102(9), side yards run a flat 10 feet from each lot line, and rear yards require 25 feet for the house, dropping to 13 feet for an attached deck or porch.
Dane County SFR-08 Yard Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsDane County Code of Ordinances, ch. 10.251(5)(a)-(c)
(5) Setbacks and required yards. (a) Front yard. Any permitted structure must comply with road setbacks as described in s. 10.102(9). (b) Side yard. 1. Except as exempted in 2. or 3. below, all principal and accessory buildings must be at least 10 feet from any one side lot line. ... 3. Lots of nonconforming width. a. On lots 50 feet or more in width but less than 60 feet, the minimum aggregate...
Structure Height Limits
In Dane County's SFR-08 single-family district, ch. 10.251(6) caps a principal residence at two and a half stories or 35 feet, whichever limit is reached first, and limits an accessory building to 12 feet unless the owner secures a conditional use permit under ch. 10.251(3)(a).
Dane County SFR-08 Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsDane County Code of Ordinances, ch. 10.251(6)(a)-(b)
(6) Building height. (a) Principal buildings. Residential buildings shall not exceed two and a half stories or 35 feet in height. (b) Accessory buildings. Unless under an approved conditional use permit under s. 10.251(3)(a), residential accessory buildings shall not exceed 12 feet in height.
Lot Coverage Limits
Ch. 10.251(7) caps total building coverage in Dane County's SFR-08 single-family district at 35% of an interior lot's area and 40% on a corner lot, with any detached accessory building further limited to no more than the footprint size of the principal house.
Dane County SFR-08 Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsDane County Code of Ordinances, ch. 10.251(7)(a)-(b)
(7) Lot coverage and building area. (a) The total area of all buildings and structures must not exceed: 1. Interior lots: 35% of the total lot area, excluding public rights-of-way. 2. Corner lots: 40% of the total lot area, excluding public rights-of-way. (b) Accessory buildings cannot exceed 100% of the area of the footprint of the principal building.
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Dane County
4 cities in Dane County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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