# Setback (建筑退界)

> The setback is the distance from the street boundary line (between road land and the plot) to the building line (which the house may not cross). It creates a front yard, keeps the street open and protects pedestrians.

- Vietnamese: Khoảng lùi
- English: Setback
- Chinese: 建筑退界
- Chinese characters: 建筑退界
- Also called: Khoảng lùi · Building setback

## Explanation

The required setback depends on the street's width, the building's height and the area's zoning. Many old streets allow building right up to the boundary, while new urban areas usually require a setback.

In feng shui, the front setback is the home's inner bright hall.

## How Home Check uses it

When designing, Home Check applies the required front setback and gives priority to a front yard; the assistant can explain which rule applies. — [House design](https://myhomecheck.ai/design)

## Related terms

- [Building coverage ratio](https://myhomecheck.ai/learn/glossary/building-coverage-ratio): Building coverage ratio is the percentage of a plot covered by the building's footprint.
- [Bright hall](https://myhomecheck.ai/learn/glossary/bright-hall): The bright hall is the open space in front of a house where energy gathers before entering the main door.

## Questions

### Can a balcony project beyond the setback?

Some projections such as balconies and canopies may cross the building line within limits set by height and street width; check the rules where you build.

### Does the setback matter for feng shui?

Yes. The front yard it creates is the inner bright hall, where energy gathers before the main door.

---  
Original page: https://myhomecheck.ai/learn/glossary/setback  
Other languages: [Tiếng Việt](https://myhomecheck.ai/vi/tri-thuc/thuat-ngu/khoang-lui/index.md) · [中文](https://myhomecheck.ai/zh/learn/glossary/setback/index.md)  
Updated: 2026-10-21