Buildability
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Zoning, decoded for your address.
Cited map and code evidence and the permitted uses, free. The district’s height, setbacks and FAR on this lot are in the report.
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Zoning lookupZoning · SF-3 · sample
- Height
- 35 ft
- FAR
- 0.5
- Setbacks
- 15/5/5
2 units by right + ADU
Can I add an ADU?
On this lot, likely: SF-3 allows two units by right, and a third as an ADU under §25-2-774. Confirm with the city before you pay for plans.
App pieces show the sample report · 1247 Pine St, an invented parcel
Go deeper
Zoning lookup, in full
The direct answer, what the free check reads, the terms that decide a build, the cities we’ve read, and the questions people ask.
What is the zoning on a property, and what does it allow?
Find the property in the governing city or county’s official zoning map, then read the ordinance for the base district and every applicable overlay. The district name alone is not enough: permitted uses, setbacks, height, density, lot coverage, parking, and project-specific rules determine what may be built. Buildability surfaces those sources where available and labels missing or uncertain local data.
Zoning maps and ordinances can change, and site-specific approvals may modify the base district. Treat the result as preliminary until the local authority verifies it.
SourceBuildability guidance·Verified
What you confirm
Five checks, in order, before you commit money. Each names the sources it leans on, listed in full below.
- Confirm the governing jurisdiction
A mailing city does not always identify the authority; unincorporated land may follow county rules.
Sources: Zoning Verification, Buildability methodology
- Find the official mapped district
Use the jurisdiction’s current zoning map and note base and overlay districts.
Sources: Zoning Verification
- Read uses and standards
Check permitted, conditional, and prohibited uses plus dimensional rules.
Sources: Land Development Code
- Check parcel-specific exceptions
Review overlays, prior approvals, nonconformities, deed restrictions, and pending cases.
Sources: Land Development Code, Buildability methodology
- Request official verification when needed
For legal, lending, or acquisition decisions, obtain the jurisdiction’s formal confirmation process.
Sources: Zoning Verification
SourceBuildability guidance·Verified
Official and primary sources
The authorities behind those checks. The City of Austin rows are examples of the official process; your own city or county runs its own.
| Source | Authority | What it supports |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning Verification | City of Austin | Example official process for identifying mapped zoning and requesting formal verification. |
| Land Development Code | City of Austin | Example official authority for permitted uses, development standards, overlays, and exceptions. |
| Buildability methodology | Buildability | Preliminary jurisdiction, parcel-specific zoning, source-label, confidence, and official-verification workflow. |
Verified · Verified guidance
SourceEach authority’s own site, linked in the table
From address to cited zoning evidence
Source first. A zoning label only becomes useful once it is connected to the current ordinance, the overlays, and your proposed use.
- Type the property address
Buildability checks the available local zoning sources and labels the jurisdictions and standards it cannot verify.
- Get the zoning designation
Official maps and government sources for the governing jurisdiction: zone code and overlays.
- Review the standards
Cited zoning evidence, the permitted uses, the missing local details, and all nine score factors. The district’s dimensional standards on this lot are in the report.
Want the full ruleset on this parcel? Score it free, then the $99 report adds the owner of record and APN, plus the district’s height, setbacks and FAR on this lot and the buildable envelope wherever we’ve read the code.
Three terms that decide what you can build
- FAR
- Floor Area Ratio: total building floor area divided by lot size. A FAR of 2.0 on a 5,000 sq ft lot caps you at 10,000 sq ft of floor area.
- Setbacks
- Minimum distances between a building and the property lines: front, side, and rear. They directly determine your buildable area.
- Variance
- A locally governed request for relief from a zoning standard. Required findings, hearings, timing, and approval rules vary by jurisdiction.
Cities we’ve read
Each city’s zoning districts, every standard quoted from the ordinance with its section and the date we read it.
| City | On record |
|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 1 district · read 2026-10-02 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 6 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Appleton, WI | 4 districts · read 2026-10-03 |
| Arlington, TX | 5 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Augusta, GA | 4 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Austin, TX | 5 districts · read 2026-07-18 |
| Ballard, UT | 2 districts · read 2026-09-29 |
| Baltimore, MD | 6 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
Show the other 16
| City | On record |
|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 9 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Billings, MT | 5 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Bismarck, ND | 7 districts · read 2026-10-03 |
| Chesapeake, VA | 3 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Cheyenne, WY | 9 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Columbia, SC | 2 districts · read 2026-10-16 |
| Concord, NC | 6 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Decatur, IL | 4 districts · read 2026-10-03 |
| Deerfield Beach, FL | 4 districts · read 2026-10-03 |
| Denver, CO | 2 districts · read 2026-09-07 |
| Duluth, MN | 3 districts · read 2026-10-03 |
| Eagle Mountain, UT | 8 districts · read 2026-09-29 |
| Enterprise, NV | 9 districts · read 2026-10-02 |
| Flint, MI | 1 district · read 2026-10-03 |
| Garden City, UT | 12 districts · read 2026-10-01 |
| Gresham, OR | 1 district · read 2026-10-02 |
The Zoning Atlas, every city we’ve read
The Atlas list is read from the database daily.
Questions
What is my property zoned?
Confirm which city or county governs the parcel, then locate it on that authority’s official zoning map. Record the base district and any overlays, and check the current ordinance rather than relying only on a listing or mailing address.
What does my zoning allow?
Read the district’s use table and development standards together with overlays and any parcel-specific approvals. A district label alone does not establish the permitted use, unit count or building dimensions for your project.
How do zoning overlays affect my property?
An overlay adds rules to the base zoning district and may change design, use or review requirements. Identify every mapped overlay and read its current provisions before assuming the base district tells the whole story.
Does zoning permission mean I can get a building permit?
No. An allowed use is one part of the review; building, site, access, utility and other applicable requirements still need to be met. Confirm the approval path with the responsible jurisdiction before treating preliminary zoning information as permission to start work.
Can zoning change?
Yes. A jurisdiction may amend its code or map, and a parcel may also be affected by pending cases or site-specific approvals. Check source and effective dates and ask the jurisdiction about pending changes.
What is a zoning variance?
A variance is a locally governed request for relief from a zoning standard. Required findings, notice, hearings, and timing differ by jurisdiction, and approval is not guaranteed.
Is the zoning result official?
No. Use the cited map and code as preliminary evidence. Obtain the jurisdiction’s formal verification when the decision affects a purchase, loan, design, or permit application.
Want the full picture?
Nine factors for your address, with sources, in about 20 seconds. Local depth varies by source and jurisdiction.
Free to score · Property Report $99 · No record, no charge