MF-3(A) Multifamily District Setback Standards in Dallas

The MF-3(A) Multifamily District in Dallas requires a primary front yard setback of 15 feet and a base side and rear yard setback of 10 feet. These requirements increase to 20 feet for side and rear yards when the property is adjacent to or across an alley from single-family, duplex, townhouse, or lower-density multifamily districts, with additional "tower spacing" setbacks triggered for building heights exceeding 45 feet [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)].

Technical Setback Requirements for MF-3(A) Districts

The following table outlines the minimum and conditional setback requirements for the MF-3(A) Multifamily District within the City of Dallas.

Setback Type	Minimum Distance	Additional Requirements / Conditions
Front Yard	15 feet	Portions of a structure over 45 feet in height require an additional 20-foot "urban form" setback [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)(A)].
Side Yard	10 feet	Increases to 20 feet if the lot is adjacent to or across an alley from R, D, TH, CH, MF-1, or MF-2 districts [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)(B)].
Rear Yard	10 feet	Increases to 20 feet if the lot is adjacent to or across an alley from R, D, TH, CH, MF-1, or MF-2 districts [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)(B)].
Tower Spacing	Variable	For portions of a structure over 45 feet in height, an additional side/rear setback of 1 foot for every 2 feet of height is required, up to a maximum of 30 feet [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)(B)].

Front Yard Setback Regulations

In the Dallas MF-3(A) district, the standard front yard setback is 15 feet. However, the City of Dallas implements an "Urban Form Setback" to mitigate the impact of taller buildings on the streetscape. Any portion of a structure that exceeds 45 feet in height must be set back an additional 20 feet from the primary front yard line [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)(A)].

Side and Rear Yard Setback Regulations

The base requirement for side and rear yards in the MF-3(A) district is 10 feet. This distance is doubled to 20 feet if the Dallas building site is adjacent to (or directly across an alley from) any of the following lower-intensity residential districts:

Single Family (R or R(A))
Duplex (D or D(A))
Townhouse (TH or TH(A))
Clustered Housing (CH)
Multifamily 1 (MF-1 or MF-1(A))
Multifamily 2 (MF-2 or MF-2(A)) [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)(B)].

Tower Spacing (Height-Based Setbacks)

For buildings taller than 45 feet, Dallas code requires "tower spacing" for side and rear yards. This requires an additional setback of one foot for every two feet in height above the 45-foot mark. This additional spacing is capped once the total side or rear yard setback reaches 30 feet [Section 51A-4.116(c)(4)(B)].

General Provisions and Exceptions

The City of Dallas Building Official may authorize certain projections into required yards, such as ordinary projections of window sills, belt courses, or cornices, provided they do not exceed specific limits defined in the general yard regulations [Section 51A-4.401; Section 51A-4.402]. Additionally, form districts or properties with specific overlays may have different requirements that supersede these base MF-3(A) standards [Section 51A-13.103].

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