Dallas, TX Zoning
Districts & Requirements
Every zoning district in Dallas with permitted uses, setbacks, height limits, and density requirements — in plain English. Dallas uses Chapter 51A (Dallas Development Code), a traditional Euclidean zoning code with 30+ base districts. Texas SB 840 (effective Sept 1, 2025) eliminated FAR limits for multifamily in nonresidential districts and created an administrative approval pathway for qualifying multifamily/mixed-use projects — bypassing discretionary rezoning. The Mixed Income Housing Development Bonus (MIHDB) program trades affordable units for extra height, density, and reduced parking in MF and MU districts.
19
Zoning districts
6
Overlay districts
1,340,000
Population
2025
Code adopted
Quick Reference
Find your district, see what you can do. Click any row for details.
| District | At a glance | Height | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-7.5(A) | Standard single-family. 7,500 SF lots, 36 ft height. Most common residential district in Dallas. | 36 ft | 45% |
| R-5(A) | Small-lot single-family. 5,000 SF minimum, 55% coverage. Urban infill product. | 36 ft | 55% |
| R-10(A) | Estate-lot single-family. 10,000 SF minimum, 40% coverage. Custom home territory. | 36 ft | 40% |
| R-16(A) | Large estate lots. 16,000 SF minimum. High-end custom homes only. | 36 ft | 40% |
| D(A) | Duplexes + single-family. 6,000 SF per duplex. First step up from single-family density. | 36 ft | 45% |
| TH-2(A) | Attached townhouses at 9 units/acre. 2,000 SF lots. Fee-simple ownership product. | 36 ft | 60% (project) / 80% (individual lot) |
| TH-3(A) | Highest-density townhouse. 12 units/acre. Same 2,000 SF lots, more units per project. | 36 ft | 60% (project) / 80% (individual lot) |
| MF-1(A) | Low-density multifamily. 36 ft height, 60% coverage. Garden-style apartments. | 36 ft (85 ft with MIHDB bonus) | 60% (85% with MIHDB bonus) |
| MF-2(A) | Mid-density multifamily. 36 ft height, 60% coverage. Density controlled by lot area per unit, not FAR. | 36 ft (85 ft with MIHDB bonus) | 60% (85% with MIHDB bonus) |
| MF-3(A) | High-density multifamily. 90 ft / 7 stories, 60% coverage. Mid-rise apartment territory. | 90 ft / 7 stories | 60% |
| MF-4(A) | High-rise multifamily. 240 ft / 20 stories, 80% coverage. Tower-scale apartments near downtown. | 240 ft / 20 stories | 80% |
| MU-1 | Low-rise mixed use. 90 ft / 7 stories, 0.8-1.0 FAR. Retail + residential flex. | 90 ft / 7 stories | 80% |
| MU-2 | Mid-rise mixed use. 135-180 ft / 10-14 stories, 1.6-2.0 FAR. Significant density by right. | 135 ft / 10 stories (180 ft / 14 with retail) | 80% |
| MU-3 | High-rise mixed use. 270 ft / 20 stories, 3.2-4.0 FAR. Tower-scale development. | 270 ft / 20 stories | 80% |
| CR | General retail. 54 ft / 4 stories, 0.75 FAR. Strip centers to mid-size commercial. | 54 ft / 4 stories | 60% |
| CS | Auto repair, contractors, flex commercial. 45 ft / 3 stories, 80% coverage. | 45 ft / 3 stories | 80% |
| LO-2 | Mid-scale office. 70 ft / 5 stories, 1.0 FAR, 80% coverage. Office with limited retail. | 70 ft / 5 stories | 80% |
| IR | Research, tech, data centers. 200 ft / 15 stories. Highest industrial height in Dallas. | 200 ft / 15 stories | 80% |
| IM | Heavy manufacturing. 70 ft, 80% coverage. Welding, fabrication, warehousing. | 70 ft / 5 stories | 80% |
Residential — Single Family
4 districts in Dallas
R-7.5(A)
Single Family 7,500The workhorse single-family district. Covers more acreage than any other residential zone in Dallas. 7,500 SF lots, 50-ft wide, 45% coverage. No path to density without rezoning.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family detached home
- ✓Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
- ✓Home occupation
- ✗Duplexes or multifamily
- ✗Commercial or retail
- ✗Subdivision below 7,500 SF lots
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft
- Lot min
- 7,500 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 45%
- Front
- 25 ft
- Side
- 5 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
45% coverage on 7,500 SF = 3,375 SF footprint. Two stories gets you ~6,500 SF. This is the bread-and-butter spec home lot in Dallas — well-understood by lenders. If you're assembling R-7.5 lots near a commercial corridor, the rezoning play to MF-1 or MU-1 is where the real value is.
