Corner lot setbacks: which side is the front?
A corner lot faces two streets. The code names one as the front, often the narrower side, and gives the other a street side yard: usually deeper than an interior side setback and often shallower than the front. That leaves a corner lot noticeably less room than an interior lot of the same size.
Updated . General information, not legal advice: the city’s code and its planning staff decide for your lot.
Which side is the front
Codes pick the front of a corner lot in one of a few ways: the narrower street side; the side the main entrance faces; the side the owner names with the first permit; or both street sides as fronts. The choice matters twice: the rear yard lies opposite the front, and the other street side becomes the street side yard.
Street side yards
The street side yard keeps the second street side open. Its depth varies by code: the full front setback, a fixed distance between the side and front setbacks, or a share of the front setback. A garage that opens to the side street may have to stand farther back, so a car can park in front of the door without blocking the sidewalk.
A worked example
Example
A 60 × 120 ft lot (7,200 sq ft) with a 25 ft front, 5 ft side and 10 ft rear setback, and a 15 ft street side yard on a corner:
Through lots
A through lot, or double-frontage lot, runs between two parallel streets. Many codes ask for a front setback on both, which leaves no rear yard; some let the owner treat one street as the rear, for example where the lot backs onto a major road behind a wall.
Sight triangles
At a street corner, codes keep a triangle clear of fences, walls, hedges and anything else above a set height, often around 3 ft, so drivers can see cross traffic. The triangle is measured along both property lines or curb lines from the corner; its size depends on the city and the street.
How the Lot Report handles corner lots
The Lot Report finds every side of the lot that runs along a named street and marks a corner or through lot. Where the city’s code gives a checked rule for the second street side, it uses that; otherwise it applies the front setback there as an estimate, so the envelope can come out too small, never too big. If it took the wrong side for the front, you click the right edge on the site plan.
Questions
Does a corner lot have two front yards?
Under some codes, yes: both street sides get the front setback. More often one side is the front and the other a street side yard with its own, usually smaller, setback.
Which side is the rear of a corner lot?
The side opposite the front. Where the owner may choose the front, that choice also decides the rear, so check both before you design.
Can I put a fence on the street side of a corner lot?
Usually, within the height limit for that yard and outside the sight triangle at the corner. Some codes allow a taller fence in the street side yard than in the front yard.
Look up your own address
Enter an address: the Lot Report gathers the county record, the house’s condition, home values, schools, walkability, flood risk and the zoning rules, and draws the largest building they allow.
Find your lotMore guides
- What are setbacks? Front, side and rear yards explained
Setbacks are the distances a building must keep from the property lines. How they are measured, typical values, what may stand in them, and what else can push a building back.
- What can I build on my lot?
Find your lot’s zoning district, read its setbacks, height and coverage limits, and work out the largest building allowed. A worked example and what to confirm with the city.
- Lot coverage and floor-area ratio (FAR), explained
Lot coverage limits how much of a lot buildings cover; floor-area ratio limits the total floor area. How each is calculated, what counts, and how they combine with setbacks and height.