Sammamish residential zoning
Sammamish residential zoning and setbacks
Sammamish combines FAR and hardscape controls, but R-4 and R-6 setbacks also change with building floor area. A single generic setback polygon would be misleading unless its size tier is stated.
On this page4 sections
Official starting point: Sammamish residential standards. Verify the parcel zone, current code, and every applicable footnote before fixing the design.
Sammamish residential zoning by zone
| Zone | Minimum lot | Front / street | Rear | Side / interior | Height | Size limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 / R-1 | Project-specific | 20 ft | 30 ft | 25 ft | 35 ft | 30% hard surface; 50% FAR; Legacy R-1 lots under 15,000 sq ft may use a 5-ft interior setback. |
| R4 / R-4 | Project-specific | 25 ft | 25 ft | 10 ft | 35 ft | 40% hard surface; 50% FAR; Conservative >4,000-sq-ft building setbacks are shown; smaller buildings can qualify for smaller yards. |
| R6 / R-6 | Project-specific | 20 ft | 25 ft | 10 ft | 35 ft | 50% hard surface; 50% FAR; Conservative >4,000-sq-ft building setbacks are shown; smaller buildings can qualify for smaller yards. |
| R8 / R-8 | Project-specific | 10 ft | 20 ft | 10 ft | 35 ft | 75% hard surface; 50% FAR |
| R12 / R-12 | Project-specific | 10 ft | 20 ft | 5 ft | 60 ft | 85% hard surface |
| R18 / R-18 | Project-specific | 10 ft | 20 ft | 5 ft | 60 ft | 85% hard surface |
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 | R-1 through R-8 list 50% single-family FAR. ADUs and detached alley-accessed garages can be exempt; the preliminary screen counts garage area because that design is not established. | SDC 21.04.030 ↗ |
| Setbacks | R-4/R-6 yards change at 2,500 and 4,000 sq ft of building area. The map uses the conservative over-4,000-sq-ft row; R-1, R-8, R-12, and R-18 use their current base rows. | SDC 21.04.030 ↗ |
| Lot coverage | The table does not provide a separate single-family building-coverage ratio, so hardscape is not misrepresented as a house-footprint cap. | SDC 21.04.030 ↗ |
| Impervious / hard surface | Hardscape caps range from 30% in R-1 to 85% in R-12/R-18 and include more than the building footprint. | SDC 21.04.030 ↗ |
| Height | R-1 through R-8 are 35 ft; R-12/R-18 are 60 ft. Steep sites use the code's segmented grade method. | SDC 21.04.030 ↗ |
| Trees | Tree-retention plans, significant/landmark-tree protection, replacement, and critical-area rules require a site-specific calculation. | SDC 21.03.060 ↗ |
| Existing private views | No general private-building-view right was identified. Height, transitions, critical areas, and covenants remain separate controls. | SDC 21.04.030 ↗ |
| Wetlands, slopes, and critical areas | Sammamish's base FAR and hardscape standards do not establish the usable building area on a constrained lot. Wetlands, streams, erosion and landslide hazards, steep slopes, buffers, and special drainage limits must be applied to the surveyed site. A critical-area map hit should be followed by the applicable wetland, habitat, or geotechnical report. Some landslide-hazard drainage areas also have a 35 percent impervious-surface limit, so both the protected envelope and the drainage rules need confirmation. | Sammamish critical-area regulations ↗ |
Property-specific checks
What can change the table
- The R-4/R-6 rows shown use the conservative over-4,000-sq-ft setbacks. Smaller buildings can qualify for smaller yards after the size tier is confirmed.
- R-1 through R-8 list 50% single-family FAR. ADUs and detached alley-accessed garages can be exempt; the preliminary report counts garage area unless that design is established.
- Hardscape includes more than the house and is not treated as an invented building-footprint cap.
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