R-5(A)
Single Family 5,000Smaller single-family lots for urban infill. 5,000 SF minimum with higher 55% coverage allows more house on less land. Common in older neighborhoods close to downtown.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family detached home
- ✓Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
- ✓Home occupation
- ✗Duplexes or multifamily
- ✗Commercial or retail
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft
- Lot min
- 5,000 SF
- Width
- 40 ft
- Coverage
- 55%
- Front
- 20 ft
- Side
- 5 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
55% coverage on 5,000 SF = 2,750 SF footprint. Two stories gets you ~5,200 SF total. The 20-ft front setback (vs 25 ft in R-7.5) gives you 5 more usable feet of depth. These lots pencil for tear-down/rebuild in neighborhoods like Bishop Arts, Oak Cliff, and East Dallas where land values support $350K+ new construction.
R-10(A)
Single Family 10,000Larger-lot residential for established neighborhoods. Preston Hollow, Lakewood, Lake Highlands. The economics only work for custom or luxury spec homes.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family detached home
- ✓Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
- ✓Home occupation
- ✗Duplexes or multifamily
- ✗Commercial or retail
- ✗Subdivision below 10,000 SF lots
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft
- Lot min
- 10,000 SF (~0.23 acres)
- Width
- 70 ft
- Coverage
- 40%
- Front
- 30 ft
- Side
- 8 ft
- Rear
- 8 ft
What this means in practice
40% coverage on 10,000 SF = 4,000 SF footprint. Two stories gets you ~7,500 SF — firmly in the luxury range. Preston Hollow R-10 teardown lots trade at $800K-$1.5M for the dirt alone. The play is a $2-4M custom home, not density.
R-16(A)
Single Family 16,000The largest standard single-family district. Found in North Dallas estate areas. No density play — you're building one home per lot.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family detached home
- ✓Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
- ✓Home occupation
- ✗Duplexes or multifamily
- ✗Commercial or retail
- ✗Lot splits below 16,000 SF
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft
- Lot min
- 16,000 SF (~0.37 acres)
- Width
- 85 ft
- Coverage
- 40%
- Front
- 35 ft
- Side
- 15 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft
What this means in practice
40% coverage on 16,000 SF = 6,400 SF footprint. That's a mansion-scale home. The 15-ft side setbacks eat into usable width — on an 85-ft lot you have 55 ft of buildable width. Only pencils for $3M+ custom homes.
Residential — Duplex
1 district in Dallas
D(A)
DuplexAllows duplexes by-right on 6,000 SF lots. Common in transitional neighborhoods between single-family and multifamily areas. Good for house-hacking and small investor plays.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family home
- ✓Duplex
- ✓Accessory dwelling unit
- ✓Home occupation
- ✗Triplexes or larger multifamily
- ✗Commercial or retail
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF (duplex)
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 45%
- Front
- 25 ft
- Side
- 5 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
45% coverage on 6,000 SF = 2,700 SF footprint. Two stories = ~5,000 SF total for two units — roughly 2,500 SF each. A duplex on a D(A) lot in East Dallas or Oak Cliff can generate $3,500-5,000/month combined rent. Build cost around $300K, land $200-400K depending on location.
Residential — Townhouse
2 districts in Dallas
TH-2(A)
Townhouse 2The most common townhouse district in Dallas. Attached single-family at up to 9 units per acre. Fee-simple lots — each buyer owns their land, no HOA required for structure maintenance.
What you can build
- ✓Attached single-family townhouses
- ✓Detached single-family homes
- ✗Multifamily apartments
- ✗Commercial or retail
- ✗Detached duplexes
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft
- Lot min
- 2,000 SF per unit
- Width
- 20 ft
- Coverage
- 60% (project) / 80% (individual lot)
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 0 ft (attached) / 5 ft (end unit)
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
9 units/acre on a half-acre site = 4 townhomes. At 80% individual lot coverage, a 20-ft-wide unit gets 1,600 SF footprint, three stories = ~4,500 SF. These sell for $400-700K in Uptown-adjacent and Design District locations. The fee-simple structure avoids condo association complexity and appeals to both owner-occupants and investors.
