Zoning › Texas › Dallas County › Carrollton

Carrollton, TX Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 13 districts · 7 overlays.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
hybrid-lot-size-and-density-encoded

Carrollton uses a hybrid naming convention: Single Family residential districts encode minimum lot size in thousands of sf (SF-7 = ~7,000 sf, SF-10 = 10,000 sf, SF-14 = 14,000 sf — lot-size-encoded). Multifamily districts encode density in du/ac (MF-18 = 18 du/ac — density-encoded). Local Retail tiers use numeric intensity index (LR-2 = tier 2 Local Retail, Article 14). Commercial/industrial and special districts use letter-code (C-1 commercial, LI light industrial, GC general commercial). Transit Center (TC) district added 2005 for Downtown Carrollton and Trinity Mills DART Green Line station areas. Old Downtown Carrollton is a separate district variant. This convention is notably NOT inverse-encoded (SF-14 is larger-lot / lower-density than SF-7).

Worth knowing
  • Zoning is codified at Chapter 153 of the Carrollton Code of Ordinances, Title XV Land Usage (Municode nodeId TITXVLAUS_CH153ZOOR_S153.01ADRE). v1 did not document the specific chapter number — Wave-1 upgrade captures Ch. 153 confirmed via Google search snippet listing the chapter title.
  • Hybrid naming convention: SF districts encode minimum lot area in thousands of sf (SF-7 = 7,000 sf; SF-10 = 10,000 sf; SF-14 = 14,000 sf — lot-size-encoded); MF districts encode density directly in du/ac (MF-18 = 18 du/ac — density-encoded); LR districts use numeric intensity tier (LR-2 is Article 14 Local Retail tier 2). Not inverse-encoded (SF-14 larger-lot than SF-7).
  • Transit Center (TC) district established 2005-04-19 by City Council amendment around Downtown Carrollton and Trinity Mills DART Green Line stations. DART Green Line operational 2010-2011 through both stations. Carrollton is one of the DFW inner-ring suburbs with TWO DART light rail stations in its corporate limits — a distinctive TOD infrastructure advantage.

+ 7 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 3warehouse 2mu 2res_th 1res_mf 1retail 1com 1office 1special 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
SF-14Single Family Residential — Estate (14,000 sf)res_sf14,000 sf[4]35 ft[5]0.4[6]0.5[7]3.1[8]2[9]30[1] / 10[2] / 20[3]
SF-10Single Family Residential — Standard (10,000 sf)res_sf10,000 sf[13]35 ft[14]0.45[15]0.5[16]4.36[17]2[18]25[10] / 7.5[11] / 15[12]
SF-7Single Family Residential — Compact (7,000 sf)res_sf7,000 sf[22]35 ft[23]0.5[24]0.5[25]6.22[26]2[27]25[19] / 6[20] / 10[21]
THTownhome / Duplexres_th3,000 sf[31]40 ft[32]0.6[33]0.8[34]12[35]2[36]20[28] / 0[29] / 15[30]
MF-18Multifamily — 18 du/acres_mf20,000 sf[40]45 ft[41]0.5[42]1[43]18[44]1.5[45]25[37] / 15[38] / 20[39]
LR-2Local Retail (Tier 2) — Article 14retail5,000 sf[49]35 ft[50]0.5[51]0.5[52]—4[53]25[46] / 10[47] / 20[48]
GCGeneral Commercialcom5,000 sf[57]45 ft[58]0.5[59]1[60]—4[61]20[54] / 5[55] / 15[56]
OPOffice / Professionaloffice5,000 sf[65]45 ft[66]0.5[67]0.75[68]—3.5[69]25[62] / 10[63] / 20[64]
LILight Industrialwarehouse10,000 sf[73]45 ft[74]0.6[75]1[76]—1[77]30[70] / 10[71] / 20[72]
HIHeavy Industrialwarehouse20,000 sf[81]55 ft[82]0.6[83]1.5[84]—1[85]50[78] / 20[79] / 40[80]
TCTransit Center District (Downtown Carrollton + Trinity Mills DART)mu5,000 sf[89]85 ft[90]0.75[91]2.5[92]40[93]1[94]0[86] / 0[87] / 10[88]
Old-DowntownOld Downtown Carrolltonmu2,500 sf[98]45 ft[99]0.9[100]2[101]30[102]1[103]0[95] / 0[96] / 5[97]
PDPlanned Developmentspecial——————— / — / —

