Killeen | Three or More Homes
Killeen Triplexes, Fourplexes and Apartments: R-3F, R-3A, Townhouses and SB 840
Killeen has three districts built for three or more homes on a lot or in a row: R-3F for buildings of three or four homes, R-3A for apartments, and RT-1 for townhouses. Since September 1, 2025, its business districts also list multifamily homes, the City's answer to the 2025 state law SB 840. This page gives the rules for each, the parking each needs, and where the City text and the state law differ. The Killeen overview gives the short version.
Killeen three-plus homes in six facts
- R-3F allows multifamily structures of three or four homes on a lot of at least 10,000 square feet and 70 feet wide, up to 35 feet tall. Source: Killeen Code, Secs. 31-255.1 to 31-255.3
- R-3A allows apartment complexes on at least half an acre, with 2,500 square feet of land per home on larger sites. Source: Killeen Code, Secs. 31-256.1, 31-256.3
- A rezoning to R-3F or R-3A of more than 5 acres needs a planned unit development. Source: Killeen Code, Sec. 31-256.9
- Since September 1, 2025, B-1 allows multifamily residential of at least three homes per building, except within 1,000 feet of heavy industry or 3,000 feet of an airport or military base. Source: Killeen Code, Sec. 31-276; Ord. No. 25-046
- The parking schedule requires 4 to 8 spaces for a triplex and 8 or 10 for a fourplex, by bedroom count, and 1-2/3 spaces per apartment. Source: Killeen Code, Sec. 31-489
- SB 840 bars a covered city from requiring more than one parking space per home in a multifamily project on commercial land. Source: Local Government Code 218.102
The Three Districts Side by Side
| Rule | R-3F | R-3A | RT-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes allowed | Buildings of 3 or 4 homes, plus houses and duplexes | Apartment complexes (5 or more homes on one lot), plus houses and duplexes | Townhouses in groups of 3 to 5 |
| Lot | 10,000 sq ft, 70 ft wide, 100 ft deep on average | Half an acre, 80 ft wide; 2,500 sq ft of land per home above that | 2,500 sq ft and 24 ft wide for each townhouse |
| Front yard | 25 ft, no parking or storage | Same as R-3F | 15 ft; front garage 20 ft from the property line |
| Side yard | 7.5 ft; 15 ft beside a street | Same as R-3F | 15 ft at the edge of the subdivision and beside a street |
| Rear yard | 20 ft; 25 ft next to A-R1, R-1, SF-2, RM-1, RT-1 or R-2 | 25 ft | 20 ft |
| Height | 35 ft | 35 ft, more if each setback grows 1 ft for every 2 ft above 35 | At least two stories, at most 35 ft |
| Code | Secs. 31-255.1 to 31-255.7 | Secs. 31-256.1 to 31-256.9 | Secs. 31-216 to 31-221 |
Source: Killeen Code of Ordinances, Chapter 31, Article IV, Divisions 6, 8A and 8B, Supplement 38 Update 1.
R-3F: Three or Four Homes
Sec. 31-121 names R-3F the "Multifamily (3 or 4 dwelling unit) residential district." Sec. 31-255.1 allows "All uses allowed in section 31-231," which covers houses and duplexes, plus "Multifamily structures containing three (3) or four (4) separate dwelling units," religious and charitable institutions, and accessory buildings. A triplex or a fourplex is one building on one lot here.
No R-3F building may exceed 35 feet. The front yard is 25 feet deep with no parking or storage in it. Side yards are 7.5 feet, or 15 feet where the building sides on a street, and the rear yard is 20 feet, or 25 feet when the lot abuts A-R1, R-1, SF-2, RM-1, RT-1 or R-2 land. Parking and turning areas may use the required side and rear yards (Sec. 31-255.6), but "Contiguous parking lots shall not allow for uninterrupted vehicular movement," a rule the code says prevents a "raceway effect."
Sec. 31-255.4 adds design rules. The same front elevation may not repeat within a group of five lots, and each elevation needs at least three of five variations: color and materials, wall projections or recesses, canopies that stick out at least 4 feet, windows and doors of different size or shape, or changes in rooflines. Windows need trim or a recess.
R-3A: Apartments
Sec. 31-256.1 allows any R-1 or R-2 use, "Apartment complexes," boarding and lodging houses, dormitories, emergency shelters, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing. The lot must be at least half an acre and 80 feet wide, and "For developments larger than one-half (½) acre the minimum land area per dwelling unit shall not be less than two thousand five hundred (2500) square feet." By VanPlex arithmetic, that allows 17 homes on one acre of 43,560 square feet.
Height is 35 feet, with more allowed by adding one foot to every setback for each two feet above 35 (Sec. 31-256.2). Front and side yards match R-3F, and the rear yard is 25 feet. The design rules match R-3F.
