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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>347879</law_id><section_number>15.2-2279</section_number><catch_line>Ordinances regulating the building of houses and establishing setback lines</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="46" identifier="15.2">Counties, Cities and Towns</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="2" identifier="II">Powers of Local Government</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="15" identifier="22">Planning, Subdivision of Land and Zoning</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="6" identifier="6">Land Subdivision and Development</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may by <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> regulate the building of houses in the <span class="dictionary">locality</span> including the adoption of off-<span class="dictionary">street</span> parking requirements, minimum setbacks and side yards and the establishment of minimum lot sizes.</p><p>Any <span class="dictionary">locality</span> may by <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> require that no building be constructed within thirty-five feet of any <span class="dictionary">street</span> or roadway and may provide for exceptions to such requirement whenever a large portion of existing buildings along a section of <span class="dictionary">street</span> or roadway is within thirty-five feet of such <span class="dictionary">street</span> or roadway. The provisions of such an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> shall not apply within the limits of any <span class="dictionary">town</span> which has enacted a <span class="dictionary">zoning</span> <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or has adopted an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> establishing minimum setbacks.</p></section></text><history>1970, c. 452, &#xA7; 15.1-29.2; 1987, c. 399; 1997, c. 587.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