TH-3(A)
Townhouse 3Same townhouse product as TH-2 but at 12 units per acre. The extra 3 units per acre changes the economics on larger sites. Found near transit corridors and high-value commercial nodes.
What you can build
- ✓Attached single-family townhouses
- ✓Detached single-family homes
- ✗Multifamily apartments
- ✗Commercial or retail
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft
- Lot min
- 2,000 SF per unit
- Width
- 20 ft
- Coverage
- 60% (project) / 80% (individual lot)
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 0 ft (attached) / 5 ft (end unit)
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
12 units/acre on 1 acre = 12 townhomes. At $500K each that's $6M gross revenue on a site that might cost $1-2M in land. The 15-ft structural spacing requirement between every 8 units creates natural breaks. These projects pencil best on half-acre to 2-acre assemblages.
Residential — Multifamily
4 districts in Dallas
MF-1(A)
Multifamily 1Entry-level multifamily. 36-ft height cap keeps it at 3 stories max — garden-style walk-ups. No elevator required, which keeps construction costs down. MIHDB bonus can push height to 85 ft.
What you can build
- ✓Apartment buildings (3 stories max)
- ✓Townhouse-style condos
- ✓Senior housing
- ✗Commercial or retail (ground floor only with SUP)
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft (85 ft with MIHDB bonus)
- Lot min
- 1,000 SF/unit (efficiency) to 1,800 SF/unit (2BR)
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 60% (85% with MIHDB bonus)
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 10 ft (15 ft adjacent to SF)
- Rear
- 15 ft
What this means in practice
At 60% coverage on 1 acre, you get ~26,000 SF footprint. Three stories = ~78,000 SF gross — roughly 80-100 units depending on mix. The MIHDB bonus is the play: reserve affordable units and jump from 36 ft to 85 ft. That's 7 stories of apartments with no rezoning. Run the MIHDB pro forma before assuming base entitlements.
MF-2(A)
Multifamily 2Similar height and coverage to MF-1 but with denser unit yield due to smaller lot-area-per-unit minimums. Density is regulated by unit type — efficiency units need only 800 SF of lot area each.
What you can build
- ✓Apartment buildings
- ✓Condominium complexes
- ✓Senior housing
- ✗Standalone commercial
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 36 ft (85 ft with MIHDB bonus)
- Lot min
- 800 SF/unit (efficiency) to 1,200 SF/unit (2BR)
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 60% (85% with MIHDB bonus)
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 10 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
The density jump from MF-1 to MF-2 is significant. On 1 acre: MF-1 at 1,000 SF/unit = ~43 efficiencies. MF-2 at 800 SF/unit = ~54 efficiencies. That's 25% more units on the same land. Same 36-ft height cap, same 60% coverage — just more units per floor. With MIHDB bonus, same path to 85 ft as MF-1.
MF-3(A)
Multifamily 3Mid-rise multifamily — 90 ft lets you build 7-story apartment buildings by right. Found along major corridors and near DART stations. The residential proximity slope is your main constraint near single-family.
What you can build
- ✓Mid-rise apartment buildings
- ✓Condominiums
- ✓Senior housing
- ✓Student housing
- ✗Standalone commercial (need MU district)
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 90 ft / 7 stories
- Lot min
- 800 SF/unit (efficiency)
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 60%
- Front
- 15 ft (add 20 ft above 45 ft height)
- Side
- 10 ft (add 1 ft per 2 ft above 45 ft)
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
At 60% coverage on 1 acre and 7 stories: ~183,000 SF gross — 180-220 units. Structured parking is required at this density. The 20-ft additional front setback above 45 ft means your upper floors step back from the street. Watch the residential proximity slope — if you're adjacent to R-7.5, your building envelope shrinks fast above 26 ft. SB 840 eliminated FAR limits here.
MF-4(A)
Multifamily 4Dallas's highest-density residential district. 240-ft height allows 20-story towers. 80% coverage. Intended for near-downtown and CBD-adjacent locations. Combined with SB 840's FAR elimination, this is unrestricted high-rise residential.
What you can build
- ✓High-rise apartment towers
- ✓Luxury condominiums
- ✓Senior living towers
- ✓Mixed residential projects
- ✗Heavy industrial
- ✗Large-format retail (need CR or CS)
Key numbers
- Height
- 240 ft / 20 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF minimum lot
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft (add 20 ft above 45 ft)
- Side
- 10 ft (add 1 ft per 2 ft above 45 ft, max 30 ft)
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
On a 1-acre MF-4 site at 80% coverage and 20 stories: ~697,000 SF gross. That's 500-700 apartments — a major project requiring structured or below-grade parking. The additional setback above 45 ft means your tower footprint is smaller than your podium. Plan for a 3-5 story podium with parking, tower above. SB 840 removed FAR limits entirely — height and coverage are your only constraints.
