Building Setbacks & Zoning in Edmonds, WA

Edmonds maintains 114 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with building setbacks & zoning. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Edmonds falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Setback Rules

Edmonds sets minimum street, side and rear setbacks by low-density residential subdistrict in ECDC 16.20.030(D), ranging from 5 feet (LDR-S side yard) up to 25 feet (LDR-L street and rear yards), with alley rear setbacks fixed at 5 feet citywide.

Key details: LDR-S street setback: 20 feet. LDR-M/LDR-L street setback: 25 feet. LDR-S side setback: 5 feet. LDR-L rear setback: 25 feet. Alley rear setback (all subdistricts): 5 feet.

Setback compliance is verified at building permit review by the Edmonds planning and development department; a structure built into a required setback without an approved encroachment or variance is subject to code enforcement and can be required to be moved or removed. Property owners seeking relief from a setback beyond the listed exceptions must apply for a variance reviewed under the city's standard land use permit procedures in ECDC Title 20.

Structure Height Limits

Edmonds caps building height at 25 feet across all three low-density residential subdistricts, LDR-S, LDR-M and LDR-L, under ECDC 16.20.030(D), with accessory buildings and structures separately limited to 15 feet under ECDC 16.20.065(B).

Key details: Principal structure height (all LDR subdistricts): 25 feet. Accessory building/structure height: 15 feet. Detached ADU height: 24 feet. Amateur radio antenna default cap: Zone height limit. Governing sections: ECDC 16.20.030(D), 16.20.065(B).

Height compliance is checked during building permit plan review by the Edmonds planning and development department; a structure exceeding the applicable limit without an approved waiver or exception can be denied a certificate of occupancy or ordered altered. Property owners seeking additional height for a satellite dish or amateur radio antenna must apply for a technological-impracticality waiver, reviewed by the hearing examiner as a Type III-A decision under ECDC 16.20.065(F), and pay the same application fee charged for a variance (waived for licensed amateur radio operators).

Lot Coverage Limits

Edmonds caps lot coverage at 35 percent of total lot area across all three low-density residential subdistricts under ECDC 16.20.030(D), the same figure applying to LDR-S, LDR-M and LDR-L regardless of minimum lot size.

Key details: LDR zone lot coverage cap: 35% of lot area. Applies across subdistricts: LDR-S, LDR-M, LDR-L. RM zone lot coverage cap: 45% of lot area. P (public use) zone lot coverage cap: 35%, CUP for more. Governing section: ECDC 16.20.030(D).

Lot coverage is verified during building permit plan review by the Edmonds planning and development department; a proposed structure that would push total site coverage above 35 percent in an LDR zone cannot be permitted as submitted and must be redesigned or seek relief through the variance process under ECDC Title 20. Coverage figures are recalculated whenever an addition, accessory structure or impervious expansion is proposed on an already-developed lot.

The Bottom Line

Edmonds's building setbacks & zoning rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Edmonds is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Edmonds's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.