Before you buy a lot / Eastside, WA
How big a home can you build? Compare Eastside city rules
Two equally sized lots can support very different homes. Start with the size and shape of the house you want, then compare the rules that could stop it from fitting.
Compare the rules in the right order.
1. Where can it sit?
Setbacks, protected trees, slopes and easements define the usable shape. A wide single-story house needs more footprint than a compact two-story home.
2. How much can you enclose?
FAR or gross floor area limits count space across floors. Garages, basements, covered spaces and tall rooms may count differently by city.
3. What else needs room?
Driveways, patios, drainage, landscaping and access share the lot. Passing a building-coverage test does not mean the whole site works.
Start with the glossary for FAR, lot coverage, impervious surface and other terms →
Compare critical area buffers and their effect on usable land →
Height and setbacks across 14 cities
These are named residential examples for a principal custom home. They are not citywide maxima or ADU, middle-housing, shoreline or critical-area standards. All yard dimensions are in feet. A mailing address is not proof of municipal jurisdiction.
| City and example | Height | Setbacks |
|---|---|---|
| BellevueSR-2 (formerly R-3.5), one house | 30 ft flat roof; 35 ft pitched roof | 20 ft front; 25 ft rear; sides 5 ft minimum each and 15 ft combined |
| KirklandRS 8.5 and RSX 8.5, one house | RS: 25 ft; RSX: 30 ft above average building elevation | 20 ft front; 10 ft rear; sides 5 ft minimum. RS also requires 15 ft combined |
| Clyde HillR-1, lot at least 15,000 sq ft | 25 ft above original grade | 30 ft front; 35 ft rear; 15 ft each side |
| MedinaR-16, illustrative 16,000 sq ft lot | 25 ft original / 28 ft finished grade; lower applicable cap controls | 30 ft front/rear; 15 ft lower side; 20 ft upper side |
| Mercer IslandR-9.6, ordinary residential baseline | 30 ft base; grade method matters | 20 ft front; 25 ft rear; sides depend on width and facade height |
| RedmondNeighborhood Residential (NR), one dwelling | 38 ft base | 10 ft front; 5 ft rear; 3 ft interior side; 10 ft street side |
| BothellR-L1, no alley | 35 ft | 15 ft front/rear; 5 ft sides; parking structures need 20 ft from streets/access tracts |
| Beaux Arts VillageResidential district | 30 ft above existing grade | 20 ft front; 25 ft rear; 10 ft sides |
| Hunts PointR-20, nonwaterfront principal home | 26 ft original-grade reference / 32 ft finished grade; both apply | 40 ft front; 35 ft rear; 10 ft sides, before height-plane adjustments |
| IssaquahSF-S baseline | 30 ft | 20 ft front; 10 ft rear; 8 ft sides |
| NewcastleR-4 baseline | 30 ft | 10 ft front; 20 ft rear; 5 ft sides |
| SammamishR-4, building over 4,000 sq ft | 35 ft | 25 ft front/rear; 10 ft sides for this building-size tier |
| Yarrow PointR-12 or R-15, ordinary interior parcel | 25 ft original / 31 ft finished grade; both apply | 25 ft street/private lane; 10 ft ordinary private-property lines |
| WoodinvilleR-4, lot 5,000 through 43,559 sq ft | 35 ft | 10 ft street; 5 ft interior; street-facing garage generally needs 20 ft driveway |
Floor area, coverage and surface limits
Read across each row. The limits operate together. “No base FAR” means the cited residential table does not impose that ratio. It does not mean unlimited floor area. “Confirm” means we have not supplied a universal numerical allowance.
| City | FAR / total floor area | Building or lot coverage | Impervious / other surfaces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue | 0.50 on first 10,000 sq ft; 0.30 on additional lot area | 35% structures | 45% impervious; 75% hard surface |
| Kirkland | 0.50 base FAR | 50% lot coverage, including qualifying hard surfaces | Do not treat 50% as building footprint plus a separate paving allowance |
| Clyde Hill | No general R-1 FAR stated | 30% structural | 60% impervious |
| Medina | No base residential FAR stated | 25% structural for this example | 55% impervious for this example |
| Mercer Island | Lesser of 40% of net lot area or 8,000 sq ft | 40%, 35%, 30% or 20%, depending on average lot slope | Separate 9% hardscape allowance; unused coverage may transfer under code |
| Redmond | No base FAR, but 4,500 sq ft total GFA cap for one dwelling | 50% buildings for one dwelling | 70% impervious |
| Bothell | No base FAR in residential table | No separate building percentage in base table | 55% hard surface |
| Beaux Arts Village | 0.35 GFAR; 7,000 sq ft maximum structure-area cap | 30% structures | 50% total lot coverage |
| Hunts Point | Greater of 5,200 sq ft or 25% of lot area | No universal building ratio used here | Confirm site-development and drainage limits |
| Issaquah | No base detached-home FAR in this table | No separate building percentage in base table | 40% impervious |
| Newcastle | No base R-4 FAR in table | 35% buildings | 40% impervious; 45% hard surface |
| Sammamish | 0.50 single-family FAR | No separate house-footprint ratio in base table | 40% hardscape |
| Yarrow Point | No base residential FAR applied | 30% structure area | 60% impervious |
| Woodinville | No general base residential FAR | 35% buildings for this lot-size tier | Landscaping and drainage rules apply separately |
A 20,000 sq ft lot does not give you the same floor-area budget.