Mixed Use
3 districts in Dallas
MU-1
Mixed Use 1Entry-level mixed-use district. Allows residential, office, and retail on the same site without an SUP. The FAR bonus for qualifying mixed-use projects bumps you from 0.8 to 1.0. MIHDB bonus available.
What you can build
- ✓Apartments above retail
- ✓Standalone residential
- ✓Office buildings
- ✓Retail and restaurants
- ✓Hotels
- ✗Heavy industrial
- ✗Auto repair
- ✗Outdoor storage
Key numbers
- Height
- 90 ft / 7 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
What this means in practice
At 1.0 FAR on a 1-acre site: 43,560 SF of building. At 7 stories and 80% coverage, FAR is your binding constraint, not height. A typical MU-1 project: 5,000 SF ground-floor retail, 30,000 SF apartments above, surface parking behind. SB 840 may allow multifamily to bypass FAR limits here — check with the city on current enforcement.
MU-2
Mixed Use 2Mid-rise mixed-use along Dallas's growth corridors. Base FAR of 1.6 jumps to 2.0 as a qualifying mixed-use project. Adding retail unlocks 180 ft / 14 stories. MIHDB bonus stacks on top.
What you can build
- ✓Mixed-use buildings (retail + residential)
- ✓Apartment buildings
- ✓Office buildings
- ✓Hotels
- ✓Restaurants and entertainment
- ✗Heavy industrial
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
- ✗Outdoor storage
Key numbers
- Height
- 135 ft / 10 stories (180 ft / 14 with retail)
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
What this means in practice
At 2.0 FAR on 1 acre: 87,120 SF of building. With the retail height bonus (180 ft), you're building a 14-story mixed-use tower with structured parking. That's 100-150 apartments over 10,000 SF of retail. The FAR bonus for mixing uses is essentially free money — include ground-floor retail and your building gets 25% bigger. MIHDB stacks more density on top.
MU-3
Mixed Use 3Dallas's most intense mixed-use district. 20 stories, 4.0 FAR with mixed-use bonus. Uptown, Victory Park, and Knox-Henderson locations. Full urban density without a PD.
What you can build
- ✓High-rise mixed-use towers
- ✓Apartment towers
- ✓Office towers
- ✓Hotels
- ✓Large-format retail
- ✓Entertainment venues
- ✗Heavy industrial
- ✗Outdoor storage
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
Key numbers
- Height
- 270 ft / 20 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
What this means in practice
At 4.0 FAR on 1 acre: 174,240 SF of building. 20 stories at 80% coverage = ~697,000 SF of envelope — FAR is your binding constraint, not height or coverage. A typical MU-3 project: 20,000 SF retail, 30,000 SF office, 120,000 SF residential, 5 levels of structured parking. This is institutional-grade development. SB 840's FAR elimination for multifamily could effectively uncap residential density here.
Commercial
2 districts in Dallas
CR
Community RetailThe standard commercial retail district. Grocery-anchored centers, restaurants, general retail. 4 stories, 0.75 FAR overall with 0.5 for office. SB 840 now allows multifamily by-right in CR with administrative approval.
What you can build
- ✓Retail stores and shopping centers
- ✓Restaurants
- ✓Office (limited to 0.5 FAR)
- ✓Personal service uses
- ✓Multifamily (via SB 840 administrative path)
- ✗Heavy industrial
- ✗Outdoor storage
- ✗Junkyards
Key numbers
- Height
- 54 ft / 4 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 60%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
What this means in practice
Post-SB 840, CR sites are the new multifamily play. A 2-acre CR parcel on a commercial corridor can now support apartments by-right through administrative approval — no rezoning, no council vote. The 54-ft height cap = 4 stories of apartments over surface parking. At 60% coverage on 2 acres: ~100,000 SF residential. This is a massive shift for Dallas development.
CS
Commercial ServiceHeavy commercial service — auto repair, building contractors, welding shops, mini-warehouses. The district where auto-oriented and service-trade uses are by-right.
