Guide:How Far Does a Garage Have To Be From The Street?

If you’re planning to add a garage to your existing home or build a new home with an attached or detached garage, you likely need to know some information about where your garage is allowed to sit on your property line. For instance, how far does your new garage need to be from the nearest street?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to this question. Your local municipality will set their own guidelines regarding how far a garage needs to be from the street, in general these laws vary from 5-15 feet. But, your best bet would be to check your local zoning regulations.

In this article we will discuss some important terminology regarding property lines that should help you understand your own zoning regulations, present some standard zoning laws regarding structures on your property, and the steps you should take when you’re considering building a new garage!

What Are Zoning Laws?

Zoning laws are the specific regulations set by local governments or local municipalities that determine how a piece of land in their boundary can be used. They establish zoning districts, such as residential, commercial, and industrial, and determine what buildings can and can’t be used for within each district.

In addition to regulating how land can be used, zoning laws also often provide standards for lot sizes, the placement of structures, the density of buildings, and the legal heights of structures.

Zoning laws can tell you a lot about your property, your zoning district, and will be one of the most important things to consult before thinking about beginning any sort of large construction on your property, such as constructing a garage.

But, there is some important vocabulary to understand that will help you understand what you’re reading in your local laws.

What Is A Property Line?

Your property line is simply defined as the legal boundary that separates your lot from all of the surrounding lots your property touches. You need to know where your exact property lines are before starting any construction.

To find your property line there a few different things you can do, such as:

Look for physical markers of your property line,
Look at your plat map,
Consult your property deed, or
Get a professional survey done.

What Is A Setback?

A setback is a zoning regulation that determines the minimum distance required between a building and another area on the property. Generally, setbacks establish minimum distances between structures and the property line, but they can be set for distances from rivers, sidewalks, highways, and floodplains.

This is the piece of information we are concerned the most about when it comes to the distance your garage must be from the street. When you are looking at your local zoning regulations you should look for the laws regarding setbacks in residential areas.

Is There A Standard Zoning Setback Required For Garages?

Again, since zoning laws are set by local municipalities they can vary quite drastically from one area to the next. If your garage will be attached to your home this is an easy answer as your layout is fairly established for you.

But, if you’re building a detached garage there are a lot more rules about them. IN general, if the garage is going to face the front of your current home, it should be between 5-15 feet away from your front property line and at least 5 feet from the side of your property.

If your garage is located somewhere else, such as your backyard or off a low-traffic alley, there is generally less clearance required between the garage and your property line.

However, we can’t stress enough that you must consult your local zoning laws to determine the rules for your property.

What Steps Should I Take Before Building My Garage?

If you’re ready to just jump right into construction on your new garage, we ask you to double-check that you’ve taken the appropriate steps to start your construction legally.

The very first thing you need to do is determine your exact property lines. Although it will cost money, the most effective way to do this is to get a professional survey done.

Next, you need to determine if the size of your new garage will require you to get a building permit from your local municipality. Most areas set a minimum structure size that can be built without a permit, once you exceed this you are required to get a permit before beginning construction.

And finally, you should consult your zoning laws and find out what the setback is that applies to your property. Once you know this you can start measuring and get a better idea about where you can actually place your new garage.

What Happens If I Build My Garage Too Close To The Street?

If you neglect to check your setback laws and build your garage in violation of them you will face some pretty extreme consequences. While you may think that no one will notice the violation, this often isn’t the case.

If a neighbor mentions something or your municipality finds out through a survey or other means you will almost certainly face a hefty fine. The exact amount of your fine will again depend on your local zoning laws.

But, there is also a high change that you will be forced to demolish your new garage. This would be the worst-case-scenario and is the most important reason to make sure you understand your local setback laws.

Final Thoughts: Always Consult Your Local Zoning Laws!

Before you begin constructing your new attached or detached garage you must make sure that you truly understand how far your garage can be not only from your property line, but the street nearest the line.

Your local municipality will set specific setback requirements that determine where structures can sit on a property, and the punishments for failing to adhere to these standards.

If you don’t understand something in your zoning laws don’t just hope for the best, you should consult with your local municipality to make sure that you construct your garage legally.

As long as you follow all of your local laws and do your due diligence before beginning your project you shouldn’t run into any roadblocks during your garage construction!

Guide:How Far Does a Garage Have To Be From The Street?