Do porches count toward floor area in Austin?

Last verified August 5, 2026 against the Austin Land Development Code · KiliGray Homes

An unenclosed porch does not count toward floor area at all, at any storey, because gross floor area is enclosed space only. An enclosed ground-floor porch is exempt if it is not accessible by automobile and not connected to a driveway — capped at 200 sq ft if habitable space or a balcony sits above it.

Applies to: Single-dwelling lots of 5,750 sq ft or larger inside the Subchapter F boundary. Small lots and multi-unit projects have no porch exemption at all — their gross floor area definition carries no exemptions.

Covered outdoor space	Counts toward floor area?	Provision
Unenclosed porch, any storey	No	Not enclosed — §3.3.1
Open balcony or uncovered deck	No	Not enclosed — §3.3.1
Breezeway open on all sides	No	Not enclosed — §3.3.1
Enclosed ground-floor porch, no automobile access	No	Exempt — §3.3.3.A
…with habitable space or a balcony above	Above 200 sq ft	§3.3.3.A.2 caps the exemption
…accessible by automobile or connected to a driveway	Yes	Fails §3.3.3.A.1
Enclosed upper-storey porch	Yes	Enclosed, and §3.3.3.A is ground-floor only

The first question is whether the space is enclosed. Only if it is does the §3.3.3.A porch exemption become relevant at all.

What the code says

Porches, basements, and attics that meet the following requirements shall be excluded from the calculation of gross floor area:

A. A ground floor porch, including a screened porch, provided that:
1. the porch is not accessible by automobile and is not connected to a driveway; and
2. the exemption may not exceed 200 square feet if a porch has habitable space or a balcony above it.

Austin Land Development Code · Read the full code

Ask whether it is enclosed before anything else

Since 2008, gross floor area is enclosed space that is not exempted. An open porch is not enclosed, so it never enters the calculation — there is no exemption to claim and no condition to satisfy.

This is a change from how the code used to work, and from how a lot of published advice still describes it. Until 2008 the code counted the roofed portion of a second or third storey, including porches. That provision was struck.

The §3.3.3.A porch exemption exists for the case where a porch is enclosed — most commonly a screened porch, which the code names — and it carries real conditions.

One line worth confirming. The rule turns on whether a porch is enclosed, and the code does not define where screening crosses that line. A fully screened porch is treated as enclosed and needs this exemption; an open porch with insect screening on one side is a judgement call. If your design sits near that line, confirm it with Development Services before you rely on either answer.

The two conditions on an enclosed ground-floor porch

1. Not accessible by automobile, not connected to a driveway. This closes an obvious route — calling a space a "porch" when it functions as covered parking. If a car can reach it, it is not a porch for these purposes.

2. The exemption caps at 200 sq ft if habitable space or a balcony sits above it. An enclosed porch on its own softens the street elevation. Put a room or a balcony on top and you have added the mass the ordinance exists to control, so the relief is limited.

Read that second condition carefully: it caps the exemption, not the porch. A 300 sq ft enclosed porch with a bedroom above still gets 200 sq ft of relief — the remaining 100 counts.

How this plays out on a real lot

Open covered outdoor space is the best value in the code. A deep front porch, a breezeway between house and garage, a covered upstairs balcony left open — none of it enters the floor area calculation, and all of it is usable for most of the Austin year.

The trap is the late change. Screening a porch for mosquitoes turns unenclosed space into enclosed space, and now it needs the §3.3.3.A exemption and has to satisfy both conditions. That is worth deciding at design stage rather than discovering afterwards.

Common questions

Does a covered patio count toward FAR in Austin?

On the ground floor, no — §3.3.2.A excludes a ground-floor porch, and a covered patio is treated the same way. On an upper storey, a roofed covered area is included.

Does a screened porch count toward floor area?

Not on the ground floor. §3.3.2.A names screened porches explicitly in the exclusion.

Does a second-floor balcony count toward floor area in Austin?

If it is covered by a roof, yes. §3.3.1.A includes the roofed portion of a second or third storey, including porches.

Is there a size limit on the ground-floor porch exemption?

The exclusion in §3.3.2.A carries no square footage cap. Other limits still apply — setbacks, building coverage and impervious cover all constrain how large a porch can be.

Working out what you can build?

We build in Central Austin and deal with this code on every project. If you own a lot and want a straight answer about what fits on it, we're happy to take a look.

Talk to us about your lot

We are homebuilders, not the City of Austin. This page explains how we read the code in practice — it is not legal advice and it is not an official determination. Always confirm with Austin Development Services before you rely on it for a project. The authoritative text is the Austin Land Development Code; permitting questions go to Austin Development Services Department.