Building Setbacks & Zoning in New Mexico (2026)
19 rules on the books across New Mexico, 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.
Albuquerque
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance sets minimum yard setbacks for each residential zone district in Table…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Bernalillo County's 1973 zoning ordinance sets a 20-foot front, 14-foot combined side, and 15-foot rear…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Some RestrictionsIn the D1 Low Density Residential zone, homes must sit back 20 feet from the primary frontage, 5 feet from a secondary…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Some RestrictionsLas Cruces zoning sets minimum yard setbacks by district. In the common R-1a medium-density zone: 15-foot front…
Read full rule →Rio Rancho
Some RestrictionsRio Rancho's residential zoning table sets minimum yard setbacks by district. R-1, for example, requires a 20-foot…
Read full rule →Sandoval County
Some RestrictionsThe default Rural Residential/Agricultural (RRA) district, which covers any unincorporated Sandoval County land not…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Some RestrictionsTable 14-7.2-1 of the Land Development Code sets Santa Fe's minimum yards for the R-1 through R-6 districts at a 7-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.
Albuquerque
Some RestrictionsAlbuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance caps residential building height by zone district under Table 5-1-1 and…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Bernalillo County caps single-family homes at 26 feet or two-and-a-half stories in the A-1, A-2, R-1…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Some RestrictionsIn the D1 Low Density Residential zone, the County's default single-family district, both principal and accessory…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Some RestrictionsMost residential zoning districts in Las Cruces cap building height at 35 feet, but the R-4 high-density apartment…
Read full rule →Rio Rancho
Some RestrictionsRio Rancho caps most residential buildings at 32 feet under its zoning table, covering districts from E-1 estate lots…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe caps residential structures in the R-1 through R-6 districts at 24 feet and nonresidential buildings at 35…
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.
Albuquerque
Some RestrictionsIn Albuquerque's Los Duranes Character Protection Overlay Zone (CPO-6), a building on an R-A-zoned lot cannot cover…
Read full rule →Bernalillo County
Some RestrictionsBernalillo County's only lot-coverage ceiling in its zoning ordinance applies to special-use industrial parks: under §…
Read full rule →Dona Ana County
Some RestrictionsOn rural R5 and R5L lots (5+ acres), Doña Ana County caps total lot coverage at 12,500 square feet or 10% of the lot…
Read full rule →Las Cruces
Some RestrictionsAlong University Avenue, the Land Development Code caps how much of a lot can be covered in pavement, buildings, and…
Read full rule →Sandoval County
Some RestrictionsSandoval County limits how much of a single-family lot can be covered by buildings, from 15% on the largest-lot R1-35…
Read full rule →Santa Fe
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe caps lot coverage at 40% of the lot in its core R-1 through R-6 residential districts, rising to 50% if…
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