Setback

A setback is the minimum required distance between a structure and a property line. Setback rules determine how close to your lot's boundaries you may legally build — governing houses, garages, accessory structures, and other permanent improvements. They serve multiple public purposes: preserving light and air for neighboring properties, creating fire separation between buildings, providing emergency access, and maintaining a consistent visual relationship between buildings and the street within a neighborhood. Setback distances are established by the zone designation and applied separately to the front, side, and rear boundaries of a lot.