What you can build
- ✓Auto repair and service
- ✓Building contractor offices and yards
- ✓Mini-warehouses
- ✓Retail and restaurants
- ✓Hotels
- ✗Heavy manufacturing
- ✗Residential (except caretaker units)
Key numbers
- Height
- 45 ft / 3 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
What this means in practice
CS sites near gentrifying corridors are rezoning goldmines. A CS lot on Henderson Ave or Greenville Ave sitting under an auto shop could rezone to MU-2 and support a 14-story mixed-use tower. Check the forward plan — if the city's comprehensive plan shows mixed-use for the area, the rezoning path is clear.
Office
1 district in Dallas
LO-2
Limited Office 2Offices, banks, clinics, and limited retail. 5 stories by right. Common along secondary corridors and near residential transitions. SB 840 opens multifamily potential here.
What you can build
- ✓Office buildings
- ✓Banks and financial services
- ✓Medical clinics
- ✓Limited retail (incidental to office)
- ✓Multifamily (via SB 840)
- ✗Large-format retail
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 70 ft / 5 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft (adjacent to residential)
What this means in practice
Post-SB 840, LO-2 sites can support multifamily through administrative approval. A 1-acre LO-2 parcel at 5 stories and 80% coverage: ~174,000 SF gross. If the office market is soft but apartments are hot, SB 840 lets you build apartments without rezoning. This is reshaping the economics of Dallas office land.
Industrial
2 districts in Dallas
IR
Industrial ResearchResearch parks, data centers, light manufacturing, and R&D. The 200-ft height cap accommodates high-bay research facilities and multi-story tech campuses. Generous setback to residential.
What you can build
- ✓Research and development facilities
- ✓Data centers
- ✓Light manufacturing
- ✓Office and tech campuses
- ✓Warehousing
- ✗Heavy manufacturing with major emissions
- ✗Residential (except caretaker)
- ✗General retail
Key numbers
- Height
- 200 ft / 15 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 30 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft
What this means in practice
IR is Dallas's most flexible industrial district. Data center demand in North Texas is explosive — IR zoning supports multi-story data centers with the 200-ft height and 80% coverage. On 10 acres: ~3.5M SF of data center space. IR parcels near power substations and fiber corridors trade at significant premiums.
IM
Industrial ManufacturingHeavy industrial — manufacturing, fabrication, warehousing, outdoor storage. The district for uses too intense for IR. Found in South Dallas industrial areas and along freight corridors.
What you can build
- ✓Heavy manufacturing
- ✓Warehousing and distribution
- ✓Outdoor storage
- ✓Fabrication and welding
- ✓Truck terminals
- ✗Residential
- ✗Retail (except incidental)
- ✗Hotels
Key numbers
- Height
- 70 ft / 5 stories
- Lot min
- 6,000 SF
- Width
- 50 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 15 ft
- Side
- 30 ft (adjacent to residential)
- Rear
- 20 ft
What this means in practice
IM land in South Dallas and Lamar/I-45 corridor trades at $5-15/SF. Last-mile distribution centers are the hot product — 100,000+ SF clear-span buildings with 32-ft clear heights. On 5 acres at 80% coverage: ~174,000 SF warehouse. If you're near the Inland Port or I-20/I-45 interchange, the logistics demand is strong.
Development Bonus Program
The Mixed Income Housing Development Bonus (MIHDB) program, expanded in 2022, offers by-right bonuses in MF-1, MF-2, MF-3, MU-1, MU-2, and MU-3 districts — covering approximately 15,000 acres citywide. Reserve 5-10% of units for renters at 51-80% AMI and unlock up to 30% more density, 10-45% more stories, increased height (MF-1 goes from 36 ft to 85 ft), and reduced parking minimums. A fee-in-lieu option exists — for example, a 300,000 SF project in a strong market area pays ~$2.8M instead of providing onsite affordable units. Fees increase annually with CPI. Run the pro forma both ways: the MIHDB bonus often pencils better than base entitlements, especially in MF-1 and MF-2 where the height jump is dramatic.
Overlay Districts
Conservation Districts (CDs)
Over 20 conservation districts across Dallas — Winnetka Heights, Munger Place, Hollywood Heights, Vickery Place, and others. CDs add neighborhood-specific standards for lot coverage, height, setbacks, and materials that override base zoning. Not as restrictive as historic districts — homes can evolve, but must respect existing character. Check the specific CD ordinance for your site. Adds 2-4 weeks to permitting for staff review.
