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Building Setbacks & Zoning

Building Setbacks & Zoning in Kennewick, WA: What Residents Actually Need to Know

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

If you live in Kennewick or are thinking about moving there, building setbacks & zoning are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Kennewick has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of building setbacks & zoning, and some of them might surprise you.

Setback Rules

Building setbacks in Kennewick are set by KMC 18.12.010 A.2 (Table of Residential Site Development Standards) in the Title 18 Zoning Code. Front yard / street setback is 15 feet in the RS, RL, RM, RH, RTP zones (20 feet in RMH); garage setback is 20 feet (15 feet for side-entry); side yard is 5 feet (0 feet in UMU); rear yard is 15 feet (5 feet in UMU). Setbacks are measured from the back of the sidewalk (or the right-of-way line where no sidewalk exists, and in the UMU district). State authority is RCW 35A.63 (planning powers).

Key details: Code: KMC 18.12.010 A.2. Front/Street (RS/RL/RM/RH/RTP): 15 ft. Front (RMH): 20 ft. Garage Setback: 20 ft (15 ft side-entry). Side Yard: 5 ft (0 ft UMU).

Building within a required yard or otherwise violating KMC 18.12.010 A.2 is a zoning violation enforceable by the Kennewick Planning Department and Code Enforcement, with refusal of a Certificate of Occupancy, stop-work orders on active construction, and citation under the general penalty provisions of the Kennewick Municipal Code. Building permits are issued by the Kennewick Permit Center under the State Building Code (Chapter 19.27 RCW) and the WAC 51-50 series. Each day of continuing violation may be cited as a separate offense.

Structure Height Limits

Building height in Kennewick is set by KMC 18.12.010 A.2 (Table of Residential Site Development Standards). Maximum height is 35 feet or 2.5 stories (whichever is less) in the RS, RL and RMH zones; 35 feet in RM; 45 feet in RH (multi-family); 30 feet in RTP. The RTP cap reflects manufactured-home park scale; the RH cap reflects multi-family scale. Tall structures near the Tri-Cities Airport are also subject to the Crash and Approach overlay in KMC Chapter 18.58 and federal FAA notice under 14 CFR Part 77.

Key details: RS / RL / RMH: 35 ft or 2.5 stories. RM: 35 ft. RH (Multi-Family): 45 ft. RTP: 30 ft. Airport Overlay: KMC 18.58 (Crash/Approach).

Building above the KMC 18.12.010 A.2 cap is a zoning violation enforceable by the Kennewick Planning Department and Code Enforcement, with refusal of a Certificate of Occupancy, stop-work orders on active construction, and citation under the general penalty provisions of the Kennewick Municipal Code. IBC Chapter 5 height violations are separately enforced by the Building Official under the State Building Code adopted at WAC 51-50. Crash and Approach overlay (KMC Chapter 18.58) height violations may also implicate federal FAA notice obligations under 14 CFR Part 77 and review by the Port of Pasco / Tri-Cities Airport.

Lot Coverage Limits

Kennewick's Title 18 Zoning Code regulates lot intensity primarily through minimum lot size, lot width, unit density and setback standards in KMC 18.12.010 A.2 - for example, 4,000 sf minimum lot in RM (3,500 sf in RH), 5,500 sf minimum in RS and RMH (8,000 sf in RL after the middle-housing update), and unit density of up to 6 units per lot in the RS/RL/RM/RH/RMH zones. Building Code coverage limits in WAC 51-50 (2021 IBC) and impervious surface limits in the City's stormwater code (Chapter 4.30 KMC) apply on top.

Key details: Code: KMC 18.12.010 A.2. Min. Lot (RS): 8,000 sf. Min. Lot (RM/RH): 4,000 / 3,500 sf. Townhouse Min. Lot: 1,800 sf (1,600 RTP). Unit Density (RS-RH): 4 / up to 6 affordable.

Exceeding the minimum lot size, unit density or setback requirements of KMC 18.12.010 A.2 is a zoning violation enforceable by the Kennewick Planning Department and Code Enforcement, with refusal of Certificate of Occupancy, stop-work orders on active construction, and citation under the general penalty provisions of the Kennewick Municipal Code. State Building Code (WAC 51-50) building-area violations are separately enforceable by the Building Official. Stormwater and impervious surface violations on larger projects are enforced under Chapter 4.30 KMC and the Washington Department of Ecology's NPDES Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit.

The Bottom Line

Kennewick'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 Kennewick is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Kennewick's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.