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

TC
Transit Center (TC) Zoning District / DART Green Line TOD
TOD
Ch. 153 Transit Center District — City Council amendment 2005-04-19 establishing TC district and rezoning around Downtown Carrollton and Trinity Mills DART Light Rail stations · p§Ch-153-TC-Transit-Center
ODT-HP
Old Downtown Carrollton Historic District Overlay
HP
Ch. 153 Historic Preservation / Old Downtown overlay paired with TC district around Downtown Carrollton DART station · p§Ch-153-Old-Downtown-HP
FH
FEMA Floodplain Overlay — Elm Fork Trinity River + Hutton Branch / Furneaux Creek
FP
Ch. 153 Floodplain overlay + Flood Damage Prevention chapter + FEMA NFIP alignment (Carrollton participates in NFIP) · p§Ch-153-FH + c§FEMA-NFIP
AH
DFW Airport Hazard / Addison Airport Part 77 Airspace Overlay
AP
Ch. 153 airport-hazard provisions; 14 CFR Part 77 imaginary surfaces for DFW International (10 mi west) and Addison Airport (5 mi east) · p§Ch-153-AH + c§14-CFR-Part-77
SC
Elm Fork / Environmental Stream Corridor Buffer Overlay
ENV
Ch. 153 environmental/stream buffer provisions paired with FH overlay · p§Ch-153-SC + i§NCTCOG-iSWM
MU-COR
Mixed-Use Corridor Overlay — Commercial Corridor Enhancement
COR
Ch. 153 mixed-use corridor provisions along major commercial streets · p§Ch-153-MU-COR
PGBT-COR
Freeway Corridor — President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) Frontage
COR
Ch. 153 corridor standards for Bush Turnpike frontage (if codified) + NTTA access-control standards · p§Ch-153-PGBT-corridor; c§NTTA-access

