Zoning Guide

Philadelphia Setbacks & Height Limits — Residential Zones

Last updated: Verified:

Fact-checked against the City of Philadelphia Zoning Quick Guide dated February 2026 and current Title 14 on September 21, 2026.

Philadelphia's residential dimensions depend on the exact district, building configuration, adjacent buildings, lot depth, and overlays.

For the common RSA-5 Residential Single-Family Attached district, the current City quick guide is more nuanced than the previous page's simple “1,440 sq ft / no front yard / 9-ft rear yard” summary.

Current RSA-5 Standards

Current Table 14-701-1 provides:

Standard RSA-5
Minimum lot width 16 ft
Minimum lot area — Council Districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 960 sq ft
Minimum lot area — Council Districts 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 1,440 sq ft
Maximum occupied area — intermediate lot 75%
Maximum occupied area — corner lot 80%
Front setback Based on adjacent development under the current rule
Rear yard 9 ft normally; 7 ft for lots 45 ft deep or less
Maximum height 38 ft

The previous page incorrectly stated that every RSA-5 lot has a 1,440-sq-ft minimum and that no front yard is required / build to the street line.

Side Yards Depend on Building Configuration

RSA-5 permits detached, semi-detached, and attached building types.

Current City guidance distinguishes them:

  • attached rowhouse: no interior side yard at the shared-party-wall condition;
  • semi-detached: 5-ft side yard;
  • detached intermediate lot: two side yards, 5 ft each;
  • detached corner lot: 5-ft side yard.

Do not describe RSA-5 as universally having “no side yards.”

Front Setback Follows Adjacent Buildings

Current Title 14 uses the adjacent-building pattern to control the RSA-5 front façade.

The quick guide's notes specify how the new front façade relates to the immediately adjacent principal building(s), with special treatment for corner lots and missing adjacent buildings.

That means many traditional rowhouses do sit at or near the street line, but zero is not the universal zoning rule.

Short Lots

For RSA-5 lots 45 ft deep or less, the minimum rear yard is 7 ft rather than the ordinary 9 ft.

The same short-lot condition can also affect occupied-area treatment under the table notes.

ADUs in RSA-5 Are Location-Specific

The February 2026 City quick guide expressly shows that ADU eligibility in RSA-5 varies by Council district and, in some areas, by whether the structure is historic.

Therefore, an RSA-5 zoning label alone is not enough to conclude that an ADU is permitted.

See the Philadelphia ADU rules page for ADU-specific eligibility.

Other Residential Districts

RSD, RSA-1 through RSA-4, RM, and other residential districts have separate dimensional tables.

The previous page's approximate citywide comparison table has been removed to avoid carrying forward unverified shorthand values from other districts.

How to Check a Property

  1. Find the parcel in Philadelphia Atlas.
  2. Confirm the exact base zoning and overlays.
  3. Use current Title 14 / the City's current Zoning Quick Guide for that district.
  4. For RSA-5, identify the Council district, building configuration, adjacent development, and lot depth.
  5. Check historic, neighborhood-conservation, special-purpose, and other overlays.
  6. Confirm unusual conditions with Philadelphia L&I or Planning before relying on a design dimension.

Official Sources

This guide is informational only. Current Title 14, lot conditions, overlays, and parcel-specific approvals control.

More about Philadelphia Zoning

ADU Rules & RegulationsBuilding Permits — Cost & Timeline

Sources

  1. Philadelphia Code Title 14 — Zoning and Planning·codelibrary.amlegal.com·Accessed 2026-04-14·Direct link
  2. Philadelphia City Planning Commission·phila.gov·Accessed 2026-04-14·Direct link
  3. Philadelphia Atlas — Property and Zoning Lookup·atlas.phila.gov·Accessed 2026-04-14·Direct link

FAQ

What are the yard requirements for an RSA-5 rowhouse in Philadelphia?
RSA-5 (Residential Single-Family Attached) is the zone covering most of Philadelphia's rowhouse neighborhoods. Per Title 14, RSA-5 requires no front yard, no side yards (rowhouses share party walls along interior side lot lines), and a minimum rear yard of 9 feet. End-of-row units may have additional requirements on the exterior side. Always verify the exact dimensions for your lot using Philadelphia Atlas and the Title 14 dimensional standards table.
What is the maximum building height in Philadelphia residential zones?
In RSA-5 and most lower-density residential districts, the maximum building height is 38 feet measured to the top of the roof. RM-1 (multi-family) allows 45 feet. Center City commercial and high-density districts allow much taller buildings. Height is measured from the average ground elevation along the building footprint to the highest point of the roof, excluding certain rooftop features.
Do Philadelphia rowhouses really have zero side setbacks?
Yes. RSA-5 was specifically written for the city's historic rowhouse pattern, where adjacent dwellings share party walls on both interior side lot lines. Side yards are not required, but if a side yard is provided (for example on an end unit or in an irregular block), it must meet a minimum width established by Title 14. Rear yards are still required to provide light, air, and emergency access.
How is lot coverage limited in Philadelphia residential districts?
RSA-5 caps building coverage at 75% of the lot area, with the remaining area generally satisfied by the required rear yard. RSD-3 (detached single-family) is more restrictive and typically caps coverage around 30%. RM-1 allows up to 75% coverage. The exact percentages and any open-area requirements are in the dimensional standards table for each district in Title 14.