Zoning › Texas › Webb County › Laredo

Laredo, TX Zoning

10 districts. 5 overlays. 3 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Worth knowing
  • {"id": "q1", "text": "SB 840 exclusion: Laredo city pop ~255k meets the 150k city floor BUT Webb County pop ~272k is below the 300k county threshold. Both prongs required; SB 840 does not apply. Recommend state-preemptions/texas.md correction: remove Laredo from qualifying-city roster."}
  • {"id": "q2", "text": "International border context: Laredo is co-located with Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Three commercial Port of Entry bridges (Juarez-Lincoln, Bridge of the Americas/World Trade, Colombia Solidarity) concentrate binational logistics land use in B-3, B-4, and M-1 zones on approach corridors. Laredo-Colombia Solidarity Bridge and World Trade Bridge handle majority US-Mexico truck freight."}
  • {"id": "q3", "text": "Industrial land concentration: M-1 Light Manufacturing represents the largest single-district footprint (per OpenLaredo GIS), reflecting Laredo's role as the #1 US-Mexico inland port. Warehousing/distribution dominates along I-35 and Mines Road (FM 1472) to Colombia Bridge."}

+ 6 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 3com 3res_mf 2ag 1ind 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
AGAgriculturalag—[4]—[5]—[6]—[7]——[8]—[1] / —[2] / —[3]
R-1Single-Family Residentialres_sf—[12]—[13]—[14]—[15]——[16]—[9] / —[10] / —[11]
R-1ASingle-Family Reduced Areares_sf—[20]—[21]—[22]—[23]——[24]—[17] / —[18] / —[19]
R-1MHSingle-Family Manufactured Housingres_sf—[28]—[29]—[30]—[31]——[32]—[25] / —[26] / —[27]
R-2Multi-Family Residentialres_mf—[36]—[37]—[38]—[39]——[40]—[33] / —[34] / —[35]
R-3Mixed Residentialres_mf—[44]—[45]—[46]—[47]——[48]—[41] / —[42] / —[43]
B-1Limited Businesscom—[52]—[53]—[54]—[55]——[56]—[49] / —[50] / —[51]
B-3Community Businesscom—[60]—[61]—[62]—[63]——[64]—[57] / —[58] / —[59]
B-4Highway Commercialcom—[68]—[69]—[70]—[71]——[72]—[65] / —[66] / —[67]
M-1Light Manufacturingind—[76]—[77]—[78]—[79]——[80]—[73] / —[74] / —[75]

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

DMB
Del Mar Boulevard Overlay Zoning District
COR

Originally proposed for parcels fronting or abutting Del Mar Boulevard corridor (Candlewood-Fenwick stretch) over Residential, Commercial, Office, and Mixed-Use base districts.

CB
Clark Boulevard Overlay
COR

Proposed for parcels fronting or abutting Clark Boulevard corridor; would overlay Residential, Commercial, Office, and Mixed-Use base districts.

H
Historic District Overlay
HP

Parcels within designated historic districts (notably the San Agustin Historic District downtown and Fort McIntosh); applies to underlying Residential, Commercial, Office, and Mixed-Use base districts.

height multiplier-0.15
FAR multiplier-0.1
coverage adjustment (%)-5
setback addition (ft)5
F
Flood Hazard Overlay
FP

Parcels within FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zones A/AE) along Rio Grande tributaries (Chacon Creek, Zacate Creek, Manadas Creek) and the Rio Grande floodplain; applies across all underlying base districts.

height multiplier-0.05
coverage adjustment (%)-10
setback addition (ft)15
AN
Airport Noise Overlay
AP

Parcels within Laredo International Airport (LRD) noise contours / approach surfaces (approximately 65 DNL and inner approaches north and south of runways 17L/35R and 17R/35L); applies to underlying Residential, Commercial, Office, Mixed-Use, and Industrial base districts.

height cap (ft)100
use restrictionnoise-sensitive residential disallowed or conditioned within high-DNL contours

