How sideyards are measured is often determined by the age of the lot. My office takes frequent calls from people who want to add a little space to the side of their house – often another garage bay – only to discover their sideyard limits won’t allow it. Sideyard setbacks keep houses from getting too close to each other, and are the restrictions that cause homeowners the most headaches. Build-to zones keep house fronts from lining up too perfectly and (hopefully) add a little more variation along the street. In some newer subdivisions, cities have begun establishing “build-to” zones, which amount to flexible building lines. Thinking about building a new home? Learn all about getting a new home project started here. In most subdivisions I’ve worked in, building lines are 20 to 40 feet back from the front property line. Building lines are sometimes measured from the curb, sometimes from the center of the road, and sometimes from the city’s right-of-way (more about ROWs later). That’s enforced with a front setback – also called a building line – the distance the front of your house must be “set back”, usually from your property line.īut not always. And in suburban settings, they usually want everyone to have greenspace between the street and the house. Building LinesĬities want the fronts of all the houses on a street to line up, more or less, so that one house doesn’t block the views of the others (and because planners like uniformity). Sideyards, rearyards, building lines, easements, right of ways, and no-build zones are collectively called “setbacks” and determine how close to your property lines you can build a house, and together, define the “buildable area” of the lot.Įach restriction serves a different purpose, and you should know how all of them affect your property before you start planning a new home or room addition project. Municipalities enforce all kinds of restrictions on what you can build on a property and where you can build it.