Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
lot-size-encoded
Standard Euclidean code with 4 district families (Residential, Nonresidential, Mixed-Use, Overlay/Special). SF residential codes are lot-size-encoded (SF-10 = 10,000 sf min, SF-7 = 7,000 sf, SF-5 = 5,000 sf). MF codes are density-index (MF-0 horizontal, MF-1, MF-2). PDs exist but are not the default development path — true hybrid-pd cities (Frisco) push virtually all new work through PDs; Garland still has substantial by-right base-district development.
Worth knowing
- MF adjacency setback scales by height — 45-degree slope above 45 ft from adjacent residential property line [confirmed §2.39, Ord. 7655 2026-03-03]. This is Garland's current (2026) codification; the older 1.25× formulation may appear in prior supplements.
- SB 840 / SB 15 implemented directly in GDC §2.40: 3,000 sf / 30 ft minimum for residential development on tracts ≥5 ac platted after Sep 1, 2025 [confirmed Ord. 7655].
- MF-0 requires 1 attached enclosed garage min 10 ft × 20 ft per unit — unusual for MF where detached/surface parking is typical; gives MF-0 a SF-like character [confirmed §2.39].
+ 7 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 5res_mf 3ag 1res_th 1com 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AG | Agricultural | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SF-E | Single-Family Estate | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SF-10 | Single-Family 10,000 | res_sf | 10,000 sf[1] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SF-7 | Single-Family 7,000 | res_sf | 7,000 sf[2] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SF-5 | Single-Family 5,000 | res_sf | 5,000 sf[4] | — | — | — | — | — | — / 0[3] / — |
| SFA | Single-Family Attached (Townhouse) | res_th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| 2F | Two-Family (Duplex) | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MF-0 | Horizontal Multi-Family | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MF-1 | Multi-Family 1 | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MF-2 | Multi-Family 2 | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| NR-* | Nonresidential (Commercial / Office / Industrial) — category placeholder | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
PD
Planned Development
PDMapped as PD district on the GDC Zoning Map; each PD ordinance applies to specifically-designated tracts approved by City Council.
| mechanism | Custom per-ordinance district with site-specific setbacks, use list, density, and height |
|---|---|
| example_pd | PD Z 22-74 (MF-1 use) — requires min 31 ft setback from adjacent SF-7 district [confirmed Ord. 7474] |
S
Specific Use Permit
SPECMapped as 'S' label on the GDC Zoning Map; City Council-approved per-site permit adding a specific use to a base zone.
| mechanism | Adds a single permitted use to an underlying base district subject to conditions set by Council ordinance |
|---|
LE
Lake Edge District / Lake Ray Hubbard Overlay
ENVProperties adjacent to Lake Ray Hubbard shoreline within the city's Lake Edge designation.
| scope | Development adjacent to Lake Ray Hubbard |
|---|---|
| what_is_confirmed | Lake Edge District exists as a city-recognized special district for Lake Ray Hubbard-adjacent development |
| what_is_missing | Specific dimensional / use parameters and GDC § anchor — deferred pending DOM retrieval of the full GDC lake-edge section |
HP-not-found
Historic Preservation
HPn/a — no historic-preservation overlay enumerated in GDC after targeted search of Chapter 2 overlay enumeration and garlandtx.gov ordinances page (Heritage Crossing TIF / redevelopment area exists but is not a HP zoning overlay).
| search_performed | Scanned GDC Chapter 2 residential/nonresidential/overlay enumeration and garlandtx.gov ordinances page (v1 extraction 2026-04-07); no local historic district or landmark overlay enumerated in GDC. Garland has Heritage Crossing / Downtown as a TIF / redevelopment area but no formal historic-preservation zoning overlay surfaced in the primary source. |
|---|---|
| what_is_confirmed | Downtown redevelopment area exists (TIF / Heritage Crossing) |
| what_is_missing | No HP overlay with demolition review or design controls identified in GDC |
FP-federal
FEMA Floodplain
FPParcels within FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) on effective Dallas County FIRM panels.
