Bothell residential zoning

Bothell residential zoning and setbacks by zone

Bothell adopted a new residential zoning system in 2025. Use the current R-C, R-L, or R-M map designation instead of an older zone shown in a prior permit, listing, or saved report.

Reviewed against official Bothell sources in August 2026

Bothell residential base-zone table

Zone	Height	Front	Rear	Side	Coverage
RC / Residential Conservation (R-C)	35 ft	15 ft	35 ft	5 ft	35% building; 35% hard surface
RL1 / Residential Low 1 (R-L1)	35 ft	15 ft	15 ft	5 ft	45% building; 55% hard surface
RL2 / Residential Low 2 (R-L2)	35 ft	15 ft	15 ft	5 ft	45% building; 60% hard surface
RM1 / Residential Medium 1 (R-M1)	35 ft	10 ft	10 ft	5 ft	50% building; 70% hard surface
RM2 / Residential Medium 2 (R-M2)	35 ft	10 ft	10 ft	5 ft	55% building; 75% hard surface
RM3 / Residential Medium 3 (R-M3)	45 ft	10 ft	10 ft	5 ft	70% building; 80% hard surface
RM4 / Residential Medium 4 (R-M4)	55 ft	10 ft	10 ft	5 ft	80% building; 90% hard surface

Parcel-specific checks

What can change the table

A garage facing a street generally needs a 20-foot setback. Alley-loaded garages and other configurations have separate rules.
The R-M zones allow progressively greater scale. A specific housing type may trigger additional design, parking, landscaping, or frontage standards.
Critical areas, shorelines, subdivisions, recorded conditions, access easements, and overlays can reduce the base envelope.
An older Bothell zoning code or former district name should be translated to the current map before use.

How to use this guide

Turn a zone row into a useful screen

1
Find the parcel on the city's current zoning map and copy the complete zone name.
2
Read the full row, table footnotes, and definitions. Do not use only the front setback.
3
Check corner-lot yards, access easements, critical areas, shorelines, trees, overlays, and recorded restrictions.
4
Use a boundary and topographic survey to place the setbacks against the actual lot.
5
Have the city or project team confirm any uncertainty before the design is fixed.

Official resources

Bothell sources

Bothell residential dimensional standards ↗Official residential zone table and current dimensional rules.Bothell Permit Center ↗Current permit guidance, maps, and staff contact.Bothell maps and GIS ↗Find the mapped zone and other property layers.