Building Setbacks & Zoning in Connecticut (2026)
19 rules on the books across Connecticut, 7 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.
Bethel
Some RestrictionsBethel's zoning table sets principal-building setbacks that scale with lot size across its six residential zones. Front…
Read full rule →Danbury
Some RestrictionsIn Danbury's CL-10 Light Commercial District, buildings must sit back 20 feet from the front line, 10 feet from the…
Read full rule →Hartford
Some RestrictionsHartford's form-based Zoning Regulations set side and rear yard setbacks by district for House A buildings: 10 feet…
Read full rule →New Haven
Some RestrictionsNew Haven's RS-1 Special Single-Family district requires a 25-foot front yard, a 25-foot rear yard, and side yards of…
Read full rule →Norwalk
Some RestrictionsNorwalk measures its main front-yard setback from the center line of the street, not the property line: no residential…
Read full rule →Ridgefield
Some RestrictionsRidgefield's zoning regulations set a graduated table of yard setbacks by residential zone under § 3.5.H, running from…
Read full rule →Stamford
Some RestrictionsIn Stamford's R-6 Single- and Two-Family District, single-family homes need a 15-foot front yard (or 40 feet from the…
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.
Bethel
Some RestrictionsEvery residential zone in Bethel caps a principal building at 35 feet and 2.5 stories, with no variation between the…
Read full rule →Danbury
Some RestrictionsIn an RMF-10 cluster development, Danbury zoning caps new buildings at 35 feet and three stories, with a 50-foot…
Read full rule →Hartford
Some RestrictionsHartford's 2022 form-based code sets building height per building type and district instead of one citywide number. The…
Read full rule →New Haven
Some RestrictionsNew Haven's RS-1 Special Single-Family district limits new homes to three stories or an average height of 35 feet…
Read full rule →Norwalk
Some RestrictionsNorwalk caps accessory buildings in residence zones at 15 feet when they sit in the required rear yard, measured to the…
Read full rule →Ridgefield
Some RestrictionsZoning Regulations § 3.5.I caps house height in Ridgefield's residential zones at 35 feet average and 45 feet total…
Read full rule →Stamford
Some RestrictionsStamford's R-6 Single- and Two-Family District caps houses at two and a half stories or 30 feet, whichever comes first…
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.
Danbury
Some RestrictionsDanbury caps how much of a lot a building's ground floor can occupy: the exact percentage is set district-by-district…
Read full rule →Hartford
Some RestrictionsHartford caps House A building coverage at 30-35% of the lot and impervious surface at 40-70%, with a 10-15%…
Read full rule →New Haven
Some RestrictionsIn New Haven's RS-1 Special Single-Family district, a home and any accessory buildings together cannot cover more than…
Read full rule →Ridgefield
Some RestrictionsRidgefield caps how much of a residential lot buildings can cover on a sliding scale, not a flat percentage. Zoning…
Read full rule →Stamford
Some RestrictionsIn Stamford's R-6 Single- and Two-Family District, total lot coverage, including every building, driveway, walkway and…
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