State preemptions

SB 2038 - ETJ Release (2023)applies
Qualifying condition
city has an ETJ under Local Gov't Code ch. 42 | id=TX-SB2038 ; name=SB 2038 - ETJ Release (2023) ; year=2023 ; reason=Laredo maintains an ETJ under Ch. 42; property owners within the ETJ may petition for release. Border ETJ geometry is constrained against the international boundary (Rio Grande) and against Webb County's other incorporated areas.
HB 2127 - 'Death Star' local preemption (2023)applies
Qualifying condition
statewide | id=TX-HB2127 ; name=HB 2127 - 'Death Star' local preemption (2023) ; year=2023 ; reason=Does not preempt Local Gov't Code Ch. 211 zoning authority, but limits local occupational/commercial regulations adjacent to zoning. Enforcement remains subject to pending litigation; track for future narrowing.
HB 3903 - Short-term rental preemption (2023)applies
Qualifying condition
statewide | id=TX-HB3903 ; name=HB 3903 - Short-term rental preemption (2023) ; year=2023 ; reason=Laredo cannot prohibit STRs outright in residential zones; retains registration, life-safety, and noise authority. Border-crossing tourism traffic through Laredo makes STR activity non-trivial along I-35 and downtown.
Non-applicable laws (2)
SB 840 - Multifamily by-right in commercial zonesunder_review
Qualifying condition
city population >=150,000 AND county population >=300,000 (BOTH required) | id=TX-SB840 ; name=SB 840 - Multifamily by-right in commercial zones ; year=2025 ; reason=Laredo city population ~255,473 meets the 150k city floor, but Webb County population ~272,206 is BELOW the 300k county threshold. Both conditions are required; county threshold fails, so SB 840 does not apply. ; note=state-preemptions/texas.md qualifying-city list currently includes Laredo (Webb County); the state file explicitly flags Laredo as a border-case requiring county-pop verification. Recommend state-tracker correction: remove Laredo from the SB 840 qualifying-city roster until Webb County crosses 300k.
SB 15 - Small Lot Deregulation (2025)under_review
Qualifying condition
city in county population >=300,000 (SB 15 small-lot protections are gated to the same qualifying-jurisdiction rule as SB 840) | id=TX-SB15 ; name=SB 15 - Small Lot Deregulation (2025) ; year=2025 ; reason=Webb County ~272,206 < 300k threshold. SB 15's limits on setback/parking/height/bulk regulation of <=4,000 sf lots therefore do not attach in Laredo. Note: some readings of SB 15 treat the <=4,000 sf protection as statewide; if statewide, status becomes 'applies' and would affect any Laredo district permitting a lot below 4,000 sf (LDC base districts generally do not, so practical impact is nil).

Adopted building codes

Home rule; major cities on 2024 IBC

IBC
2021
IRC
2021
NEC
2023
IFC
Local adoption
IECC (Residential)
2015
IECC (Commercial)
2015

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Quirks & notes

  • {"id": "q1", "text": "SB 840 exclusion: Laredo city pop ~255k meets the 150k city floor BUT Webb County pop ~272k is below the 300k county threshold. Both prongs required; SB 840 does not apply. Recommend state-preemptions/texas.md correction: remove Laredo from qualifying-city roster."}
  • {"id": "q2", "text": "International border context: Laredo is co-located with Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Three commercial Port of Entry bridges (Juarez-Lincoln, Bridge of the Americas/World Trade, Colombia Solidarity) concentrate binational logistics land use in B-3, B-4, and M-1 zones on approach corridors. Laredo-Colombia Solidarity Bridge and World Trade Bridge handle majority US-Mexico truck freight."}
  • {"id": "q3", "text": "Industrial land concentration: M-1 Light Manufacturing represents the largest single-district footprint (per OpenLaredo GIS), reflecting Laredo's role as the #1 US-Mexico inland port. Warehousing/distribution dominates along I-35 and Mines Road (FM 1472) to Colombia Bridge."}
  • {"id": "q4", "text": "ReCode Laredo (UDC Draft 6) pending adoption: A comprehensive rewrite of the 30-year-old LDC was circulating Draft 6 in 2024-2025 with target fall 2025 Council consideration; that target slipped and the City of Laredo Planning page now indicates 2026 Council consideration. As of 2026-04-24 adoption remained unconfirmed. If/when adopted, district codes (proposed Draft 6 schema includes RL-1, RL-2, RM, RH-1, RH-2, MX-1, R-1A, R-1B, RSM at sections 24.2.6-24.2.11) and dimensional standards will be substantially restructured. Verify code version before application."}
  • {"id": "q5", "text": "Corridor overlay strategy (2024) FAILED at council: Del Mar Boulevard Overlay was WITHDRAWN at City Council May 2024 after three town halls of intense resident opposition; Councilmember Ruben Gutierrez Jr. moved to do away with it. Clark Boulevard Overlay was TABLED August 2024 by Councilmember Alberto Torres pending further town hall. Neither overlay is in effect as of 2026-04-24. Prior profile incorrectly listed DMB as 'adopted 2024'."}
  • {"id": "q6", "text": "Airport Noise Overlay (AN): Laredo International Airport (LRD) is embedded within the urban fabric north of downtown; AN contours cover large portions of central neighborhoods, making AN overlay interaction non-trivial for central-city MF and MU proposals."}
  • {"id": "q7", "text": "Flood Hazard (F) overlay is extensive: Rio Grande floodplain + Chacon Creek, Zacate Creek, and Manadas Creek tributaries cut through residential and commercial zones; FEMA flood map interaction is a routine constraint for central and east-side sites."}
  • {"id": "q8", "text": "District roster correction: OpenLaredo official ArcGIS zoning service (verified 2026-04-24, GeoJSON) shows nine MAPPED base districts: R-1, R-1A, R-1MH, R-2, R-3, B-1, B-3, B-4, M-1. AG is established by LDC \u00a724.2.5 but rare/absent in current city limits map. Prior speculative R-4/R-5/B-2/M-2/M-3 districts had no LDC basis and were correctly removed; this profile now reflects the actual mapped roster plus AG."}
  • {"id": "q9", "text": "Ordinance 2025-O-004: Council amended LDC minimum lot area requirements for duplex and added definition of 'Vertical Duplex' (per Laredo ordinances index). Indicates active 2025 zoning policy activity outside the stalled ReCode UDC track."}

