Overview
Worth knowing
- SB 840 does NOT apply: Mansfield city population 74,349 (2020 Decennial; ~80k 2024 PEP) is BELOW the 150,000 city threshold, even though Tarrant County clearly exceeds the 300,000 county threshold. SB 840 requires BOTH thresholds met — Mansfield fails the city leg. Distinguishes Mansfield from larger DFW suburbs (Arlington, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Denton) that do qualify.
- Fast south-corridor growth pattern: US 287 corridor is de facto development spine; growth concentrated along US 287 (surface arterial, south-corridor) and SH 360 (freeway, northeast connector).
- Dual corridor overlays: Freeway Corridor (SH 360) and Highway 287 Corridor (US 287) are distinct overlays reflecting the different access-control regimes (controlled freeway vs signalized arterial).
+ 7 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 5com 3ind 2res_th 1res_mf 1off 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RE | Estate Residential | res_sf | 43,560 sf[4] | 35 ft[5] | — | — | 1[6] | 2[7] | 40[1] / 15[2] / 30[3] |
| SF-1 | Large Lot Single Family | res_sf | 15,000 sf[11] | 35 ft[12] | — | — | 2.9[13] | 2[14] | 30[8] / 10[9] / 25[10] |
| SF-2 | Standard Single Family | res_sf | 10,000 sf[18] | 35 ft[19] | — | — | 4.4[20] | 2[21] | 25[15] / 7.5[16] / 20[17] |
| SF-3 | Medium Single Family | res_sf | 7,500 sf[25] | 35 ft[26] | — | — | 5.8[27] | 2[28] | 20[22] / 5[23] / 15[24] |
| SF-4 | Small Lot Single Family | res_sf | 6,000 sf[32] | 35 ft[33] | — | — | 7.3[34] | 2[35] | 20[29] / 5[30] / 15[31] |
| TH | Townhome | res_th | 3,000 sf[39] | 40 ft[40] | — | — | 12[41] | 2[42] | 15[36] / 2.5[37] / 15[38] |
| MF | Multifamily | res_mf | — | 45 ft[46] | — | — | 18[47] | 1.5[48] | 25[43] / 15[44] / 20[45] |
| NC | Neighborhood Commercial | com | 15,000 sf[50] | 35 ft[51] | 0.5[52] | 0.5[53] | — | — | 25[49] / — / — |
| GC | General Commercial | com | 30,000 sf[55] | 45 ft[56] | 0.65[57] | 1[58] | — | — | 35[54] / — / — |
| RC | Regional Commercial | com | 60,000 sf[60] | 55 ft[61] | 0.75[62] | 1.5[63] | — | — | 50[59] / — / — |
| OP | Office/Professional | off | 20,000 sf[65] | 40 ft[66] | 0.6[67] | 0.75[68] | — | — | 30[64] / — / — |
| LI | Light Industrial | ind | 40,000 sf[70] | 45 ft[71] | 0.6[72] | — | — | — | 50[69] / — / — |
| HI | Heavy Industrial | ind | 80,000 sf[74] | 55 ft[75] | 0.5[76] | — | — | — | 75[73] / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
HD
Historic Downtown Overlay
HPAO
Airport Overlay — Fort Worth Spinks (FAR Part 77)
AICUZFCO
Freeway Corridor Overlay
COR287CO
Highway 287 Corridor Overlay
CORENV
Environmental Overlay (SFHA / Floodplain)
FPState preemptions
TX SB 15applies
Qualifying condition
SB 15 applies statewide to lots ≤ 4,000 sf regardless of city population. Mansfield's smallest SF base district floor is SF-4 at 6,000 sf, which sits ABOVE the SB 15 threshold. However, the TH (Townhome) district has a 3,000-sf per-unit floor, which sits BELOW the SB 15 threshold. Therefore SB 15 applies to townhome lots platted at ≤4,000 sf and limits city regulation of setbacks, parking, height, and bulk on those qualifying small lots. Also applies to any PD-zoned subdivision proposing lots ≤4,000 sf.
Non-applicable laws (4)
TX SB 840does not apply
Qualifying condition
SB 840 requires BOTH (a) city population ≥ 150,000 AND (b) county population ≥ 300,000. Mansfield city population = 74,349 (2020 Decennial Census, Census Bureau); 2024 PEP estimate approximately 80,000+. Both the 2020 and the most recent PEP estimate are BELOW the 150,000 city threshold. Tarrant County population = 2,126,477 (2020 Decennial; 2024 PEP estimate approximately 2.15M), which clearly exceeds the 300,000 county threshold. Because the city threshold is not met, SB 840 does not apply to Mansfield on the basis of city size regardless of which of the three counties (Tarrant, Ellis, Johnson) is treated as primary.
TX HB 2127does not apply
Qualifying condition
HB 2127 preempts municipal ordinances in fields covered by specific state codes (Agriculture, Business & Commerce, Finance, Insurance, Labor, Local Government (enumerated), Natural Resources, Occupations, Property). Zoning authority under Texas Local Government Code Ch. 211 is NOT an enumerated preempted field under HB 2127. Texas courts (2024 district-court ruling and subsequent appeals activity) have treated zoning as carved out from HB 2127 field preemption. Flagged here for completeness so future auditors do not re-open the question.