State preemptions

Non-applicable laws (5)
does not apply
Qualifying condition
SB 840 requires BOTH prongs simultaneously: city population >=150,000 AND county population >=300,000 (Census arithmetic, not roster lookup). Carrollton arithmetic: (a) CITY prong — 2020 US Census Decennial PL-94-171 = 133,434 (FIPS 4813576); 2024 Census PEP vintage estimate approximately 141,000. City FAILS the 150,000 threshold by ~16,600 (a ~11% shortfall) on 2020 figure and by ~9,000 (~6% shortfall) on 2024 PEP. (b) COUNTY prong — Dallas County (FIPS 48113) 2020 Decennial = 2,613,539, exceeds 300,000 by ~8.7x; Denton County (FIPS 48121) 2020 Decennial = 906,422, exceeds 300,000 by ~3x; Collin County small sliver (FIPS 48085) 2020 = 1,064,465, exceeds 300,000 by ~3.5x. County prong passes decisively on any county alone, and Carrollton straddles all three. However because both prongs are required and the city prong fails, SB 840 does NOT apply to Carrollton as of 2024 PEP. This is a BORDER CASE — Carrollton at ~141k 2024 PEP is within ~6% of the 150k threshold and is on a growth trajectory; could cross the threshold by 2030 Decennial. Overrides the state-preemptions/texas.md qualifying-city roster which lists Carrollton (Dallas+Denton line) — primary Census arithmetic is dispositive per the Waco/McAllen/Richardson FM-9 border-city precedent. Flag for re-verification annually and at 2030 Decennial.
does not apply
Qualifying condition
SB 15 limits municipal regulation of setbacks, parking, height, and bulk on qualifying lots at or below 4,000 sf. Carrollton's smallest enumerated SF base district is SF-7 (~7,000 sf minimum lot per DFW lot-size-encoded convention). Townhome/attached (TH) district typically carries per-unit min lot in the 2,500-3,500 sf range — likely at-or-below the 4,000 sf SB 15 threshold for individual townhome lots within an approved plat. NO Carrollton SF district falls at or below 4,000 sf. SB 15 therefore applies ONLY to parcels created via (a) small-lot Planned Development (PD) configurations, (b) townhome (TH) subdivisions platted with individual lots <=4,000 sf, (c) Transit Center (TC) district internal small-lot platting near Downtown Carrollton / Trinity Mills DART stations. TC and infill PDs in the Green Line TOD corridor are the likely practical pathways.
does not apply
Qualifying condition
HB 2127 (the 'Death Star' bill) preempts municipal ordinances conflicting with state statutes in 8 enumerated codes: Agriculture, Business & Commerce, Finance, Insurance, Labor, Natural Resources, Occupations, Property. Under current Texas court interpretation (City of Houston v. Paxton litigation), zoning authority under LGC Ch. 211/212 is NOT within HB 2127's covered-field list. Carrollton's Chapter 153 zoning is therefore NOT subject to HB 2127 preemption. Adjacent ordinances (short-term rentals, business-license requirements, tree-preservation standards embedded in site plan review) may have HB 2127 exposure but are outside the zoning scope of this record.
does not apply
Qualifying condition
HB 3699 narrowly exempts certain subdivisions of 5+ acre lots from municipal platting requirements. Carrollton is a built-out inner-ring DFW suburb (~37 sq mi, ~133k-141k population) with very limited greenfield and essentially no 5-acre+ SF parcels in active subdivision activity. Largest-lot residential district SF-14 implies ~14,000 sf (~0.32 acre) minimum — more than an order of magnitude below the HB 3699 threshold. Even if a 5+ acre parcel existed and was subdivided, HB 3699 limits only platting requirements, not dimensional zoning standards. Operationally not a zoning preemption for Carrollton.
does not apply
Qualifying condition
Texas has no state-level ADU by-right preemption statute. Local ADU rules govern — Carrollton's Ch. 153 accessory-use provisions and any subsequently-adopted ADU amendments control. Contrast with California GC §66411.7/66411.8, Oregon HB 2001, Washington HB 1337 where state law mandates ministerial ADU approval.

Adopted building codes

Home rule; major cities on 2024 IBC

IBC
2024
IRC
2021
NEC
2023
IFC
Local adoption
IECC (Residential)
2015
IECC (Commercial)
2015

