Measure the buildable width
Take the lot width and subtract the side setbacks from your local rules. That is the widest your house can be.
Narrow lot house plans
Narrow Lot House Plans
that grow deep, not wide.
On a narrow lot the house has to fit the frontage, so it grows back into the plot instead. Floorra's gallery has 10 single-storey outlines no wider than 30 ft 4 in, from a 16 ft 6 in cottage to a 74 ft deep shotgun plan. Pick one, add your rooms and check the long run of the house in 2D and 3D. Free to start.
- 10outlines 30 ft wide or less
- 16–30 ftoutline widths
- 74 ftdeepest outline
Narrow homes
What is a narrow lot house plan?
A narrow lot house plan is designed for a plot with little street frontage, often in a city, an infill site or a lake lot. Plan catalogues usually call a design narrow when it is 40 to 50 ft wide or less; after side setbacks, many narrow lots leave room for a house of about 25 to 35 ft.
Because the width is fixed, the house runs deep. Rooms line up front to back, usually with living spaces at one end, bedrooms at the other and a hall or open run joining them. The classic version is the shotgun house, one room wide and several rooms deep.
Floorra's gallery has 10 outlines 30 ft 4 in wide or less: long ones such as a 27 ft 8 in × 74 ft 1 in shotgun, a 28 ft 8 in × 67 ft 4 in bar and a 28 ft 4 in × 71 ft 4 in L, and compact ones from 16 ft 6 in × 36 ft 8 in. All are single-storey.
How to design one
Design a narrow lot house plan in four steps
Start from the width you have, then work back into the plot.
Step 1 Step 2 Pick a narrow outline
Choose one of the 10 outlines that fits. On Plus you can type your exact width and depth or draw the outline yourself.
Step 3 Stack the rooms
Living and kitchen at the front or back, bedrooms at the other end, bathrooms and laundry in the middle where no window is needed.
Step 4 Check the light and the walk
In 3D, check that the middle rooms still get light and the hallway is not a long dark corridor. Download a free PDF.
Narrow layouts
Layouts that work on a narrow lot
Ways to keep a long, thin house bright and easy to use.
Shotgun plan
One room wide, several deep: the simplest and narrowest layout, with doors lined up front to back.
Side-hall plan
A hallway down one side and rooms off it, so every room keeps an outside wall for windows.
L on a narrow lot
A long wing with a short leg at the back, making a private side yard or patio.
Open front, quiet back
Kitchen, dining and living as one open room at the street end, bedrooms at the garden end.
Rear garage
On lots with an alley, put the garage at the back so the front stays living space.
Compact cottage
The 16 ft 6 in and 20 ft outlines suit a one-bedroom home or a backyard unit.
Who it is for
Built for tight frontage
A narrow plan is the way to build a full home where the plot is long but not wide.
- City and infill lots
- Lake and waterfront lots
- Owners building on part of a split lot
- Anyone who wants a long garden behind the house
Good to know
- Setbacks, fire separation between close houses and window rules on side walls are local; check them before choosing a width.
- Floorra plans single-storey homes; many narrow lots are built with two floors, which you would plan with an architect.
- Plans are concepts, not construction drawings.
What counts as a narrow lot house plan?
There is no single rule. Plan catalogues usually list designs 40 to 50 ft wide or less as narrow. Floorra's narrow outlines are 30 ft 4 in wide or less, which fits most lots of 35 to 45 ft after side setbacks.
How narrow can a single-storey house be?
Floorra's narrowest outline is 16 ft 6 in wide. Below about 16 ft a room plus a hallway gets hard to fit, and the International Residential Code asks habitable rooms to be at least 7 ft in any direction.
What is a shotgun house?
A shotgun house is one room wide and several rooms deep, with the rooms lined up front to back. Floorra's gallery includes a 27 ft 8 in × 74 ft 1 in shotgun outline.
Is a narrow lot plan the same as a small house plan?
No. A small house plan is about floor area; a narrow plan is about width. A narrow house can be large if it runs deep, like the 74 ft deep outline here.
Can I enter my exact lot width?
Yes, on Plus: type the width and depth of your house, or draw the outline. The 10 gallery outlines are free.
Can I design my own narrow house plan for free?
Yes. Choosing a gallery outline, adding and customizing rooms, placing them yourself, 3D and the PDF download are free. Plus adds the AI architect and your own drawn or typed shape.
Free to start
Make the most of a narrow lot.
Pick a narrow outline, stack the rooms and check the light in 3D, free to start.