Building in Austin vs Rollingwood: the rules are not close

Last verified August 7, 2026 against the Austin Land Development Code · Kimbrough Gray · KiliGray Homes

Rollingwood requires a lot of at least 15,000 square feet — more than two and a half times Austin SF-3's 5,750 — and a dwelling of at least 1,800 square feet, which Austin has no equivalent of. Rollingwood's yards are deeper on every side, and it prohibits short-term rentals outright where Austin licenses them.

Applies to: Anyone choosing between a lot in Central Austin and one in Rollingwood. Both sit in and around the 78746 area, but they are separate cities with separate codes — Austin's Land Development Code has no force in Rollingwood.

These are two different cities, not two neighborhoods. Rollingwood is incorporated, with its own council, its own board of adjustment and its own code. Austin's Land Development Code has no force there. Nothing on the Austin pages of this hub applies to a Rollingwood lot, and nothing here applies in reverse.

The two rules with no Austin equivalent

Most code differences between cities are a few feet here or a few percent there. These two are different in kind.

A 15,000 square foot minimum lot. Austin SF-3 requires 5,750 — Rollingwood's minimum is more than two and a half times larger. That single figure is why the two places look nothing alike.

A minimum house size of 1,800 square feet, with at least 1,000 square feet on the ground floor of a two-story dwelling. Austin regulates the maximum house you may build; Rollingwood regulates the minimum. You cannot build a small house in Rollingwood. There is no Austin equivalent of this rule at all.

	Rollingwood (R)	Austin SF-3
Minimum lot size	15,000 sq ft	5,750 sq ft
Minimum dwelling size	1,800 sq ft	no minimum
Front yard	30 ft	25 ft
Interior side yard	10 ft (two sides ≥ 25 ft total)	5 ft
Street side yard	30 ft	15 ft
Rear yard	20 ft	10 ft
Maximum height	35 ft	32 ft (Subchapter F)
Impervious cover	not stated in the district	45%
Floor-to-area ratio	none stated	0.4 or 2,300 sq ft, whichever is greater
Accessory buildings	1, max 500 sq ft	See Subchapter F
Front fence	3 ft and 80% see-through	—
Other fences	8 ft	—
Short-term rentals	Prohibited	Licensed

Generated from the tested calculator module, not typed in. "Not stated" means the source is silent — it does not mean zero, and it does not mean Austin's figure applies. The Austin column is SF-3 specifically; other Austin districts differ.

Every yard is deeper, and the side rule has a catch

Rollingwood's yards are larger on every side — 30 feet at the front against Austin's 25, 20 at the rear against 10, and 10 feet at the sides against 5. That side figure is double.

And it comes with a catch that catches people: the two side yards together must total at least 25 feet. Ten and ten is twenty, which does not satisfy it. One side has to give up at least five more feet — your choice which, but not whether.

Combined with the 15,000 square foot minimum lot, the practical effect is a substantially smaller buildable footprint as a share of the site than Austin's numbers suggest, on a much larger site.

Short-term rentals are the sharpest difference, and it is a difference in kind. Austin licenses short-term rentals. Rollingwood prohibits them outright — any rental under 30 days, including a single room, with a penalty of up to $2,000 per day. If a lot purchase depends on rental income, this is not a rule that varies by degree across the city line.

Two more that surprise people

Front fences. Rollingwood prohibits a front-yard fence unless it meets every condition in §107-34(b) — no more than 3 feet, an average of 80 percent visibility through it, and all components at least 15 feet back from the curb. A solid front wall fails at any height. Elsewhere on the lot the allowance is 8 feet, which is generous.

Accessory buildings. One per lot, capped at 500 square feet, one story, no taller than the house, and it may not be built before the main house is under construction. A detached garage or studio on an otherwise empty lot is not available.

This compares dimensions, not desirability. Taxes, schools, service providers, deed restrictions and resale are all outside this page, and several of them matter more to a buyer than a setback does. What the comparison is good for is a narrower question: given a lot in each city, what could actually be built on it.

Common questions

What is the minimum lot size in Rollingwood vs Austin?

Rollingwood requires at least 15,000 square feet under §107-72. Austin SF-3 works from 5,750 square feet — Rollingwood's minimum is more than two and a half times larger.

Is there a minimum house size in Rollingwood?

Yes — 1,800 square feet, with at least 1,000 square feet on the ground floor of a two-story dwelling. Austin has no equivalent rule; it caps maximum floor area rather than setting a minimum.

Are the setbacks bigger in Rollingwood than Austin?

On every side. Rollingwood requires 30 feet at the front against Austin SF-3's 25, 20 at the rear against 10, and 10 feet at the sides against 5 — with the two side yards required to total at least 25 feet.

Can you do a short-term rental in Rollingwood?

No. Rollingwood prohibits all short-term rentals — any rental of under 30 days, including a single room — with a penalty of up to $2,000 per day. Austin operates a licensing regime instead.

Does Austin's building code apply in Rollingwood?

No. Rollingwood is a separate incorporated city with its own code, council and board of adjustment, despite being surrounded by Austin. Subchapter F, the Austin zoning district tables and the McMansion rules have no force there.

What is the impervious cover limit in Rollingwood?

The residential district provisions we have retrieved do not state one, which is why this page shows it as "not stated" rather than giving a figure. That is not the same as no limit — Rollingwood may regulate impervious cover through drainage or other chapters. Confirm with the city. Austin SF-3 is 45 percent.

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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.

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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.