Setback and Location Standards for Detached Garages and Accessory Buildings in the City of Orlando

In the City of Orlando, the distance a detached garage or accessory building must be from a property line depends on the structure's height, its total square footage, and the specific requirements of the underlying City of Orlando zoning district. Rear property line setbacks range from zero to 15 feet based on building height, while side yard setbacks must typically match the minimum requirements established for the principal residence on the same lot [Section 58.901].

General Location Requirements

Within the City of Orlando, accessory structures like detached garages or sheds must be located on the same building site as the principal use [Section 58.901]. For properties containing one-to-five family dwellings, these structures are generally restricted to the rear half of the lot or must be located behind the front half of the principal building [Section 58.901].

Rear Yard Setback Standards

The City of Orlando uses a tiered system for rear setbacks based on the height and size of the accessory structure. Taller and larger buildings are required to be further from the rear property line to mitigate impacts on neighboring properties.

Structure Size	Height: Less than 8 Feet	Height: 8 to 12 Feet	Height: Greater than 12 Feet
100 Square Feet or Less	0 Feet	5 Feet	15 Feet
Greater than 100 Square Feet	5 Feet	5 Feet	15 Feet

Note: For structures with multiple heights, the City of Orlando determines the setback based on the height of the tallest portion of the building [Section 58.901].

Side and Street Side Setback Standards

According to the City of Orlando Code of Ordinances, setbacks from side lot lines and street side lot lines for detached accessory structures in the rear yard must be the same as the setbacks required for the principal structure in that specific zoning district [Section 58.901].

The following table outlines the minimum side setbacks for common City of Orlando residential districts:

City of Orlando Zoning District	Minimum Side Setback	Minimum Street Side Setback
R-1AA / R-1A	7.5 Feet	15 Feet
R-1	6 Feet	15 Feet
R-1N / R-2A / R-2B	5 Feet	15 Feet
R-3A / R-3B	5 Feet	15 Feet
R-3C / R-3D	5 Feet	10 Feet

[Section 58.110, Figure 1A.LDC]

Building Separation and Coverage

The City of Orlando also regulates how close an accessory building can be to other structures on the same lot and how much of the yard it may occupy.

Separation: Detached accessory buildings up to 12 feet in height must be located at least five feet from any other building. Structures exceeding 12 feet in height must be at least 10 feet from any other building [Section 58.901].
Yard Coverage: In the City of Orlando, accessory structures are prohibited from occupying more than 35% of the area between the rear property line and the principal structure [Section 58.901].
Waterfronts: Accessory buildings located near wetlands or water bodies must maintain a 50-foot setback from the normal high water elevation and have a maximum height of 12 feet [Section 58.901].

Exceptions and Special Cases

Mechanical Equipment: The City of Orlando allows a reduced side setback of one foot and a rear setback of five feet for air conditioning systems, generators, and above-ground propane tanks (up to 124 gallons) [Section 58.985].
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): Detached ADUs that are 500 square feet or smaller follow the standard accessory structure setbacks. However, detached ADUs larger than 500 square feet in R-2, R-3, MXD, and Office districts must comply with the more stringent setbacks for tandem development [Section 58.501].
Parramore Heritage Overlay: Within this specific district, the City of Orlando Zoning Official may exercise judgment to relax principal building setbacks for one or two-family residential infill lots [Section 58.499.16].

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