TX HB 3699does not apply
Qualifying condition
HB 3699 restricts municipal subdivision-platting requirements for 5+ acre rural single-family lots (narrow scope). Mansfield's base districts and typical urban/suburban subdivisions fall below this acreage threshold or are not 'rural SF' in HB 3699's statutory sense. Mansfield's ETJ extends 2+ miles south/east; HB 3699 may touch specific 5+ acre ETJ subdivisions, but no Mansfield base district is implicated.
TX ADU preemptiondoes not apply
Qualifying condition
Texas has no statewide ADU preemption statute analogous to California GC §66411.7/.8. Local Mansfield rules govern ADU permissibility and standards under Ch. 155.
Adopted building codes
Home rule; major cities on 2024 IBC
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- SB 840 does NOT apply: Mansfield city population 74,349 (2020 Decennial; ~80k 2024 PEP) is BELOW the 150,000 city threshold, even though Tarrant County clearly exceeds the 300,000 county threshold. SB 840 requires BOTH thresholds met — Mansfield fails the city leg. Distinguishes Mansfield from larger DFW suburbs (Arlington, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Denton) that do qualify.
- Fast south-corridor growth pattern: US 287 corridor is de facto development spine; growth concentrated along US 287 (surface arterial, south-corridor) and SH 360 (freeway, northeast connector).
- Dual corridor overlays: Freeway Corridor (SH 360) and Highway 287 Corridor (US 287) are distinct overlays reflecting the different access-control regimes (controlled freeway vs signalized arterial).
- FEMA SFHA environmental overlay: Walnut Creek, Village Creek, and Joe Pool Lake tributaries define the SFHA footprint; reduces effective developable land 10–15% in south/central Mansfield. Joe Pool Lake watershed drainage provisions are integrated into the SFHA/floodplain overlay rather than being a separate watershed-protection overlay.
- Fort Worth Spinks Airport (KFWS) Part 77 surfaces extend into Mansfield from the southwest; airport overlay adopts FAR Part 77 and includes avigation easement requirements within APZ/noise contours.
- Planned Development (PD) zoning commonality: Mansfield regularly uses PD zoning for major projects (>5 acres, >50 units); provides flexibility for mixed-use and density bonuses. PD subdivisions at ≤4,000 sf per-unit lots are subject to SB 15 preemption.
- Mid-range restrictiveness: Mansfield is LESS restrictive than north-DFW suburbs (Flower Mound, Southlake) but MORE restrictive than Arlington/Grand Prairie; 18 DU/AC multifamily and 45-ft height cap reflect moderate density tolerance.
- Three-county city: Mansfield straddles Tarrant (primary), Ellis, and Johnson counties. Only the primary county (Tarrant) is used for the SB 840 county-threshold check; Tarrant alone clears the 300,000 threshold easily.
- Historic downtown preservation focus: Historic Downtown overlay (Main St area) waives setbacks, reduces parking, and incentivizes mixed-use. Supersedes base setback/design requirements.
- Chapter number correction (Wave-3): v1 profile labeled the zoning chapter 'Chapter 26'. Current Mansfield Code of Ordinances places zoning in Chapter 155. Wave-3 repair aligns the label to the actual chapter (FM-3 correction).
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Maximum height measured from grade to roof peak or highest point of structure
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint divided by total lot area
- far
- Total floor area divided by lot area
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per acre; calculated from minimum lot size
- setback_front
- Distance from front property line to building facade
- setback_side
- Distance from side property line to building facade
- setback_rear
- Distance from rear property line to building facade
- parking
- Parking spaces required per dwelling unit or per 1000 sf of commercial space
Capacity calculations
- max_units_from_lot_area
lot_area_sf / min_lot_sf- 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.
Sort by
Max height
— ft
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Primary source
Citations
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Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | |
| confidence tags full form | passed | |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | |
| preempt section city specific | passed |
Data quality
55%completeness8 confirmed10 partial34 inferred
Documented gaps
- Municode Ch. 155 complete dimensional tables (base district KPIs) not retrieved live — SPA gating; all base-district numeric values remain [inferred] pending direct section fetch
- Historic Downtown overlay design guidelines — specific design-review parameters pending direct code retrieval
- Fort Worth Spinks airport overlay — Part 77 surface dimensions and APZ boundaries pending direct code + FAA Form 7460-1 coordination
- US 287 Corridor overlay specific setback/height/signage dimensions pending direct section retrieval
- Freeway Corridor (SH 360) overlay specific parameters pending direct section retrieval
- Floodplain/SFHA overlay exact freeboard (2 ft assumed per typical TX municipal standard) pending direct §155 floodplain text
- PD zoning framework — approval criteria and density-bonus parameters pending direct code retrieval
- ETJ subdivision standards (HB 3699 interaction) pending Tarrant/Ellis/Johnson county-level records
Known issues
cohort:needs-dom-retrievalblocker:municodedata:gaps-present
Verification
| last_verified_at | 2026-04-19T00:00:00Z |
|---|---|
| verifier_specialist | publication-validator |
| verifier_version | 1.0 |
| verification_result | passed |
| narrative_ref | narratives/mansfield-tx/m4nsf1-2026-04-19-wave3.json |
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