Planned unit development over 5 acres. Sec. 31-256.9 requires a planned unit development, a rezoning with its own negotiated rules, "for any request for an R-3F and/or R-3A district when the total acreage of the request is greater than five (5) acres." Land already zoned multifamily or two-family next to the request counts toward the 5 acres "regardless of ownership, property lines, easements or rights-of-way." The applicant pays for infrastructure beyond the City minimum, such as larger water, sewer and drainage lines.
The inactive R-3 district. R-3 land rezoned before February 9, 2010 keeps its uses, including "Multifamily dwellings," but no new R-3 zoning is accepted. R-3 limits buildings to 40 percent of the lot and requires at least "1-1 /3 parking spaces" for each dwelling lot (Secs. 31-248 and 31-249).
Garden apartment projects. Under Sec. 31-457, an owner of R-3, R-3F or R-3A land may submit a plan for the whole tract to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. If the Council approves it, "variations in yard requirements and in the number of main buildings per lot may be permitted," so several buildings can share one lot.
The City has moved land into these districts on its own motion. Council records show City-initiated rezonings to R-3A from B-5 (Case Z25-07, passed May 6, 2025), from R-1 (Case Z25-12, passed June 17, 2025) and from M-1 (Case Z25-18, passed November 18, 2025).
RT-1: Townhouses
Sec. 31-217 defines a townhouse as "one (1) single-family dwelling unit within a group of three or more dwelling units" that runs from foundation to roof, with open space on at least two sides. A townhouse group is "three to five townhouses," with no home stacked over another and a firewall between units. Under Sec. 31-220, each townhouse sits on "an individually platted lot," a group may not exceed 200 feet in length, groups stand at least 15 feet apart, and each lot has a private yard of at least 400 square feet with a wall or solid fence at least 6 feet tall on side lines next to it. Carports are not allowed in the front yard.
Parking in RT-1 is two spaces per townhouse in the garage, carport or driveway, plus visitor parking of "one-half (0.50) space per unit" in a rear surface lot reached by an auto court or private drive (Sec. 31-221). Front driveways may take up no more than half the lot width. Sec. 31-488(3) lets one of the required spaces sit within 100 feet of the lot.
Parking for Three or More Homes
| Use | Spaces required |
|---|---|
| Three-plex, 1 bedroom per home | 4 per building |
| Three-plex, 2 bedrooms per home | 6 per building |
| Three-plex, 3 or 4 bedrooms per home | 8 per building |
| Four-plex, 1 or 2 bedrooms per home | 8 per building |
| Four-plex, 3 or 4 bedrooms per home | 10 per building |
| Apartment | 1-2/3 per home |
| Townhouse or rowhouse | 2 per home |
Source: Killeen Code of Ordinances, Sec. 31-489, Supplement 38 Update 1.
Sec. 31-487(b) rounds fractional spaces "to the nearest whole space." By VanPlex arithmetic, 12 apartments at 1-2/3 spaces each need 20 spaces. The parking, setbacks and height page has the space sizes and the North Killeen parking relief.
Design, Screening and the Site Development Permit
Article VI, Division 2 applies to "all new multi-family residential developments, including but not limited to three-family, four-family, and apartment developments." Sec. 31-907 requires side and rear walls seen from a road to match the front, a parapet of at least 36 inches on roofs flatter than 3 in 12, one common design for all buildings on the site, dumpsters screened on all sides by a wall or fence at least 6 feet tall, screened mechanical equipment, and stairs built into the design. Sec. 31-908 requires that no exterior wall run "greater than thirty (30) feet in length" without an offset at least 36 inches deep, that at least half the homes have a balcony of 50 square feet or more, and that windows use awnings, shutters or similar features.
Where R-3F or R-3A land abuts land zoned for houses or duplexes, the owner must build and keep up a screening device along the shared line (Secs. 31-255.7 and 31-256.8). Sec. 31-280 makes it 8 feet tall, with the finished side facing out, built before the certificate of occupancy.
Ordinance No. 25-056, passed September 16, 2025, added Article VIII. "Prior to any development other than single-family and two-family," an applicant needs a site development permit, which is the City's review of the full site plan: building placement, parking, access, utilities, drainage, landscaping and fire protection. The Executive Director of Development Services approves or denies it in writing before a building permit is filed. A permit expires after 24 months unless a building permit is approved, with one written extension of 24 months possible. The FY 2027 fees are $1,000 for up to 1 acre, $1,500 for over 1 to 5 acres and $2,500 above 5 acres, plus the $10 tech fee.
Homes on Business Land: SB 840 in Killeen
SB 840 added chapter 218 to the Local Government Code. It applies to a city of more than 150,000 people in a county of more than 300,000, which Killeen and Bell County meet on 2020 Census counts. Section 218.101 requires such a city to allow multifamily and mixed-use homes in any classification that allows "office, commercial, retail, warehouse, or mixed-use use," without a rezoning or special permit. It does not apply to a classification that allows heavy industrial use, to land within 1,000 feet of an existing heavy industrial site or "3,000 feet of an airport or military base," or to a clear zone or accident potential zone a city has designated.
