Waco, TX Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum height
- 22 feet for one-story buildings
- Infill lot cap
- No more than 3 stories above tallest block-face building
- Ground floor clearance
- 12 feet minimum, finished floor to ceiling
- Build-to-line
- Zero setback on 80% of front facade
- Ground floor glazing
- At least 30% clear glass required
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 2009-367, July 7, 2009
Summary
Waco's Downtown District overlay sets hard numbers for new and substantially renovated buildings: a minimum 22-foot height for one-story buildings, a three-story cap above the tallest neighboring building on infill lots, and a zero build-to-line requiring the facade to sit on the property line for most of its width.
(c)Building height.(1)The minimum height for a one-story building shall be 22 feet.(2)The maximum height for a building on an infill lot shall be no more than three stories above the tallest building on the block-face.(3)The interior height of the first floor of a commercial use structure shall be a minimum of 12 feet from finished floor to finished ceiling for any new buildings and/or buildings undergoing substantial renovation.(d)Building set back.(1)The build-to-line shall be zero for 80 percent of the width of the building's facade on a front street and for 30 percent of a building's facade on a side street.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
5. 7 sets the core building-design specifications: a new or substantially renovated one-story building downtown must stand at least 22 feet tall, a building on an infill lot cannot rise more than three stories above the tallest existing building on its block-face, and any new or substantially renovated commercial ground floor must have at least 12 feet of interior clearance from finished floor to finished ceiling. The same section fixes a build-to-line of zero, meaning the building sits directly at the property line, for 80 percent of a facade fronting the main street and 30 percent of a facade on a side street, with an exception where angle parking is built on private property and approved by the planning and engineering directors.
Other design rules in the same section require facade glazing of at least 30 percent clear glass on new or renovated ground floors, bar loading and service entries from facing the street, and cap ground-floor finish levels at six inches above the sidewalk for commercial buildings (36 inches for residential). 8(b). The division was adopted July 7, 2009 (Ord. No. 2009-367) and amended through 2015.
Violations & Fines
Constructing or substantially renovating a downtown building that misses the height floor, exceeds the infill-lot height cap, or fails to meet the zero build-to-line on the required percentage of facade is a zoning violation Waco's planning and engineering staff catch at site plan review; the city can withhold approval or a certificate of occupancy until the design is brought into compliance. Boarded-up ground-floor windows facing a street are separately barred under Section 28-880.7(b), with existing violations given six months, or 24 months on Elm Avenue and Bridge Street, to comply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall must a new downtown Waco building be?
What is the build-to-line rule for downtown Waco?
Does the Downtown Facade Design Standards Manual override the zoning code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Waco to another location·View the Texas zoning overlays & bonuses overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.