| what_is_confirmed | Garland participates in the NFIP (as a Dallas-County city with substantial floodplain along Spring Creek, Duck Creek, Rowlett Creek, and Lake Ray Hubbard shoreline) |
|---|---|
| what_is_missing | Local freeboard increment, specific GDC § reference, and elevation-certificate trigger threshold — deferred pending DOM retrieval |
| federal_layer | FEMA SFHA — federal overlay tracked for federal_conflict_check |
AP-federal
Airport / FAA Part 77 — DFW & Dallas Executive approach surfaces
APn/a — no airport-overlay district enumerated in GDC; Garland is NOT adjacent to a major commercial airport (DFW is west, Addison and Dallas Executive are south/southwest). FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces are federal-layer constraints handled at site-plan review rather than as a city zoning overlay.
| search_performed | Scanned GDC overlay enumeration (v1 extraction 2026-04-07). Garland is NOT adjacent to a major commercial airport — DFW (class C) is west of the city, Addison and Dallas Executive are south/southwest. No airport-overlay district enumerated in GDC. |
|---|---|
| what_is_confirmed | No airport-specific zoning overlay in GDC |
| what_is_missing | Whether any FAA Part 77 imaginary surface crosses Garland at heights that would affect SB 840 45-ft height floor — deferred as not-currently-relevant; flagged for future federal_conflict_check if tall development proposed near city's western edge |
TOD-not-found
Transit-Oriented Development
TODn/a — no TOD zoning overlay enumerated in GDC after targeted search of Chapter 2 overlay enumeration. Station-area planning at Downtown Garland and LBJ/Central DART stations runs through PD rezoning rather than as a TOD overlay.
| search_performed | Scanned GDC overlay enumeration. Garland is served by DART Blue Line (Downtown Garland and LBJ/Central stations). City has planned/discussed TOD concepts but no formal TOD overlay district enumerated in GDC as of v1 extraction 2026-04-07. |
|---|---|
| what_is_confirmed | DART rail service exists with two Garland stations |
| what_is_missing | No TOD zoning overlay in GDC; station-area planning appears to run through PD rezoning rather than an overlay |
DT-partial
Downtown / CBD
DTDowntown Garland (Heritage Crossing) redevelopment area around the Downtown DART station.
| what_is_confirmed | Downtown Garland is a designated redevelopment area (TIF), with Form-Based / Downtown mixed-use districts referenced in GDC |
|---|---|
| what_is_missing | Specific GDC § reference and downtown-specific FAR / build-to-line parameters not extracted — deferred pending DOM retrieval |
COR-not-found
Corridor / Highway
CORn/a — no corridor overlay (e.g. along I-635, President George Bush Turnpike, or state highways) enumerated in GDC after targeted search of Chapter 2 overlay enumeration.
| search_performed | Scanned GDC overlay enumeration (v1 extraction 2026-04-07). No corridor overlay (e.g. along I-635, President George Bush Turnpike, or state highways) enumerated in GDC. |
|---|---|
| what_is_confirmed | No corridor overlay district in GDC |
| what_is_missing | n/a |
AH-not-found
Affordable-Housing Bonus
AHn/a — no local affordable-housing density bonus / inclusionary overlay enumerated in GDC after targeted search; Texas broadly preempts inclusionary zoning outside narrow exceptions and Garland has no city-level bonus program identified.
| search_performed | Scanned GDC for local affordable-housing density bonus / inclusionary provisions. No local program enumerated in GDC (Texas broadly preempts inclusionary zoning outside narrow exceptions; Garland has no city-level bonus program identified). |
|---|---|
| what_is_confirmed | No local affordable-housing bonus overlay |
| what_is_missing | n/a |
State preemptions
Qualifying condition
Garland population 246,018 (2024 Census est.) ≥ 150,000 threshold AND Dallas County population 2,613,539 (2024 Census est.) ≥ 300,000 threshold. Both gates satisfied.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program vintage 2024 (Garland place + Dallas County).
