Building Setbacks & Zoning in Arkansas (2026)
17 rules on the books across Arkansas, 8 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Setback Rules
How far structures must be from property lines, streets, and other buildings. Different setbacks apply to front, side, and rear yards.
Benton County
Some RestrictionsBenton County bars any manmade structure from within 50 to 65 feet of a road's centerline, with the exact distance set…
Read full rule →Fayetteville
Some RestrictionsFayetteville's common single-family zone, RSF-4, requires a 15-foot front, 5-foot side, and 15-foot rear setback…
Read full rule →Fort Smith
Some RestrictionsFort Smith sets minimum yard setbacks by zoning district in Table 27-404-A, ranging from 20 feet in dense residential…
Read full rule →Jonesboro
Some RestrictionsJonesboro's zoning code fixes minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks for every residential district in a single…
Read full rule →Little Rock
Some RestrictionsLittle Rock's R-2 single-family district requires a 25-foot front yard, 25-foot rear yard, and side yards of 10% of lot…
Read full rule →Pulaski County
Some RestrictionsCommercial buildings next to homes must sit at least 40 feet back from the residential property line in unincorporated…
Read full rule →Sebastian County
Some RestrictionsEvery building in unincorporated Sebastian County must sit at least 25 feet back from the county road right-of-way…
Read full rule →Springdale
Some RestrictionsSpringdale's standard SF-1 single-family district requires a 30-foot front setback, 8-foot side setbacks, and a 20-foot…
Read full rule →Structure Height Limits
Maximum building heights allowed by zoning, including how height is measured and exceptions for chimneys, antennas, and rooftop equipment.
Fayetteville
Some RestrictionsFayetteville caps building height in stories, not feet. Single-family districts including RSF-4 limit buildings to 3…
Read full rule →Fort Smith
Some RestrictionsFort Smith caps most single-family residential buildings at 35 feet, measured from average ground level at the minimum…
Read full rule →Jonesboro
Some RestrictionsResidential structures in Jonesboro top out at 35 feet in most zoning districts, except the AG and RM districts, which…
Read full rule →Little Rock
Some RestrictionsLittle Rock caps residential building height at 35 feet in the R-1 single-family district under Sec. 36-253(c): no…
Read full rule →Springdale
Some RestrictionsSpringdale's zoning ordinance caps residential buildings at 35 feet, the same limit written into every single-family…
Read full rule →Lot Coverage Limits
The maximum percentage of your lot that can be covered by buildings and impervious surfaces like driveways and patios.
Fayetteville
Some RestrictionsIn Fayetteville's RSF-4 district, all buildings on a lot may cover no more than 40% of the lot area; RSF-7 and RSF-8…
Read full rule →Fort Smith
Some RestrictionsIn Fort Smith's Residential Single-Family Low-Density district (RS-1), buildings can cover no more than 30 percent of a…
Read full rule →Jonesboro
Some RestrictionsTotal building coverage on a residential lot in Jonesboro cannot exceed 35 percent in the RS-1 through RS-5…
Read full rule →Little Rock
Some RestrictionsIn Little Rock's R-1 single-family zoning district, the house plus every accessory building on a lot can together cover…
Read full rule →