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Quirks & notes

  • Zoning is codified at Chapter 153 of the Carrollton Code of Ordinances, Title XV Land Usage (Municode nodeId TITXVLAUS_CH153ZOOR_S153.01ADRE). v1 did not document the specific chapter number — Wave-1 upgrade captures Ch. 153 confirmed via Google search snippet listing the chapter title.
  • Hybrid naming convention: SF districts encode minimum lot area in thousands of sf (SF-7 = 7,000 sf; SF-10 = 10,000 sf; SF-14 = 14,000 sf — lot-size-encoded); MF districts encode density directly in du/ac (MF-18 = 18 du/ac — density-encoded); LR districts use numeric intensity tier (LR-2 is Article 14 Local Retail tier 2). Not inverse-encoded (SF-14 larger-lot than SF-7).
  • Transit Center (TC) district established 2005-04-19 by City Council amendment around Downtown Carrollton and Trinity Mills DART Green Line stations. DART Green Line operational 2010-2011 through both stations. Carrollton is one of the DFW inner-ring suburbs with TWO DART light rail stations in its corporate limits — a distinctive TOD infrastructure advantage.
  • Old Downtown Carrollton (Carrollton Square) is a recognized historic commercial core around Downtown Carrollton DART station; paired with TC district and historic-preservation standards. Pre-WWII commercial buildings on railroad-era platting with Cotton Belt / MKT heritage.
  • SB 840 DOES NOT APPLY despite state-preemptions/texas.md roster inclusion (Dallas+Denton line). Carrollton 2020 Decennial pop 133,434 / 2024 PEP ~141,000 falls below the 150k city-population floor by ~11% (2020) / ~6% (2024 PEP). Dallas County (2.6M), Denton County (906k), and Collin County (1.06M sliver) all satisfy the 300k county prong, but city prong is dispositive. Applies Waco/McAllen/Richardson FM-9 border-city precedent. BORDER CASE — Carrollton is within ~6% of the city threshold on 2024 PEP and on a growth trajectory; could cross by 2030 Decennial.
  • Carrollton is a tri-county city straddling Dallas County (majority), Denton County (northwestern), and a small Collin County sliver (eastern). Outcome-neutral for SB 840 — any county independently satisfies the 300k prong. Tri-county complexity affects permit/approval coordination.
  • DFW International Airport lies ~10 mi west with Part 77 imaginary surfaces extending over western Carrollton; Addison Airport (ADS) lies ~5 mi east with Part 77 imaginary surfaces extending over eastern Carrollton. Federal overlay (14 CFR Part 77) constrains same field (max height) as base zone — federal_overlay_refs documented rather than state-preemption conflict.
  • Elm Fork Trinity River flows north-south through central/eastern Carrollton; Hutton Branch and Furneaux Creek tributaries. FEMA NFIP floodplain covers ~10-15% of city area. Significant FH overlay and SC stream buffer coverage.
  • Municode SPA (library.municode.com) returns shell HTML to scripted WebFetch; Ch. 153 article-level section bodies require browser-based retrieval. cityofcarrollton.com returns HTTP 403 to scripted fetches. Most KPI values in this record carry status=partial pending browser-based retrieval; baseline structural parameters inferred from DFW-region norms. One-attempt blocker discipline applied per 20260419T092906 retro.
  • Inner-ring DFW suburb character: ~37 sq mi, ~133k-141k population, tri-county, dual DART Green Line stations, DFW+ADS airspace, Elm Fork floodplain — collectively produces a development context constrained by infrastructure (airspace, floodplain) but enabled by transit (TC/DART) and corridor mixed-use growth.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure; Carrollton Ch. 153 SF districts typically cap at 35 ft (2.5 stories); mid-rise MF/apartment districts permit 45-55 ft; TC Transit Center and PD permit 55-85+ ft per approved plan.
lot_coverage
Building footprint divided by total lot area.
far
Gross floor area divided by lot area.
du_ac
Dwelling units per net acre; MF-18 encodes 18 du/ac directly in district name. For SF districts derive as 43,560 / min_lot_sf.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face per Ch. 153 article for district.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit (residential) or per 1,000 sf GFA (non-residential) per Ch. 153 off-street parking article.
lot_size_encoding
SF district name encodes minimum lot area in thousands of sf (SF-7 = 7,000 sf; SF-10 = 10,000 sf; SF-14 = 14,000 sf).
density_encoding
MF district name encodes max density in du/ac (MF-18 = 18 du/ac).

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft
max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10
du_ac_from_min_lot
43560 / min_lot_sf

Massing explorer

Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.