Effect
On commercial, office, retail, warehouse, and mixed-use parcels: MF residential allowed by-right at ≥36 du/ac (or city's highest MF density, whichever greater), ≥45 ft height floor, ≤25 ft setback cap, ≤1 space/unit parking cap, ministerial review.
Qualifying condition
SB 15 applies statewide to qualifying small lots ≤4,000 sf on tracts ≥5 acres platted after Sep 1, 2025. Garland has codified the implementation in GDC §2.40 (added by Ord. 7655, 2026-03-03): 3,000 sf minimum lot area and 30 ft minimum lot width for residential development on tracts ≥5 acres platted after 2025-09-01.
Source
Garland Development Code §2.40 (as amended by Ord. 7655, 2026-03-03) — primary-source city codification of the SB 15 floor.
Effect
Residential tracts ≥5 ac platted after 2025-09-01: minimum lot area 3,000 sf / minimum lot width 30 ft; city cannot impose stricter minimums on these lots. City retains authority over use, life-safety, and other non-preempted standards.
Adopted building codes
Home rule; major cities on 2024 IBC
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Amendment history
| Date | Kind | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | retrieved at | v1 research extraction from ecode360 primary source |
| 2026-03-03 | amendment effective | Ord. 7655 — most recent amendment incorporated (includes §2.40 SB 840 implementation and 45-degree slope MF adjacency rule) |
| 2015-05-19 | adoption | Ord. 6773 — initial GDC adoption |
Quirks & notes
- MF adjacency setback scales by height — 45-degree slope above 45 ft from adjacent residential property line [confirmed §2.39, Ord. 7655 2026-03-03]. This is Garland's current (2026) codification; the older 1.25× formulation may appear in prior supplements.
- SB 840 / SB 15 implemented directly in GDC §2.40: 3,000 sf / 30 ft minimum for residential development on tracts ≥5 ac platted after Sep 1, 2025 [confirmed Ord. 7655].
- MF-0 requires 1 attached enclosed garage min 10 ft × 20 ft per unit — unusual for MF where detached/surface parking is typical; gives MF-0 a SF-like character [confirmed §2.39].
- Zero-lot-line requires 5 ft maintenance easement recorded on the ADJACENT lot (not the building lot) to enable maintenance of the ZLL wall; must appear on the subdivision plat [confirmed §2.35].
- SF-5 functions as the system-wide fallback residential standard for non-matching housing types in SFA and MF districts — i.e., SF-5 is implicitly the base for mixed-type residential development [confirmed §2.37, §2.38].
- Nonresidential buildings >30 ft adjacent to residential must set back 1.25× building height (measured to highest point above grade); single-story ≤30 ft buildings require 50 ft setback (40 ft with landscaping + Plan Commission approval) [confirmed Division 3].
- Nonresidential buildings >2 stories adjacent to residential: Table 2-5 yard plus 25 ft per story above 2 [confirmed Division 3].
- MF surface-parking prohibition: no surface parking in front of any structure in the designated front yard; max 5% of provided parking may be visible from public street [confirmed §2.39]. Parking must be to side or rear of main buildings.
- Code platform quirk: GDC is on ecode360 (not Municode). garlandtx.gov links to either an ecode360 view or a city-hosted PDF [confirmed].
- GDC current through Ord. 7655 (2026-03-03). Any research predating March 2026 will miss the SB 840 §2.40 implementation and the 45-degree slope MF adjacency update.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Height measured to highest point above grade (per MF adjacency rule wording); used as input to nonresidential-adjacent-to-residential 1.25× setback and the 45-degree slope rule.
- lot_coverage
- far
- du_ac
- impervious_cover
- setback_front
- setback_side
- setback_rear
- parking
- zero_lot_line
- Zero lot line (within SF-5, SFA, 2F): 0 ft one interior side, min 10 ft opposite interior side, min 15 ft non-key corner side yard, min 20 ft key corner side yard, with a 5 ft maintenance easement recorded on the adjacent lot. Roof overhangs may project into easement up to 24 in [confirmed §2.35].
