Austin Passes Ordinance Allowing for 2-3 Units on Single Family Lots

What does this change?

Many of you have heard the rumors and now its here. City Council has passed the first part of a new set of regulations that allow for building up to three units on single family zoned lots. Here is the short version of what it allows for -

• additional units on your property (up to three)

• increased allowances for floor area (FAR):

  • .55 FAR for two units

  • .65 FAR for three units

• simplified setback requirements

• incentives to preserve existing house that allow even greater floor area

• a new definition for tiny homes which will allow them to be constructed on single family lots

• removed the McMansion restrictions when building a second or third unit

• removed age and occupancy restrictions

What remains in place - parking requirements for single family homes remain as they were, the impervious coverage restrictions and building coverage.

What does this mean for you?

If you have a property zoned SF-1, SF-2, or SF-3 you can build more units with fewer restrictions on the building envelope than you could before. On most lots in Central Austin it will require building two story units in order to meet the requirement of a maximum of 40 percent lot coverage and maximum 45 percent impervious coverage, as the average lot size isn’t very large.

how do i know what i can do on my lot?

The first step is to calculate what your allowances are based on the size of your lot. Use our tool here to calculate your building allowances or cut straight to the calculator below. Note that you must have a minimum lot size of 5,750 square feet.