How to use this planner

1. Pick a preset that matches your lot, or enter your own width and depth in feet.
2. Enter the setback numbers your city requires for front, rear, and side yards. If you are not sure, call your local planning desk and ask for the residential zoning setbacks.
3. Add any easements you know about. These are strips of land where you cannot build, often for drainage, utilities, or neighbor access.
4. Place a shed, deck, ADU, or fence on the sketch. The results panel will tell you if it fits inside the buildable zone and whether it overlaps an easement.
5. Save your lot to your browser, share a link with a contractor, or export a PNG to attach to a permit pre-application note.

This planner works best with approximate measurements. A laser tape or measuring wheel is enough. You do not need a survey for early planning.

Common mistakes

• Assuming all sides have the same setback. Many cities require a larger front or street-side yard.
• Forgetting corner lots often have two front setbacks, one for each street.
• Placing a shed in a side yard without checking the side-yard minimum. A 3-foot side yard is common, but some zones allow zero for fences only.
• Ignoring drainage easements shown on the plat map. Building over one can force removal at your cost.
• Measuring from the house wall instead of the property line. Setbacks are measured from the legal line, not from your porch.

Scenario: Backyard shed on a 60×100 lot

You want to place an 8×10 shed in the back yard. Your city requires a 20-foot front setback, 20-foot rear setback, and 5-foot side setbacks. You enter 60×100 for the lot, 20/20/5/5 for setbacks, and place the shed at X=10, Y=10 from the front.

The sketch shows a buildable zone of 50 feet wide by 60 feet deep. Your shed fits easily. But then you add a 4-foot drainage easement along the rear. The shed now overlaps the easement, and the results panel flags it as blocked. You slide the shed forward by 6 feet and it clears.

That small move, made on paper, saves you from a failed inspection or a tear-down order later.

Scenario: Corner lot with two front yards

Corner lots often have two street-facing sides. Each may need a front-yard setback, not just one. If your lot is 70×110 and the city requires 15 feet on the street side and 10 feet on the other front, enter 15 for the front setback and 10 for one side setback. The buildable zone shrinks accordingly.

Use the side-yard setback field for the second street front. The sketch will show you how much yard you actually have left for a deck or an ADU.

What this planner does not do

• It does not replace a survey or a legal site plan.
• It does not check height limits, floor-area ratios, or total lot coverage.
• It does not read your local zoning code for you.
• It does not guarantee permit approval.

Use it to catch obvious conflicts early. Then confirm with your building department or a licensed professional before you start.

Typical setback ranges

These are common ranges only. Your city may differ. Always verify with local code.

Tips for accurate measurements

• Use a laser tape or measuring wheel for the lot edges. A 50-foot tape works but can sag.
• Measure from fence to fence or from the neighbor's fence to yours, then confirm with your plat map if you have one.
• If you do not have a plat, look at your county assessor's online map. Many show approximate lot dimensions.
• Mark the corners with stakes or chalk before you draw. A wrong corner can shift the whole sketch.
• Write down the date and the source of your numbers. If you share the plan with a contractor, they will ask.

Why this exists

Most people guess where a shed or deck can go. They eyeball a spot, call a contractor, and only then learn about a setback or an easement that blocks the project. By then they have already spent money on materials or a deposit.

YardSetback moves that check earlier. It gives you a quick, to-scale sketch that shows the buildable zone before you commit. It is not a legal document, but it is a much better starting point than a napkin drawing.

Last updated 2026. Version 1.0. Assumptions and limitations are listed above. Always confirm with your local building department.