Setbacks: How Much of Your Lot You Can Actually Use

Here's something that surprises a lot of first time land buyers. You can buy a lot and not be allowed to build on every part of it.

That's because of setbacks. They're one of those things nobody talks about until it's a problem. Let's talk about them now.

What a setback is

A setback is a required distance between something you build and something else. Usually it's the distance from your property line, the road, or another feature.

For example, there might be a rule that your house has to sit a certain distance back from the road, and a certain distance in from the side lines. The part of the lot left over in the middle is where you can actually build. People sometimes call that the buildable area or building envelope.

On a big piece of land, setbacks usually don't matter much. On a small lot, they can make a real difference.

Where setbacks come from

Setbacks can come from more than one place, and they can stack on top of each other.

• The city or county. Zoning or building rules may set distances from the road and property lines.
• Deed restrictions or a POA. A subdivision may have its own setbacks, sometimes stricter than the county's.
• Septic rules. Septic systems usually have to be set back from property lines, wells, water and the house.
• Easements. Utility easements or drainage easements along a lot line may limit what you can put there.
• Floodplains or water. Some places limit building near creeks, lakes or flood zones.

I can't tell you the numbers for any specific lot, because they vary a lot from place to place. That's why you have to ask.

How to find the setbacks

Here's how I'd go about it.

• Call the county or city. Ask the permit or planning office, "What are the building setbacks for a lot at this parcel number?" Ask about septic setbacks too.
• Read the deed restrictions or POA rules. If the lot is in a subdivision, the restrictions often spell out setbacks.
• Look at the plat. The recorded subdivision plat sometimes shows building lines and easements.
• Ask a septic installer. They'll know the local septic rules and can tell you roughly where a system could go.

Why this matters on small lots

Let's say you're looking at a lot that's around a fifth of an acre. That's plenty for a home. But once you take out the front setback, the side setbacks, room for the septic system and its setbacks, and a driveway, the space for the house itself gets smaller.

That doesn't make a small lot a bad lot. It just means you should sketch it out before you buy, especially if you have a specific home in mind.

Here's what I'd do. Take the lot dimensions from the property map. Draw it on paper or in a free online tool. Mark the setbacks you got from the county and the restrictions. Then see if your house, septic and driveway fit.

Know where your lines are

Setbacks are measured from your property lines. So you need to know exactly where those lines are.

Our free property maps show the corner GPS coordinates and the side lengths, and they're made to the best of our ability. But they're not a survey. If you're building near a setback line, get a survey. Build in the wrong spot and you could be looking at a very expensive fix. I wrote about that in Surveys and Title Companies.

A lot where this is worth checking

Our lot at 331 Amherst Ct in Bullard, Texas is 0.22 acres, about a fifth of an acre, about a mile from Lake Palestine. Power poles are at the street, city water is available, and septic is needed. It's in a property owners association, and new manufactured homes are permitted. If you're building, an RV is allowed on site up to 6 months during construction. Before you pick a home, check the setbacks with the county and the POA. It's $9,599 cash, or $50 down plus the $249 doc fee, then $220 a month for 48 months. See it here.

Questions? Call or text me at (817) 631-1858.

Jarod

Heads up. I'm not a lawyer, a Realtor, a title agent or a financial advisor. I'm just a guy who buys and sells a lot of land. This post is general information from my own experience, not legal, tax or financial advice. Every state, county and deal is different, so talk to a qualified professional about your situation before you make a decision.