frontage

Frontage is a term used in land surveying, real estate, urban planning and architecture to describe the portion of a property that faces a street, public right of way, or body of water. It can refer to the length of the property line that borders a street (street frontage) or to the visible face of a building facing the street (building frontage).

Frontage is typically measured along the street property line in linear units. It is an important factor in determining access, visibility, and sometimes permitted uses. However, frontage alone does not determine usable building area, because setbacks, lot depth, and easements constrain development.

In real estate and development, longer street frontage is often associated with greater exposure and higher land value, and may influence driveways, signage, and traffic impact. Zoning ordinances may specify minimum frontage to qualify for certain uses or to meet design standards. Some jurisdictions also regulate build-to lines or building setbacks based on frontage.

In urban design, frontage shapes the relationship between the street and private space, affecting street activation, pedestrian comfort, and the scale of the built environment. Building frontage treatment—such as façade design, entrances, display windows—matters for commercial properties.

Other frontages include waterfront or river frontage, which describes the portion of a lot that runs along a body of water and can carry different rights and development constraints. A frontage road is a separate road parallel to a highway that provides access to frontage properties without interrupting highway traffic.