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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
Carrollton Code of Ordinances, Title XV Land Usage, Chapter 153 Zoning Ordinance
retrieved 2026-04-19

Retrieval failure: municode_js_spa

Secondary sources
Citations
  1. [1] §Ch-153-SF
  2. [2] §Ch-153-SF
  3. [3] §Ch-153-SF
  4. [4] §Ch-153-SF-lot-size-encoding
  5. [5] §Ch-153-SF
  6. [6] §Ch-153-SF
  7. [7] §Ch-153-SF
  8. [8] §derived
  9. [9] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  10. [10] §Ch-153-SF
  11. [11] §Ch-153-SF
  12. [12] §Ch-153-SF
  13. [13] §Ch-153-SF-lot-size-encoding
  14. [14] §Ch-153-SF
  15. [15] §Ch-153-SF
  16. [16] §Ch-153-SF
  17. [17] §derived
  18. [18] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  19. [19] §Ch-153-SF
  20. [20] §Ch-153-SF
  21. [21] §Ch-153-SF
  22. [22] §Ch-153-SF-lot-size-encoding
  23. [23] §Ch-153-SF
  24. [24] §Ch-153-SF
  25. [25] §Ch-153-SF
  26. [26] §derived
  27. [27] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  28. [28] §Ch-153-TH
  29. [29] §Ch-153-TH
  30. [30] §Ch-153-TH
  31. [31] §Ch-153-TH
  32. [32] §Ch-153-TH
  33. [33] §Ch-153-TH
  34. [34] §Ch-153-TH
  35. [35] §Ch-153-TH
  36. [36] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  37. [37] §Ch-153-MF
  38. [38] §Ch-153-MF
  39. [39] §Ch-153-MF
  40. [40] §Ch-153-MF
  41. [41] §Ch-153-MF
  42. [42] §Ch-153-MF
  43. [43] §Ch-153-MF
  44. [44] §Ch-153-MF-density-encoding
  45. [45] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  46. [46] §Ch-153-Art-14-LR-2
  47. [47] §Ch-153-Art-14-LR-2
  48. [48] §Ch-153-Art-14-LR-2
  49. [49] §Ch-153-Art-14-LR-2
  50. [50] §Ch-153-Art-14-LR-2
  51. [51] §Ch-153-Art-14-LR-2
  52. [52] §Ch-153-Art-14-LR-2
  53. [53] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  54. [54] §Ch-153-GC
  55. [55] §Ch-153-GC
  56. [56] §Ch-153-GC
  57. [57] §Ch-153-GC
  58. [58] §Ch-153-GC
  59. [59] §Ch-153-GC
  60. [60] §Ch-153-GC
  61. [61] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  62. [62] §Ch-153-OP
  63. [63] §Ch-153-OP
  64. [64] §Ch-153-OP
  65. [65] §Ch-153-OP
  66. [66] §Ch-153-OP
  67. [67] §Ch-153-OP
  68. [68] §Ch-153-OP
  69. [69] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  70. [70] §Ch-153-LI
  71. [71] §Ch-153-LI
  72. [72] §Ch-153-LI
  73. [73] §Ch-153-LI
  74. [74] §Ch-153-LI
  75. [75] §Ch-153-LI
  76. [76] §Ch-153-LI
  77. [77] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  78. [78] §Ch-153-HI
  79. [79] §Ch-153-HI
  80. [80] §Ch-153-HI
  81. [81] §Ch-153-HI
  82. [82] §Ch-153-HI
  83. [83] §Ch-153-HI
  84. [84] §Ch-153-HI
  85. [85] §Ch-153-off-street-parking
  86. [86] §Ch-153-TC
  87. [87] §Ch-153-TC
  88. [88] §Ch-153-TC
  89. [89] §Ch-153-TC
  90. [90] §Ch-153-TC
  91. [91] §Ch-153-TC
  92. [92] §Ch-153-TC
  93. [93] §Ch-153-TC
  94. [94] §Ch-153-TC
  95. [95] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  96. [96] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  97. [97] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  98. [98] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  99. [99] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  100. [100] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  101. [101] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  102. [102] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown
  103. [103] §Ch-153-Old-Downtown

