Kirkland residential zoning
Kirkland residential zoning and setbacks by zone
Kirkland's code puts many residential standards into one useful table. The zone row is only the beginning: footnotes, average building elevation, lot-coverage rules, shoreline standards, planned-area rules, and critical areas can materially change a project.
On this page7 sections
Official starting point: Kirkland residential development standards. Verify the parcel zone, current code, and every applicable footnote before fixing the design.
Kirkland residential base-zone table
| Zone | Minimum lot | Height | FAR | Lot coverage | Base setbacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS 35.0 | 35,000 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.20 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| RS 12.5 | 12,500 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.35 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| RS 8.5 | 8,500 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| RS 7.2 | 7,200 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| RS 6.3 | 6,300 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| RS 5.0 | 5,000 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| RSX 35.0 | 35,000 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.20 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSX 12.5 | 12,500 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.35 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSX 8.5 | 8,500 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSX 7.2 | 7,200 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSX 5.0 | 5,000 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSA 1 | See zone notes | 30 ft above ABE | 0.20 base | 30% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSA 4 | 7,600 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSA 6 | 5,100 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| RSA 8 | 3,800 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum; rear 10 ft |
| PLA 3C | 12,500 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.50 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| PLA 6E | 5,000 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | 0.60 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| PLA 16 | 35,000 sq ft | 30 ft above ABE | 0.20 base | 50% | Front 20 ft; sides 5 ft minimum / 15 ft combined; rear 10 ft |
| WD II | 12,500 sq ft | 25 ft above ABE | Parcel-specific | 50% | Rear 10 ft; front and side yards are parcel-specific under KZC 15.30 DD-22 to DD-24; shoreline standards also apply |
Corner lots: check RS versus RSX or RSA first
For a detached house in an RS zone, start with a 20-foot front setback along each street. One frontage may qualify for a reduction based on the average front yards of the two adjoining properties facing that same street. You may choose which frontage to test, but you cannot simply substitute a 5-foot side setback.
RSX and RSA use a different rule: choose one front yard with at least 20 feet; other front yards are regulated as side yards with at least 5 feet. These are the detached-house provisions in KZC 15.30.060 and notes DD-14 and DD-15. Planned-area and middle-housing projects must use their own applicable provisions.
Does a Kirkland corner lot still have a rear yard?
On an ordinary corner with two qualifying front property lines, the two remaining boundaries generally become sides, not a conventional rear. RS side yards need at least 5 feet each and 15 feet combined. A simple RS example is therefore 20 feet at both streets, with 5 and 10 feet on the two interior sides, before any permitted frontage reduction.
Do not assume this layout when there is an alley or access easement. Narrow access routes and fire-department hammerhead turnarounds can create a rear property line under the code. I-405, SR 520, and the named rail corridors are not front property lines. Have the City confirm the boundary labels and applicable setbacks on the actual survey.
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 | Base FAR comes from KZC 15.30. KZC 115.42 generally counts garages/carports, but a qualifying detached garage behind the main structure can exclude 500 sq ft on lots under 8,500 sq ft or 800 sq ft on larger lots. A separate 5% design bonus may apply. The feasibility test conservatively counts the full garage because those design facts are not collected. | KZC 115.42 ↗ |
| Setbacks | For ordinary interior lots, RS commonly uses 20-ft front, 10-ft rear, and 5-ft minimum/15-ft combined sides; RSX/RSA commonly use 20/10/5. On corners, RS generally starts with two 20-ft fronts, while RSX/RSA allow one 20-ft front and other fronts at 5 ft. See the corner-lot sections for qualifications. | KZC 15.30 ↗ |
| Lot coverage | The base table is generally 50% (30% in RSA-1). Kirkland lot coverage includes structures and defined hardscape, so it is not the same calculation as stormwater impervious area. | KZC 115.90 ↗ |
| Impervious surface | Kirkland does not publish one universal residential zoning impervious ratio in the base table. Stormwater and critical-area rules can impose separate, stricter site limits. | KZC 115.90 ↗ |
| Height | RS commonly uses 25 ft above Average Building Elevation; RSX/RSA commonly use 30 ft. Average Building Elevation is a surveyed predevelopment-grade calculation. | KZC 115.59 ↗ |
| Trees | Development requires an arborist-supported tree-retention plan, tree-protection zones, and replacement where required. | KZC 95.30 ↗ |
| Existing private views | Kirkland's official planning record states that private views are not regulated by the City. Height, shoreline, tree rules, and recorded covenants still apply. | Kirkland Planning record ↗ |
| Wetlands, slopes, and critical areas | For an ordinary detached home, Kirkland's base FAR and lot-coverage percentages use total lot area rather than automatically deleting wetlands or geologic hazards. Wetland, stream, and geologic-hazard rules separately control disturbance and building placement. Special housing chapters can use a different buildable-area calculation. Kirkland wetland buffers vary by wetland category, habitat score, and required minimization measures. Work in or near landslide, erosion, or steep-slope hazards needs site-specific geotechnical review; a mapped line is only a screening signal and is not the final regulated boundary. | Kirkland critical-area regulations ↗ |
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.
Property-specific checks
What can change the table
- RS zones commonly use 25 feet above average building elevation. RSX and RSA zones commonly use 30 feet. The calculation belongs on the site plan.
- Kirkland generally counts enclosed garage and carport area in FAR, but a qualifying detached garage behind the main structure can exclude the first 500 sq ft on a lot under 8,500 sq ft or 800 sq ft on a larger lot. The feasibility study conservatively counts the full garage because the intake does not establish those design facts or a grade-based exclusion.
- KZC 115.42 also allows a conditional 5% design-based FAR bonus. RS-5.0, RSX-5.0, RSA-8, and some planned-area lots have additional table-note allowances. None should be assumed before the final design satisfies every condition.
- WD II front and side yards are parcel-specific and shoreline standards also apply.
- Trees, critical areas, access easements, subdivisions, and planned-area regulations can reduce the practical envelope.
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