Corner sight triangles across the DC area
What can I put near the corner of a corner lot? The rules differ at every jurisdiction line. Here is the short answer for each.
Disclaimer: This is general information, not legal or professional advice for any one property. Codes change. SetbackIQ is not a zoning determination, a permit, or a survey, and it does not replace an architect, engineer, or lawyer. Confirm with your building and zoning offices before you build, buy, or sign a contract.
| Where | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Washington, DC | DC's zoning code has no corner sight-triangle rule for private yards. At corners, DDOT keeps the sight distance triangle in public space clear: anything other than trees, such as walls, fences, hedges and perennials, should be no more than 3 ft high, and street trees keep their lower branches trimmed to 8 ft. |
| Montgomery County, MD | On a corner lot in a residential zone, nothing over 3 ft above curb level within 15 ft of where the front and side street lines meet. |
| Prince George's County, MD | No fence or wall within the triangle formed by the street lines and points 25 ft from the intersection, or anywhere an agency finds it creates a traffic hazard. |
| Alexandria, VA | On a corner lot, nothing more than 4 ft above curb grade may sit inside the triangle formed by points 30 ft from the intersecting curb lines. Tree trunks are allowed if branches stay above 8 ft. The BAR can waive this in historic districts. |
| Arlington County, VA | On a corner lot in an R or RA district, keep the triangle formed by the street lines and a line joining points 25 ft from the corner clear between 3 ft and 10 ft above the curb. Plantings, fences and retaining walls all count. |
| Fairfax County, VA | On a corner lot, keep a triangle 30 ft along each street line clear between 3.5 ft and 10 ft above street grade. Fences, walls, shrubs and low branches all count. |
Towns and cities inside these counties (for example, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Bowie, Laurel, Herndon, Vienna, and Falls Church) have their own rules.