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560- max_units_from_lot_area_per_unit
lot_area_sf / lot_area_per_unit_sf- buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2- buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft- buildable_envelope_sf
buildable_width_ft * buildable_depth_ft- max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10- max_gfa_from_envelope
min(buildable_envelope_sf * max_stories_approx, max_gfa_sf)- parking_required
units * parking- mf_adjacency_45deg_envelope
above 45 ft, building envelope tapers 45° inward from the adjacent residential property line [confirmed §2.39 as amended by Ord. 7655]
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.
Sort by
Max height
— ft
——
Floor area ratio
—
——
Lot coverage
—%
——
Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
——
Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
Copy zoning profile
Loading…
| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Primary source
ecode360 returns HTTP 403 to scripted fetches per KNOWN_BLOCKERS — one-attempt discipline applied. Current profile reflects prior v1 research which successfully extracted §-anchored citations from the same URL on 2026-04-07; those citations are preserved as source-of-record. City is cohort-tagged needs-dom-retrieval for future DOM-enabled refresh of Table 2-3/2-4/2-5 dimensional standards.
Retrieval failure: ecode360_403_on_refresh_attempt
Citations
- [1] §2.35
- [2] §2.35
- [3] §2.35
- [4] §2.35
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | source.primary_url = https://ecode360.com/40081482; non-aggregator domain (ecode360 is a primary code-publisher platform, not an aggregator) |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | scan clean — no zoneomics / steadily / siteplanguide / municipalcode aggregator references in citations or sources |
| confidence tags full form | passed | All confirmed (c) values carry §-anchored citations: districts use c§2.35 / c§2.37 / c§2.38 for the lot-area-reduction and ZLL fallback rules that anchor SF-10 / SF-7 / SF-5 lot sizes; overlays now carry c§Ch.2-Art.4-Div.5 (PD), c§Ch.2-SUP (SUP), n§Ch.2-overlay-scan (HP/TOD/COR/AH/AP not-found, with documented search), and p§<area> with retrieval_failure_reason for partial overlays (LE / FP / DT). All partial (p) district values carry retrieval_failure_reason explicitly tagging the ecode360 403 blocker, which is the schema-permitted fallback when full-form §-citation cannot be retrieved. |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | All 10 overlays now carry: (a) non-empty params (real params for confirmed PD/SUP; structured search_performed/what_is_confirmed/what_is_missing for not-found and partial), (b) non-null trigger (geographic trigger for confirmed/partial; 'n/a — <reason>' prose for not-found), (c) confidence with §-anchored citation (c§ for confirmed, p§ for partial with retrieval_failure_reason, n§ for not-found with documented search), and (d) explicit citation field. PD and SUP fully pass; LE/FP/DT pass with partial-with-retrieval-failure-reason; HP/AP/TOD/COR/AH pass as documented not-found. |
| preempt section city specific | passed | 2 TX preemption laws (SB 840, SB 15) with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked strings containing numeric inputs (Garland 246,018 / 1.6× the 150k threshold; Dallas County 2,613,539 / 8.7× the 300k threshold), Census vintage (2024 PEP), and GDC §2.40 Ord. 7655 city-codified implementation of the SB 15 floor (3,000 sf / 30 ft on tracts ≥5 ac platted after 2025-09-01) |
Data quality
40%completeness43 confirmed28 partial4 not found
Documented gaps
- Table 2-3 SF dimensional standards (lot area, width, depth, front/rear/side setbacks, height, coverage by SF-E/SF-10/SF-7/SF-5) — deferred; ecode360 DOM retrieval required
- Table 2-4 other-residential dimensional standards (SFA, 2F, MF-0, MF-1, MF-2) — deferred
- Table 2-5 nonresidential dimensional standards — deferred
- Nonresidential district codes (commercial, office, industrial) not enumerated at the code-label level (CN / CR / GC / LC / LI / HI etc.) — deferred
- Lake Edge District specific GDC § and parameters — deferred
- Downtown / Heritage Crossing specific GDC § and parameters — deferred
Known issues
cohort:needs-dom-retrievalblocker:ecode360data:gaps-present
Other cities in this state
Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.