Ordinance No. 25-046 answered it. The B-1 use list in Sec. 31-276 now includes "Multifamily residential, provided that such development provides for at least three (3) dwelling units per building" and vertical mixed-use residential, both outside the 1,000-foot and 3,000-foot areas. B-2 includes all B-1 uses, and each district up to B-5 includes the one before it; NBD and UD build on B-3 and B-2, and B-C-1 on B-5. The CD cemetery district lists the same two items in Sec. 31-449. M-1 allows B-5 uses "excluding those uses described in section 31-276 (1)(f) and (g)," and the historic overlay excludes multifamily residential while allowing vertical mixed use with no homes on the first floor (Sec. 31-394).
| Item | SB 840 (chapter 218) | Killeen code |
|---|---|---|
| Where homes go | Any classification that allows office, commercial, retail, warehouse or mixed use, except one that allows heavy industrial use (218.101) | B-1 to B-5, NBD, B-C-1, UD and CD carry the multifamily item; M-1 excludes it; HOD bars multifamily and allows vertical mixed use |
| Distance limits | Not within 1,000 ft of heavy industry or 3,000 ft of an airport or military base, or in a clear zone or accident potential zone (218.101(c)) | Same 1,000 ft and 3,000 ft limits written into Secs. 31-276 and 31-449 |
| Building shape | Multifamily is three or more homes "within one or more buildings"; mixed use needs homes on at least 65 percent of the floor area (218.001) | At least three homes per building; mixed use must be "vertical," homes and business in the same building |
| Parking | No more than one space per home (218.102(a)(2)) | Sec. 31-489 schedule: 1-2/3 per apartment, 4 to 10 per triplex or fourplex |
| Height | At least the commercial height on the site or 45 ft, whichever is greater (218.102(a)(1)(B)) | B-1 to B-5 height "as required by the Standard Building Code"; UD 45 ft; HOD 36 ft |
| Setback | No more than the commercial setback or 25 ft, whichever is less (218.102(a)(1)(C)) | B-1 front yard 25 ft |
Source: Local Government Code 218.001, 218.101 and 218.102, and Killeen Code of Ordinances Secs. 31-276, 31-394, 31-416, 31-442, 31-449 and 31-489.
Where the City text is stricter than chapter 218 on a site the chapter covers, the state law controls. The points to raise with the City Attorney:
- Parking. The Sec. 31-489 schedule asks for more than one space per home, and Section 218.102(a)(2) bars "more than one parking space per dwelling unit."
- Where the item sits in B-1. Ordinance No. 25-046 placed multifamily under the heading "Uses customarily incidental to the primary use," which Sec. 31-276(2) limits to 15 percent of a professional building's floor area for one use. The ordinance title says it provides "for multi-family and mixed uses in business districts," so ask the City to confirm a multifamily building stands as a main use.
- Per building and vertical. The City asks for three homes per building and vertical mixed use. Chapter 218 counts three homes "within one or more buildings" and sets a 65 percent floor area share for mixed use.
- B-2 size cap. Sec. 31-291 limits every B-2 building to "less than five thousand (5,000) square feet in leasable area."
- Historic overlay. The HOD bars multifamily residential and caps new buildings at 36 feet unless the heritage preservation board approves more. Section 218.003(4)(C) keeps a city's power to apply historic preservation rules "that are generally applicable to other developments."
Killeen staff estimated in July 2025 that SB 840 would affect 9 percent of the land area of Killeen, 5 square miles. That is the staff estimate, from presentation DS-25-041. For the 3,000-foot limits near Fort Cavazos and the City's two airports, see the airport, military and noise page.
Best For
- ✓ An R-3F lot of 10,000 sq ft or more for a triplex or fourplex with parking in the side and rear yards.
- ✓ An R-3A site of half an acre or more, at 2,500 sq ft of land per home.
- ✓ A business-zoned site more than 3,000 feet from Fort Cavazos and both airports, for a building of three or more homes.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ An R-3F or R-3A rezoning tops 5 acres and the schedule leaves out a planned unit development.
- ✕ The parking count follows Sec. 31-489 on an SB 840 site without asking whether the state cap applies.
- ✕ The site is in M-1 or M-2, or within 1,000 feet of heavy industry.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The distance from the site to Fort Cavazos, Killeen Regional Airport and Skylark Field.
- → How the City reads the B-1 multifamily item and the parking figure for your site.
- → The site development permit fee band and the screening needed along neighboring lots.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the Killeen overview, SB 840 commercial to residential, and building codes from duplex to fourplex.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a fourplex in Killeen?
What is the difference between R-3F and R-3A in Killeen?
Can I build apartments on commercial land in Killeen?
How many parking spaces do Killeen apartments need?
Does Killeen require a planned unit development for apartments?
What design rules apply to apartments in Killeen?
Do Killeen townhouses need two stories?
Do I need a site development permit for a fourplex in Killeen?
Must apartments in Killeen be screened from houses next door?
How much of Killeen did SB 840 open to apartments?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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