Building Setbacks & Zoning in Kennewick, WA

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

Kennewick's residential zoning code sets minimum front, side, rear, and garage setbacks by zone under KMC 18.12.010(A)(2): a 15-foot front/street setback and 15-foot rear setback apply in the RS, RL, RM, RH, RTP, and RMH districts, with a five-foot side yard and a 20-foot garage setback measured from the back of the sidewalk, while the Urban Mixed Use district follows KMC 18.80 instead.

Key details: Front/street setback: 15 feet in RS, RL, RM, RH, RTP, RMH. Side yard setback: 5 feet (0 feet in UMU district). Rear yard setback: 15 feet (5 feet in UMU district). Garage setback: 20 feet, reducible to 15 feet for side-entry. Measured from: Back of sidewalk or right-of-way line.

Building or expanding a structure that encroaches into a required yard setback is a Title 18 zoning violation, punishable as a misdemeanor under KMC 18.54.090. The Planning Director enforces the setback table through the building permit review process and can deny or condition a permit that doesn't meet the table's minimums; a property owner who believes a setback was measured incorrectly can request Hearing Examiner review of the Director's decision within ten days under KMC 18.54.020.

Structure Height Limits

Kennewick caps residential building height by zoning district in the Table of Residential Site Development Standards at KMC 18.12.010(A)(2): 35 feet or 2.5 stories, whichever is less, in the RS, RL and RMH districts, and 45 feet in the RH district. The Planning Director enforces the table through the building permit process, and exceeding it is a Title 18 misdemeanor.

Key details: RS/RL/RMH max height: 35 ft or 2.5 stories, whichever is less. RM district max height: 35 feet. RH district max height: 45 feet. Accessory building height cap: 20 feet (most districts). Exempt-structure lot coverage limit: 25% of lot, 25-ft setback from lines.

Building over the district's height limit without an approved variance or minor variation violates Title 18 and is a misdemeanor under KMC 18.54.090, which applies to any person violating a Title 18 provision or failing to comply with a permit condition. The City can withhold, condition or revoke the building or land use permit under KMC 18.54.010 until the structure is brought into conformance with the applicable district's table.

Lot Coverage Limits

Kennewick caps lot coverage in only two non-residential zones. The Business Park (BP) district prints a Maximum Lot Coverage of 50%, and the Historic Mixed-Use (HMU) district limits floor area ratio to a maximum of .45. The other 15 commercial, industrial and public zones in KMC 18.12.010(B)(2) print None in the lot coverage column.

Key details: BP maximum lot coverage: 50%. HMU limit: Floor area ratio of .45 maximum. Zones printing None: 15, including CN, CG, CC, IL, IH and JF. BP minimum district size: 5 Acres. BP front and corner yards: 15 feet front, ten feet corner.

KMC 18.12.010 prints no fine or penalty of its own for this table. A Business Park project drawn above the 50% figure, or an HMU project above the .45 floor area ratio, does not conform to the table. Existing buildings that already exceed a coverage limit are handled by the conversion and nonconforming-structure language in 18.12.020(9) and 18.12.070(3).

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.