Building Setbacks & Zoning in Highlands County, FL (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Highlands County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In unincorporated Highlands County's R-2 two-family district, a residence needs a 25-foot front yard, 25-foot rear yard, seven and one-half foot side yards, and 15 feet on the side street of a corner lot. Nonresidential uses permitted in R-2 face larger setbacks that grow with lot frontage and building height.
Highlands County R-2 Yard Setbacks by Side
Some RestrictionsHighlands County Code § 12.05.212
F.Minimum yard requirements. The minimum depth of front and rear yards, and width of side yards, for a residence in this district shall be:1.Front: 25 feet.2.Side: Seven and one-half feet.3.Rear: 25 feet.4.Corner: 15 feet side yard.
Structure Height Limits
In unincorporated Highlands County's R-1A residential district, a house cannot rise above 35 feet, measured under the code's own definition of building height in section 12.02.104. The same 35-foot cap applies in the R-1 and EU Estate districts, and taller nonresidential buildings there follow the EU district's height rules instead.
Highlands County R-1A House Height: 35 Feet
Some RestrictionsHighlands County Code § 12.05.210
H.Maximum height of structures. Maximum height of structures shall be as follows:1.Residence: No dwelling shall exceed 35 feet in height, except as provided in section 12.05.302. See definition of height of buildings in section 12.02.104.2.Permitted nonresidential: Same as EU Estate District.
Lot Coverage Limits
In unincorporated Highlands County's R-2 two-family district, all buildings on a lot together cannot cover more than 50 percent of the lot. The same 50 percent cap applies in the R-1A, R-1 and EU Estate single-family districts, while the multi-family R-3 district tapers the allowed coverage down as building height climbs.
Highlands County R-2 Max Lot Coverage: 50%
Some RestrictionsHighlands County Code § 12.05.212
E.Maximum lot coverage. Maximum lot coverage by all buildings in this district shall be 50 percent.
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