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure.
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area.
far
Gross floor area / lot area.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft
max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10

Massing explorer

Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.

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Parking
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
https://library.municode.com/tx/laredo/codes/code_of_ordinances
LDC as amended through 2026-Q1; ReCode UDC Draft 6 pending 2026 Council consideration
Citations
  1. [1] §24.2.5
  2. [2] §24.2.5
  3. [3] §24.2.5
  4. [4] §24.2.5
  5. [5] §24.2.5
  6. [6] §24.2.5
  7. [7] §24.2.5
  8. [8] §24.2.5
  9. [9] §24.2
  10. [10] §24.2
  11. [11] §24.2
  12. [12] §24.2
  13. [13] §24.2
  14. [14] §24.2
  15. [15] §24.2
  16. [16] §24.2
  17. [17] §24.2
  18. [18] §24.2
  19. [19] §24.2
  20. [20] §24.2
  21. [21] §24.2
  22. [22] §24.2
  23. [23] §24.2
  24. [24] §24.2
  25. [25] §24.2
  26. [26] §24.2
  27. [27] §24.2
  28. [28] §24.2
  29. [29] §24.2
  30. [30] §24.2
  31. [31] §24.2
  32. [32] §24.2
  33. [33] §24.2
  34. [34] §24.2
  35. [35] §24.2
  36. [36] §24.2
  37. [37] §24.2
  38. [38] §24.2
  39. [39] §24.2
  40. [40] §24.2
  41. [41] §24.2
  42. [42] §24.2
  43. [43] §24.2
  44. [44] §24.2
  45. [45] §24.2
  46. [46] §24.2
  47. [47] §24.2
  48. [48] §24.2
  49. [49] §24.2
  50. [50] §24.2
  51. [51] §24.2
  52. [52] §24.2
  53. [53] §24.2
  54. [54] §24.2
  55. [55] §24.2
  56. [56] §24.2
  57. [57] §24.2
  58. [58] §24.2
  59. [59] §24.2
  60. [60] §24.2
  61. [61] §24.2
  62. [62] §24.2
  63. [63] §24.2
  64. [64] §24.2
  65. [65] §24.2
  66. [66] §24.2
  67. [67] §24.2
  68. [68] §24.2
  69. [69] §24.2
  70. [70] §24.2
  71. [71] §24.2
  72. [72] §24.2
  73. [73] §24.2.20
  74. [74] §24.2.20
  75. [75] §24.2.20
  76. [76] §24.2.20
  77. [77] §24.2.20
  78. [78] §24.2.20
  79. [79] §24.2.20
  80. [80] §24.2.20

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassed
no aggregator citedpassed
confidence tags full formpassed
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed
preempt section city specificpassed

Data quality

18%completeness14 confirmed90 partial
Documented gaps
  • All base-district KPI values (10 districts x 8 KPIs = ~80 partials) remain null pending direct Municode Ch. 24 text retrieval - Municode SPA cannot be scraped via WebFetch and city portal CivicPlus returns 403
  • Article 3 (Sec. 24.3.3 Blocks/Lots/Yards) general dimensional standards text not retrieved
  • Sec. 24.63 Permitted Land Uses Chart not retrieved (cross-reference for use permissions per district)
  • Historic District Overlay, Flood Hazard Overlay, Airport Noise Overlay LDC section anchors not yet pinned to specific Sec. 24-X.Y; cited at chapter level only
  • ReCode Laredo UDC Draft 6 adoption status pending verification; Council consideration deferred to 2026 from prior fall-2025 target
  • Ord. 2025-O-004 (duplex minimum lot area + Vertical Duplex definition) text not retrieved - may shift R-2/R-3 KPIs

Known issues

freshness:volatiledata:gaps-presentkpi:dimensional-standards-pending-municode-text-retrieval

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