Historic Districts
20 local historic districts including Swiss Avenue, Lake Cliff, and Sears Complex. Certificate of Appropriateness required for all exterior changes — the Landmark Commission reviews materials, design, and demolition requests. More restrictive than conservation districts. Budget 1-3 months for COA review. Demolition is extremely difficult to obtain.
Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay (NSO)
Preserves single-family neighborhoods by imposing site-specific yard, lot, and space regulations reflecting existing character. Common in East Dallas and Oak Cliff areas under development pressure. An NSO can limit lot splits, reduce coverage, and increase setbacks beyond base zoning. Check for NSO before underwriting any single-family teardown deal.
Residential Proximity Slope
Not a mapped overlay but a critical constraint. Any structure over 26 ft in a non-residential or multifamily district cannot penetrate a 45-degree slope measured from the R, D, or TH district boundary. This effectively limits building height near single-family neighborhoods and can dramatically reduce your buildable envelope on lots adjacent to residential. Model the slope before designing.
FEMA Flood Overlay
Dallas has extensive floodplains along the Trinity River, White Rock Creek, and numerous tributaries. New residential construction must be elevated at least 2 ft above Base Flood Elevation. No development permitted in the regulatory floodway. Check FEMA FIRM panels before making an offer — flood zone designation affects insurance costs, foundation requirements, and lender willingness.
Love Field Airport Overlay
Height restrictions around Dallas Love Field affect development in areas of Northwest Dallas, the Medical District, and parts of Uptown. Maximum height decreases as you approach the airport. Critical for any high-rise project within 3 miles of Love Field — check the obstruction analysis before assuming you can build to district max height.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check zoning for a specific property?
Use the City's interactive zoning map at developmentweb.dallascityhall.com/publiczoningweb. Enter an address to see the zoning district, overlays, conservation/historic districts, and Planned Development articles. For more detail, the Dallas GIS Hub at gis.dallascityhall.com has layers for flood zones, airport overlays, and deed restrictions.
How does SB 840 change development in Dallas?
Texas SB 840 (effective Sept 1, 2025) allows qualifying multifamily and mixed-use residential projects in nonresidential districts through administrative approval — no rezoning required. It also eliminated FAR limits for multifamily uses. In practice: CR, CS, LO, and similar commercial sites can now support apartments by-right. This removes council discretion and speeds permitting by 6-12 months. The city is still defining its implementation procedures.
What is the MIHDB bonus and does it pencil?
The Mixed Income Housing Development Bonus trades affordable units (or a fee-in-lieu) for extra height, density, and reduced parking in MF and MU districts. In MF-1, it takes you from 36 ft to 85 ft — essentially turning a 3-story garden complex into a 7-story mid-rise. The affordable unit cost is real (5-10% of units at below-market rents), but the additional market-rate stories more than compensate in most locations. A fee-in-lieu option lets you pay ~$9.31/SF of residential floor area instead of building the affordable units.
What is the Residential Proximity Slope?
A 45-degree slope measured from the boundary of any R, D, or TH district. Any portion of your building over 26 ft cannot penetrate this slope. If you're building a 7-story MF-3 project next to an R-7.5 neighborhood, the slope forces your upper floors to step back from the property line. Model it early — it can eliminate 30-50% of your upper floor area on lots adjacent to single-family.
How do Planned Development (PD) districts work?
Over 900 PD districts exist in Dallas, each with a unique article in the Development Code. A PD can override any base zoning standard — height, FAR, uses, setbacks, parking. If your site is in a PD, ignore the base district and read the specific PD article. PDs are created through council action and can take 6-12 months. Many legacy PDs from the 1970s-90s have outdated standards that make current development difficult.
Can I build apartments on commercial-zoned land?
Yes — SB 840 created an administrative approval pathway for multifamily in nonresidential districts (CR, CS, LO, GO, etc.) without rezoning. The project must meet existing dimensional standards (height, setbacks, coverage) but FAR limits don't apply to the residential portion. This is a major change from the pre-2025 process, which required a PD or rezoning for apartments on commercial land.
What districts qualify for the MIHDB bonus?
MF-1(A), MF-2(A), MF-3(A), MU-1, MU-2, and MU-3 districts — approximately 15,000 acres citywide. The bonus is by-right: provide the required affordable units (or pay the fee-in-lieu) and submit with your building permit. No rezoning, no hearing, no discretionary review. The biggest impact is in MF-1 and MF-2 where the height bonus more than doubles your building.
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Permitted uses, setbacks, density, buildable area, overlays, and nearby development activity — for a specific parcel, not just the district.