What can go in an Austin setback: pools, parking, porches and ramps
The default is nothing at all
§25-2-513(A) starts from the strictest possible position: a required yard must be open and unobstructed from finished grade to the sky.
Everything else on this page is an exception to that sentence. If a thing is not on the list below, the starting assumption is that it does not belong in a required setback.
But read the second half of (A), because it is doing real work: the restriction does not apply to a yard, or part of a yard, that is not required by the article. If your house sits fifteen feet from a line where only five feet is required, only the required five feet is governed. The surplus ten is ordinary yard, and you may build in it subject to everything else — coverage, impervious cover, the setback planes.
| What | How far into a required yard | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Windowsill, belt course, cornice, flue, chimney, eave, box window, cantilevered bay window | 2 ft | Any district |
| A feature required for passive energy design | the 2 ft limit does not apply | Any district |
| Uncovered steps, porch or stoop (not more than 3 ft above ground level) | 3 ft | Any district |
| Covered porch open on three sides | 5 ft (front and/or street side yard) | MF-3 or more restrictive |
| Parking area | Anywhere in the yard | Any district, unless Article 10 prohibits |
| Pool, reflecting pool or fountain | Anywhere in the yard | SF-6 or more restrictive |
| Landscaping | Anywhere in the yard | Any district |
| Accessibility ramp | Minimum necessary (max 3 ft into a side yard) | Single-family or duplex |
From §25-2-513. The passive energy exemption in (B) is unlimited on its face — the two-foot cap simply does not apply to a feature required for that design.
Accessibility ramps have their own detailed allowance
§25-2-513(H) is the longest subsection and it is worth knowing in full if you are adapting a house. A ramp for a new or existing single-family or duplex unit may be built in a required yard where a person with a disability needs access to a dwelling entrance meeting Residential Code §R320.6, and:
- the ramp is no wider than 48 inches — except a landing needed for turns, which may be up to 60 inches;
- it may have a hand railing but may not have a roof or walls; and
- the building official determines it poses no threat to public health and safety.
The encroachment itself is then limited: it must be the minimum necessary to provide access, may not extend more than three feet into a side yard, and may not sit in a rear yard at all unless the dwelling is on a corner lot, access is from an alley, or another rule prevents putting it in the front or side.
The no-roof condition is the one that surprises people. A covered ramp is not within this allowance, however sensible a cover might be in Texas.
Small lots have their own, nearly identical, list
Worth flagging so you know which provision you are reading. On a small lot, §25-2-779(F)(6) sets its own projection allowances — two feet for windowsills, cornices, eaves, awnings and bay windows; three feet for a one-story uncovered porch, stoop or steps.
Those are effectively the same as §25-2-513(B) and (C), with the addition of awnings. What the small lot section does not restate is the rest of §25-2-513 — the parking, pool, landscaping and ramp allowances — which is a good reason to read the general section even when the small lot rules apply.
What we actually use this for
The pool allowance, most often. On a narrow Central Austin lot the only place a pool fits is the side or rear setback, and clients arrive assuming that is impossible. §25-2-513(E) says otherwise, and it changes what a small back garden can be.
The second is the "not required" half of subsection (A). Where a house sits well back from a line, only the required strip is governed — and that is often the difference between a shed or a workshop being a problem and being a non-issue.
The through lot rule is the one we check before pricing a double-frontage lot. Two front setbacks on a shallow lot can remove most of the buildable depth, and it is not obvious from the zoning table, which shows a single rear yard figure.
Common questions
Send us an address and we will tell you what we find
We do this research ourselves on every project we take on — zoning, floodplain, watershed, trees, whether it is a legal lot. Send us an address and we will run it and tell you what we find. It works the same whether you own a vacant lot, a house you are thinking of adding a unit to, or a house you are thinking of replacing. No charge and no strings, and if it is a bad lot we will say so.
Send us an addressWe 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.