Zoning Report

San Antonio, TX Zoning

San Antonio regulates land use through a citywide Unified Development Code (UDC) administered by the Development Services Department. Based on the sources provided, the city uses a combination of base zoning districts, overlay districts, platting and permit review, and quasi-judicial relief through the Board of Adjustment. The source set confirms that zoning, land development, and permitting are centralized through the City’s Development Services system, but the research package only contains partial district and use detail rather than the full UDC use and dimensional tables.

Last researched May 2026

Unified Development Code (UDC)small-lot residential districtsR-3 / R-2 / R-1 districtssubdivision approvalsBoard of Adjustment variancesnonconforming use registrationshort-term rental permitsRiver Improvement Overlay Districts (RIO)viewshed overlayshistoric/design review

Zoning Districts in San Antonio, TX

R-3 Single-Family Residential

A small-lot residential district intended for specialized housing markets such as affordable housing, starter homes, and empty nester homes in areas with public facilities and services.

Allowed uses: single-family attached dwellings, single-family detached dwellings, townhouses, zero-lot line houses (cottages and garden homes)

R-2 Single-Family Residential

A small-lot residential single-family district in the same family as R-3 and R-1, intended to expand housing options for smaller-format residential development.

Allowed uses: single-family attached dwellings, single-family detached dwellings, townhouses, zero-lot line houses (cottages and garden homes)

R-1 Single-Family Residential

A small-lot residential single-family district intended to provide additional housing choices in serviced areas, similar in concept to R-2 and R-3.

Allowed uses: single-family attached dwellings, single-family detached dwellings, townhouses, zero-lot line houses (cottages and garden homes)

RM-4 / RM-5 / RM-6 Multifamily Districts

Residential multifamily districts referenced in the supplied ordinance excerpt as districts where a limited number of smaller R-3, R-2, and R-1 sized lots may be developed by right within a larger development.

Allowed uses: multifamily-style development context implied, limited number of R-3, R-2, and R-1 sized lots by right within qualifying developments

NC Neighborhood Commercial

Neighborhood-scale commercial district referenced in the mixed-use provisions of the supplied residential ordinance excerpt.

Allowed uses: NC land use within mixed-use development

C-1 Light Commercial

A light commercial district referenced in the mixed-use provisions of the supplied residential ordinance excerpt.

Allowed uses: C-1 land use within mixed-use development

Recent Zoning Changes

The current online UDC was updated March 24, 2026 and codified through Ordinance 2025--09-04-0580, effective September 4, 2025. The Municode site also lists at least one adopted but not yet codified ordinance from April 16, 2026 concerning detention facilities. The provided materials also include an older 2018 proposed ordinance for R-3, R-2, and R-1 districts, but that document should be treated cautiously because it is labeled proposed/updated rather than clearly shown as currently codified law.

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Deal-fit, approval path & risk flags for San Antonio, TX

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This summary is AI-generated from public municipal sources and is not legal, engineering, or land-use advice. Always verify zoning with San Antonio, TX officials before making decisions.