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedsource.primary_url = https://library.municode.com/tx/carrollton/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITXVLAUS_CH153ZOOR_S153.01ADRE (canonical Municode URL for Ch. 153). code_source mirrors. Not an aggregator domain. https scheme.
no aggregator citedpassedScan of profile and research.md found no Zoneomics/Steadily/SitePlanGuide/Zonara/Unzoned references in cited sources. Zoneomics appeared in web-search results but is NOT cited in the record. All citations point to Ch. 153 articles, TX state bill references (SB 840, SB 15, HB 2127, HB 3699), FEMA/NFIP, 14 CFR Part 77, NTTA, NCTCOG iSWM, or city domains (cityofcarrollton.com, carrolltontxdevelopment.com).
confidence tags full formpassedAll district/overlay/preemption values carry c§/p§/i§ full-form tags with section or named reference (e.g., c§Ch-153-SF-lot-size-encoding, p§Ch-153-SF, c§14-CFR-Part-77, c§SB-840-arithmetic-fail-city-prong-border-case, c§TC-2005-amendment). 70+ full-form tags across the record; no bare [confirmed]/[partial]/[inferred] tags in the v2 JSON.
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed7/7 overlays (TC, ODT-HP, FH, AH, SC, MU-COR, PGBT-COR) have non-empty parameters object (>=4 keys each), explicit geographic_trigger string, base_interaction string, explicit status enum, and citation. TC=partial with 2005 adoption-date confirmed; ODT-HP/FH/AH/SC/MU-COR/PGBT-COR = partial with search_performed + retrieval_failure_reason (municode_js_spa) narratives.
preempt section city specificpassedstate_preemptions_applicable[] contains 5 TX laws (SB 840, SB 15, HB 2127, HB 3699, ADU). Each has Carrollton-specific qualifying_condition_checked narrative. SB 840 entry >=900 chars with full Census arithmetic (city 133,434 / 141,000 vs 150,000; Dallas 2,613,539 + Denton 906,422 + Collin 1,064,465 sliver vs 300,000; city prong dispositive; border-case annotation). SB 15 entry identifies Carrollton's smallest SF district (SF-7 = 7,000 sf above 4,000 sf threshold) and documents TH/TC/PD small-lot pathways. HB 2127/HB 3699/ADU scoped to non-zoning. Not a link-stub.

Data quality

45%completeness12 confirmed60 partial4 inferred
Documented gaps
  • Ch. 153 Article-level dimensional tables (SF-7/10/14; MF-18; LR-1/2/3; GC; OP; LI; HI; TC; Old Downtown) not retrieved live — dimensional values marked partial with DFW-regional-norm-derived estimates.
  • TC Transit Center district full ordinance text not retrieved — adoption date and geographic triggers confirmed; specific height/density/setback parameters partial.
  • Old Downtown Carrollton district formal codification vs. design-guideline-only status unclear.
  • Full district roster (some districts may exist that aren't enumerated here — e.g. additional SF tiers SF-5 / SF-6, additional MF tiers MF-12, additional commercial tiers C-1 / C-2) pending Ch. 153 glossary retrieval.
  • FEMA Flood Damage Prevention chapter BFE freeboard specific value not direct-fetched.
  • Off-street parking article specific ratios (Ch. 153 parking article) not direct-fetched.
  • Historic preservation overlay formal codification status unclear.
  • Mixed-use corridor overlay formal codification status unclear.

Known issues

cohort:needs-dom-retrievalfreshness:volatileblocker:municodedata:gaps-present

Verification

last_verified_at2026-04-19T00:00:00Z
verifier_specialistverification-pass
verifier_version1.0
verification_resultpartial
atomic_claims_checked18
atomic_claims_passed16
atomic_claims_failed2
failed_claimsSpecific dimensional values across SF/MF/commercial/industrial districts — not retrieved live due to Municode SPA blocker; marked partial with DFW-regional-norm-derived estimates; TC district specific height/density parameters — adoption date confirmed but parameter detail pending browser retrieval
narrative_refnarratives/carrollton-tx/fleet-20260419T172230-9.json

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