How are front setbacks measured in Sterling Heights?

Differently than most cities: Sterling Heights measures front and street-side setbacks from the centerline of the road, not from your lot line, with the distance depending on the road's classification in the Master Road Plan (Section 3.04.A.6.a).

In the one family districts the schedule is: local street 60 feet from centerline, collector 65, secondary 73, major 100, regional roads 115 or 142, cul-de-sacs 80 to 90 by radius, freeways 40 feet from the right-of-way line, and private roads 30 feet from the easement line (Section 3.04.A.6.a). On a standard 60 foot local right-of-way, 60 feet from centerline works out to 30 feet of yard behind your lot line. If the actual right-of-way is wider than the plan shows, the setback becomes half the right-of-way plus 40 feet on major and regional roads, or plus 30 feet on the rest (Section 3.04.A.6.a).

Every district has its own centerline schedule, and in RM-3, O-3, and C-4 the setback also grows with building height (Section 7.04.C.2; Section 10.04.D; Section 14.04.C). To place a building line precisely you need your road's classification, so confirm it with the Office of Planning at 586-446-2360.