Illustration only: one dwelling, the stated zones, and 20,000 sq ft of eligible lot area. For Mercer Island, that means net lot area. These are counted floor-area limits before testing the footprint, roof, trees or site constraints. They are not promised living area.
10,000 × 0.50 + 10,000 × 0.30.
20,000 × 0.50 base FAR.
20,000 × 0.40, subject to the 8,000 sq ft zone cap.
One-dwelling total GFA cap. Below-grade space counts.
For a 6,000 sq ft dream home, define whether that includes the garage and basement first. Ask an architect to translate your living-space goal into each city's counted area. A higher number in this example does not establish a better lot.
Important qualifications and city guides
Use these details to narrow your search, then open the full guide for every district and its footnotes.
Bellevue
FAR counts the enclosed garage. Coverage, impervious and hard surface are separate limits. Other zones and housing configurations differ.
All Bellevue zoning and setback details →Kirkland
The RS versus RSX distinction changes height and side yards. Larger-lot zones can have lower FAR. Apply coverage definitions and any approved surface credits.
All Kirkland zoning and setback details →Clyde Hill
Smaller existing lots use different side yards and upper-story angle planes. No FAR does not override coverage, grade or setbacks.
All Clyde Hill zoning and setback details →Medina
Coverage changes with zone and actual lot size. Other zones use different height planes. Medina Heights has a 20 ft overlay limit. Interim standards require rechecking.
All Medina zoning and setback details →Mercer Island
The floor-area cap changes by zone. Lot coverage includes driving surfaces, not just buildings. Use net lot area, not automatically the assessor's gross area.
All Mercer Island zoning and setback details →Redmond
The cap covers all structures and counts below-grade floor area. More dwellings use a different cap. The 60% coverage path requires qualifying multiple dwellings.
All Redmond zoning and setback details →Bothell
R-L2 has 60% hard surface; R-C has 35%. Critical areas can impose additional impervious limits. Verify the current residential zoning designation.
All Bothell zoning and setback details →Beaux Arts Village
Garages, carports and accessory buildings count toward the structure-area limit. GFAR, structural coverage and total lot coverage are separate tests.
All Beaux Arts Village zoning and setback details →Hunts Point
R-40 uses tiered floor-area formulas. Waterfront yards and optional height paths differ. Missing percentages are not unlimited allowances.
All Hunts Point zoning and setback details →Issaquah
SF-E has 30% impervious; SF-SL and SF-D have 50%. SF-D height is 25 ft or two stories, whichever is lower. Subareas and housing types differ.
All Issaquah zoning and setback details →Newcastle
Passing building coverage alone is not enough. Hard and impervious limits are independent. Other zones can have substantially different percentages.
All Newcastle zoning and setback details →Sammamish
R-4 and R-6 setbacks change with building area. Smaller-house yards cannot automatically be used for a larger custom home. FAR exclusions need their own check.
All Sammamish zoning and setback details →Yarrow Point
Shoreline, access, panhandle and between-dwelling distances need separate classification. Both grade limits must work.
All Yarrow Point zoning and setback details →Woodinville
Building coverage changes with both zone and lot area. R-1 steps down to 15% at one acre or more. Verify city limits, not just a Woodinville mailing address.
All Woodinville zoning and setback details →Practical worksheet
Put this guide to work
Worksheet updated . This is a planning example. Regulatory sources and data have their own dates.
Use three separate drawings and calculations
Illustration only: a 10,000-square-foot qualifying lot with a 0.50 FAR would permit 5,000 square feet of counted floor area. A hypothetical 35% building-coverage cap would allow a 3,500-square-foot footprint. Those are different ceilings, not two allowances to add together. This example does not assign either ratio to your city or parcel.
- Floor-area schedule
- List each level, garage, ADU, basement and other space. Cite the local inclusion or exclusion rule beside any area you do not count.
- Coverage and surface schedule
- Calculate the footprint separately from all regulated hard or impervious surfaces. Include existing retained improvements and use the correct eligible lot area for each ratio.
- Usable site plan
- Place the building inside the actual yards, easements, critical areas, tree protections and access requirements. Show room for construction as well as the finished building.
A house can pass FAR and fail coverage. It can pass both and still have no workable driveway or excavation area. Review the three documents together. Pervious paving, basements and garages do not receive the same treatment in every jurisdiction.
Keep comparing before you choose.
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