What does SF-3 zoning mean in Austin?

SF-3 (Family Residence) is Austin's most common single-family district. Under the 2023–2024 HOME ordinance, SF-3 lots are now eligible for up to three residential units by right, and new subdivided lots can be as small as roughly 1,800 square feet, without any rezoning required.

How do I find the zoning for a property in Austin?

Austin's Development Services Department publishes an interactive zoning map showing the current base district and any overlays or combining districts for a given address. Compatibility standards tied to nearby single-family zoning should be checked separately since they aren't always visible on the base map.

Can I build a duplex or triplex on a single-family lot in Austin?

Yes, in most cases. The HOME initiative allows up to three units by right on most SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3 lots citywide, subject to compatibility standards, parking, and impervious cover limits, without requiring a rezoning to a multifamily district.

Austin, Texas · city zoning districts · 15 districts

Austin, TX zoning map & districts

Austin zones under Title 25 of its Land Development Code, organized into single-family, multifamily, office/commercial, and downtown base districts of increasing intensity, administered by the city's Development Services Department. After the 2020 CodeNEXT rewrite failed, the city instead pursued targeted amendments: the HOME initiative (adopted in phases across 2023–2024) now allows up to three units by right on most single-family-zoned (SF-1 through SF-3) lots and cut the minimum lot size for new subdivided lots to about 1,800 square feet, which functionally raises density without changing the underlying base-district map.

The code Austin Land Development Code (Title 25)

Austin zoning map

The interactive map needs JavaScript. See the official Zoning (Small Map Scale) - City of Austin Open Data Portal instead.

Commercial 319
Residential 146
Special purpose 38
Downtown / core 28
Industrial 19
Mixed-use 8
Other / unclassified 1

Source: Zoning (Small Map Scale) - City of Austin Open Data Portal, retrieved 2026-08-30. Basemap: © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Find a district by address

District lookup only. No bulk standards and no ordinance citations are held for this city yet. Not a zoning verification.

Source: the official Zoning (Small Map Scale) - City of Austin Open Data Portal , retrieved 2026-08-30 — the authoritative source for current boundaries.

The current base zoning for any parcel is on the city's interactive zoning map maintained by the Development Services Department; the full Land Development Code text, including HOME ordinance amendments, is published on the city's Municode-hosted Code of Ordinances.

A published summary is never the authority. The adopted ordinance and the city's official zoning map govern, and both change — verify the district and every standard on your parcel before you rely on it.

How zoning works in Austin

Compatibility standards — setback and height step-backs that apply near single-family-zoned property — remain the key constraint on infill and mixed-use projects citywide and were narrowed but not eliminated in the 2023–2024 reforms. Developers should also check for neighborhood conservation combining districts (NCCDs) and overlays such as the Capitol View Corridors, which restrict height on specific parcels regardless of base zoning.

Austin zoning districts by family

The 15 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Austin, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Austin Land Development Code (Title 25) — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 8 districts
SF-1	Single Family Residence - Large Lot	Large-lot single-family; now eligible for up to 3 units by right under the HOME ordinance.
SF-2	Single Family Residence - Standard Lot	Standard single-family lot; same HOME-ordinance density allowance applies.
SF-3	Family Residence	Austin's most common single-family district; primary target of the HOME reforms.
SF-6	Townhouse and Condominium Residence	Attached townhouse and condo development at moderate density.
MF-1	Multifamily Residence - Limited Density	Lowest-intensity apartment district, transitional to single-family areas; city GIS names it 'Limited Density', not 'Low Density' (that is MF-2).
MF-2	Multifamily Residence - Low Density	Low-density apartments, slightly higher intensity than MF-1.
MF-4	Multifamily Residence - Moderate-High Density	Mid-rise apartment density common along corridors.
MF-6	Multifamily Residence - Highest Density	Austin's highest-density conventional apartment district.
Commercial 5 districts
LO	Limited Office	Small-scale office as a buffer between residential and busier commercial uses.
GO	General Office	Broader office use, including larger buildings along commercial corridors.
NO	Neighborhood Office	Neighborhood-scale office serving nearby residential areas.
CS	General Commercial Services	Austin's workhorse commercial district for retail, services, and restaurants.
CS-1	Commercial - Liquor Sales	CS-equivalent uses with on/off-premise alcohol sales allowed.
Downtown / core 2 districts
CBD	Central Business District	Downtown core; highest-intensity commercial and high-rise district.
DMU	Downtown Mixed Use	Mixed-use development at downtown-adjacent intensity outside the CBD core.

Austin zoning — common questions

What does SF-3 zoning mean in Austin?: SF-3 (Family Residence) is Austin's most common single-family district. Under the 2023–2024 HOME ordinance, SF-3 lots are now eligible for up to three residential units by right, and new subdivided lots can be as small as roughly 1,800 square feet, without any rezoning required.
How do I find the zoning for a property in Austin?: Austin's Development Services Department publishes an interactive zoning map showing the current base district and any overlays or combining districts for a given address. Compatibility standards tied to nearby single-family zoning should be checked separately since they aren't always visible on the base map.
Can I build a duplex or triplex on a single-family lot in Austin?: Yes, in most cases. The HOME initiative allows up to three units by right on most SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3 lots citywide, subject to compatibility standards, parking, and impervious cover limits, without requiring a rezoning to a multifamily district.

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Keep reading

← Texas zoning — who holds the zoning power in Texas, under which enabling statute, and the reforms that override local rules.

Other Texas cities

The zoning reference → — every state, plus city-level district guides like this one.

Austin zoning summaries on this page are provided for information, not legal advice. Confirm every project against the current adopted code for the jurisdiction.