How do I tell if a house plan fits my lot?
Add the setbacks to the plan's footprint. Every plan page here does it for you with typical numbers: the plan's width plus 5 ft on each side, and its depth plus 25 ft in front and 20 ft behind, with another 20 ft on the garage side when the garage is side entry. Those are typical suburban numbers, not your city's rule. Setbacks, easements and deed restrictions vary by city, subdivision and county. Check yours before you buy.
The math, on a real plan
A plan's width and depth are the outside of the house. The lot has to be wider and deeper by the setbacks, the strips along each lot line where you may not build.
The Magnolia (BRX-1650) is 40 ft wide by 58 ft deep. It fits a lot about 50 ft wide by 103 ft deep (0.12 acres, 5,150 sq ft) with typical setbacks of 5 ft each side, 25 ft front and 20 ft rear. Setbacks, easements and deed restrictions vary by city, subdivision and county. Check yours before you buy.
Each plan page draws that lot to scale with the setback lines dashed inside it and the footprint placed at the front and side setbacks, so you can see how much room is left behind the house.
Side entry garages need more width
A garage whose doors face the side yard needs room to back out and turn. The lot fit adds 20 ft on the garage side for it, on top of that side's setback. A front entry garage adds nothing to the width.
If a plan offers the garage entry as an alteration, changing it changes the lot it needs. The plan page shows the width for the plan as drawn.
What the typical numbers leave out
Your city, county or subdivision may set wider or narrower setbacks than the typical ones. In Houston, for example, plats lay out building setback lines and easements, and the site plan reviewed with the building permit has to show the building lines and setbacks. [1]
Deed restrictions are recorded agreements that limit what may be done on property in a subdivision, and they bind every owner there. [2]
Get the recorded plat and the deed restrictions for your lot (deed restrictions are in the county's real property records, and the county clerk can give you a copy [2]), and compare them with the lot fit on the plan page before you buy.
Using the filter
On the plans page, put your lot's width in feet under Lot. The list keeps only the plans whose lot fit width is that or less, using the same setbacks as every plan page. The filter is part of the address, so the link you land on is a list you can share.
The Builder friendly badge uses the same math for its lot rule, and plans that need a narrow lot say so in their builder facts.
Short answers
- Is the lot fit on a plan page a guarantee?
- No. It uses typical setbacks of 5 ft each side, 25 ft front and 20 ft rear. Setbacks, easements and deed restrictions vary by city, subdivision and county. Check yours before you buy.
- Does the lot fit change for a side entry garage?
- Yes. It adds 20 ft on the garage side so a car can back out and turn into the garage.
Sources
- Land Regulations, City of Houston Planning and Development Department. Accessed October 2026.
- About Deed Restrictions, City of Houston Planning and Development Department. Accessed October 2026.
First published October 10, 2026 · Updated October 13, 2026 · Build This Plan