How Austin zoning is organized
Austin has 16 residential, 13 commercial, 4 industrial, and 5 special-purpose base zoning districts. Each base district sets the allowed uses and the site development standards, such as lot size, height, setbacks, and impervious cover. The site regulations are in Land Development Code Section 25-2-492, and the City's Permitted Use Chart shows which uses each district allows (City of Austin zoning resources).
A zoning string can also include combining or overlay districts. The two you'll see most are MU (mixed use), which allows office, retail, and residential together, and CO (conditional overlay), which adds site-specific limits on uses or standards (City of Austin). Always read the full string, for example GR-MU-CO-NP, not just the base district.
Residential districts
| District | What it's for |
|---|---|
| LA, RR | Lake Austin and rural residence, very large lots |
| SF-1 | Single-family large lot, 10,000 sq ft minimum lot (City zoning guide) |
| SF-2 | Single-family standard lot, 5,750 sq ft minimum (City zoning guide) |
| SF-3 | Family residence, 5,750 sq ft minimum, duplexes allowed (City zoning guide) |
| SF-4A, SF-4B | Small-lot single-family and condominium residence |
| SF-5, SF-6 | Urban family residence and townhouse/condominium |
| MF-1 to MF-6 | Multifamily, from limited density to highest density. MF-2 allows up to 23 units per acre and MF-3 up to 36 (City zoning guide) |
| MH | Mobile home residence |
What HOME changed for single-family lots
Austin's HOME amendments changed what can be built in SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3 (City of Austin HOME amendments):
- Phase 1, adopted December 7, 2023, allows up to three housing units on a lot in SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3, including tiny homes. Applications under the new rules started February 5, 2024.
- Phase 2, adopted May 16, 2024, allows one single-family home on lots from 1,800 square feet up to the standard 5,750-square-foot minimum. Applications started August 16, 2024.
- Two- and three-unit projects are limited to 40 percent building coverage and 45 percent impervious cover.
- The 32-foot height limit in the residential design standards (Subchapter F, often called the McMansion ordinance) still applies to single-family use within its boundary. Inside that boundary, enclosed space with more than 6 feet of clear height counts toward floor area. Garages count; carports and porches don't.
For custom homes, HOME means more lots can carry a main house plus one or two additional units, but the coverage and floor-area limits still shape the design. We work through those numbers during design-build before plans are drawn.
Commercial districts
| District | What it's for |
|---|---|
| NO, LO, GO | Neighborhood, limited, and general office |
| LR | Neighborhood commercial: small shops and services near homes |
| GR | Community commercial: larger retail and services serving several neighborhoods |
| CR | Commercial recreation |
| CS, CS-1 | General commercial services; CS-1 also allows liquor sales and cocktail lounges |
| CH | Commercial highway |
| L, W/LO | Lake commercial and warehouse/limited office |
| CBD, DMU | Central business district and downtown mixed use |
The industrial districts are IP, MI, LI, and R&D, and DR is development reserve (City of Austin zoning resources). The MU combining district can be added to NO, LO, GO, LR, GR, CS, and CS-1 to allow residential alongside commercial uses (City of Austin). For a tenant finish-out, the first check is whether your use, such as restaurant, medical office, or retail, is allowed in the space's district.
How rezoning requests are judged
If the current zoning doesn't fit, you can apply to rezone. The City evaluates requests against its zoning principles, including consistency with the Future Land Use Map or neighborhood plan, compatibility with nearby uses, transitions between zoning intensities, and avoiding spot zoning. More intensive zoning is generally steered toward intersections of arterial roads (City of Austin zoning principles).
Check before you buy or lease
Look up the exact zoning string on the City's property profile, read the site regulations in 25-2-492, and check the use chart for what you plan to do. Zoning rules change, so confirm current standards with Austin Development Services before you design.