Clyde Hill residential zoning
Clyde Hill residential zoning and setbacks
Clyde Hill uses one R-1 residential district, but the side-yard requirement changes with lot area. This makes the parcel's surveyed area, width, legal-lot status, and original grade especially important.
On this page5 sections
Official starting point: Clyde Hill R-1 development standards. Verify the parcel zone, current code, and every applicable footnote before fixing the design.
Clyde Hill R-1 base standards
| Zone | Minimum lot | Front | Rear | Height | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1 Residential | 20,000 sq ft | 30 ft | 35 ft | 25 ft above original grade | 30% structural; 60% impervious |
Side yards by actual lot area
| Lot area | Side-yard rule |
|---|---|
| 15,000 sq ft or more | 15 ft on each side |
| More than 10,000 but under 15,000 sq ft | 10 ft on each side, plus upper-story angle plane |
| 10,000 sq ft or less | 15 ft total, at least 5 ft on either side, plus upper-story angle plane |
Other rules to check
Other rules that can change the answer
These items link to the city rules behind the guide. They are useful starting points, but they do not replace a property-specific review or a search for private covenants and easements.
| Topic | What it means | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| FAR | The R-1 district has no stated base FAR. Structural coverage, impervious coverage, setbacks, height, and lot geometry control the initial envelope. | CHMC 17.16 ↗ |
| Setbacks | Front 30 ft and rear 35 ft. Side yards are 15 ft each at 15,000 sq ft or more; 10 ft each above 10,000 and below 15,000; and 15 ft combined with a 5-ft minimum at 10,000 sq ft or less. Smaller lots also have an upper-story angle plane. | CHMC 17.16.040–.060 ↗ |
| Lot coverage | Maximum structural coverage is 30%. It is a footprint control, not a total-floor-area limit. | CHMC 17.16.080 ↗ |
| Impervious surface | Maximum impervious coverage is 60%, subject to a surveyed site and drainage calculation. | CHMC 17.16.080 ↗ |
| Height | Maximum height is 25 ft above original grade at every point of the building, with limited exceptions. | CHMC 17.16.020 ↗ |
| Trees | The reviewed R-1 code does not state a citywide development tree-retention percentage. Chapter 17.38 instead governs certain private-tree view and sunlight disputes. | CHMC Chapter 17.38 ↗ |
| Existing private views | Chapter 17.38 applies when growth of a private tree unreasonably obstructs a qualifying existing view or sunlight. It does not create a right to a totally unobstructed view and is not a veto over a code-compliant building. | CHMC Chapter 17.38 ↗ |
| Wetlands, slopes, and critical areas | Clyde Hill's 30 percent structural-coverage number is only a base zoning screen. Critical areas and buffers can prevent construction in part of a lot, and the current code also restricts middle housing and ADUs on or within mapped critical-area conditions. Use the City's current critical-area information and a field-based wetland or geotechnical review before relying on the R-1 setback or coverage diagram. County mapping is preliminary, and the actual feature, buffer, and safe building area must be confirmed for the property. | Clyde Hill R-1 code ↗ |
Property-specific checks
What can change the table
- The code also lists 100 feet of minimum frontage and 100 feet of minimum lot depth for a standard R-1 lot.
- Clyde Hill does not use FAR in the base R-1 table, so there is no garage-in-FAR adjustment. The garage still occupies structural and impervious coverage.
- Original grade matters for the 25-foot height limit. Preserve survey evidence before demolition or grading.
- A nonconforming lot, accessory structure, private covenant, street condition, or tree issue can require separate analysis.
How to use this guide
How to use the zoning table for a real property
- 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