Medina residential zoning
Medina residential zoning and setbacks by zone and lot size
Medina's base zone establishes minimum lot dimensions, while the actual lot area and width determine the setback formula. Overlays, shoreline location, original grade, trees, and private covenants can be just as important as the base zone.
On this page8 sections
Official starting point: Medina planning and zoning. Verify the parcel zone, current code, and every applicable footnote before fixing the design.
Medina residential lot standards
| Zone | Minimum lot | Minimum width | Minimum depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-16 | 16,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 70 ft |
| R-20 | 20,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 70 ft |
| R-30 | 30,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 90 ft |
| SR-30 | 30,000 sq ft | 90 ft | 90 ft |
Base setbacks by actual lot area
For lots over 20,000 square feet, side yards also depend on lot width.
| Actual lot area | Front | Rear | Side yard | Upper-story side yard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 sq ft or less | 25 ft | 25 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| 10,001 to 13,000 sq ft | 26 ft | 26 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| 13,001 to 15,000 sq ft | 28 ft | 28 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| 15,001 to 20,000 sq ft | 30 ft | 30 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft |
| Over 20,000 sq ft | 30 ft | 30 ft | 20% of width, 15 to 20 ft | 25% of width, 20 to 25 ft |
Corner lots: can you use a 20-foot and 30-foot setback?
Medina recognizes multiple front property lines. Instead of the usual lot-size-based front setbacks, eligible corner-lot owners may choose 20 feet along one front and 30 feet along every other front. This is an option, not the default for every corner lot; all other setbacks still apply.
The option excludes SR-30 lots, lots adjoining Evergreen Point Road between SR 520 and Overlake Drive West, and lots adjoining Overlake Drive East or West between Evergreen Point Road and the Medina-Bellevue boundary. Check the mapped zone and street segment before using it.
Do not assume the other two boundaries are side yards
Medina defines a rear boundary by its relationship to a front: it is a non-front line parallel to, or within 45 degrees of parallel to, a front line. Applying that definition to a simple rectangular public-street corner can produce two front and two rear boundaries. That is a different starting point from Clyde Hill's two-front, two-side arrangement, and needs City confirmation for your parcel.
A limited choice between side and rear treatment exists where a line qualifies as both, provided it does not create or increase a nonconformity. Private lanes, curved boundaries, and unusual lot orientation have further rules. Ask Medina to mark each yard on the survey before sizing the house, and verify the current interim side-yard standards rather than relying on an older plan.
MMC 16.12 property-line definitions; read with MMC 16.22.060 ↗
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 | Medina does not use residential FAR. Structural coverage, impervious surface, setbacks, and height control bulk. | Medina planning FAQ ↗ |
| Setbacks | Current interim Ordinance 1059 uses lot-area tiers for front/rear yards, 15-ft first-floor and 20-ft upper-story side yards through 20,000 sq ft, and lot-width formulas above 20,000 sq ft. It also sets a 90-ft minimum lot width across the residential zones. The City is developing permanent bulk standards, so verify status before filing. | Medina Ordinance 1059 ↗ |
| Lot coverage | Medina uses lot-size-based structural-coverage tables: generally 21%–30% in R-16 and 21%–25% in R-20/R-30/SR-30, with limited bonuses for qualifying uncovered features. | MMC 16.23.020–.040 ↗ |
| Impervious surface | R-16 is 55%; R-20 is 52.5%; R-30/SR-30 is 52.5% below 30,000 sq ft and 50% at 30,000 sq ft or more. | MMC 16.23.020 ↗ |
| Height | R-16, R-20/R-30 and SR-30 test 25 ft from original grade and 28 ft from finished grade. The latter zones use low-point tests. Medina Heights tests 20 ft original and 23 ft finished. Both grade limits apply. Ordinance 1059 continues the interim removal of the former bonus-height path. | MMC 16.23 and Ordinance 1059 ↗ |
| Trees | Medina says a tree permit is almost always required. Development needs the current Chapter 16.52 inventory, retention, protection, and replacement review. | Medina tree-permit guidance ↗ |
| Existing private views | Chapter 14.08 is a voluntary/private process for qualifying preexisting views or sunlight later obstructed by trees. The City has no obligation to enforce it, and it is not a building-view veto. | MMC Chapter 14.08 ↗ |
| Wetlands, slopes, and critical areas | Medina defines net lot area to exclude vehicular access areas and land made unbuildable by critical areas. When a wetland, buffer, or geologic hazard may make land unbuildable, the public parcel area cannot be used as the final structural-coverage or site-capacity denominator without a surveyed code calculation. Medina prohibits ordinary development in wetlands and wetland buffers unless an exception or approved mitigation path applies. Steep-slope buffers are established from the top and toe using the slope height and a geotechnical analysis, so the usable building area is site-specific. | Medina Chapter 16.50 critical areas ↗ |
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
- R-16 tests 25 feet above original grade and 28 feet above finished grade at the specified high and low points. R-20/R-30 and SR-30 test 25 feet from original grade and 28 feet from finished grade at the low point. Both limits apply.
- The Medina Heights Overlay tests 20 feet from original grade and 23 feet from finished grade at the low point. Current interim Ordinance 1059 continues the larger side-yard rules and removal of the former bonus-height path while the City develops permanent bulk standards; confirm the applicable rules and any superseding ordinance before relying on them.
- Medina does not state a base residential FAR, so there is no garage-in-FAR adjustment. The garage still occupies structural and impervious coverage.
- Recorded covenants and architectural-control documents can be stricter than city zoning.
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