Building Setbacks & Zoning in Parma, OH

If you live in Parma 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. Parma has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of building setbacks & zoning, and some of them might surprise you.

Lot Coverage Limits

Parma caps apartment-house building footprints at 15% of the lot in Multifamily Districts and requires at least half the site to stay landscaped, keeping density and impervious surface in check under the Planning and Zoning Code.

Key details: Max building coverage: 15% of lot (apartment districts). Min landscaped area: 50% of lot. Governing section: Codified Ordinances § 1187.04. Single/two-family lots: controlled by lot area, not %. Reviewing body: Parma Planning Commission.

A site plan exceeding the 15% coverage limit or missing the 50% landscaping minimum is rejected at Planning Commission review under Section 1123.99, the general Planning and Zoning Code penalty section; a builder who proceeds without correcting the plan is guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, plus all costs and expenses of the case.

Setback Rules

Parma sets front, side and rear yard depths in residence districts as a percentage of lot size rather than a single flat number: a 15%-of-depth rear yard (10 to 30 feet), a similar front yard formula, and a 3-to-5-foot interior side yard depending on lot width.

Key details: Rear yard: 15% of lot depth, 10-30 ft. Front yard: 15% of avg. lot depth, max 30 ft. Interior side yard, <60 ft lot: minimum 3 feet. Interior side yard, 60+ ft lot: minimum 5 feet. Min. building separation: 10 feet apart.

Erecting or altering a building that violates these yard minimums without a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals is enforced under Section 1123.99, the Planning and Zoning Code's general penalty: a first-degree misdemeanor, with each day the encroachment continues counted as a separate offense, plus the violator's liability for all costs and expenses of the case.

Structure Height Limits

No Parma residence, from a single-family house to a hotel or condominium, can exceed 35 feet in height under a voter-initiated ordinance passed in 1971, and accessory buildings in residence districts top out at 15 feet and one story.

Key details: Max residential height: 35 feet (all housing types). Source: voter initiative, passed 11-2-1971. Accessory building height: 15 feet, 1 story max. Governing section: Codified Ordinances § 1529.37. Overrides: No. 2 / No. 3 Height Districts for residences.

Constructing or altering a residence above the 35-foot cap, or an accessory building above 15 feet or one story, without Board of Zoning Appeals relief is a violation of the Planning and Zoning Code enforced under Section 1123.99: a first-degree misdemeanor, with each day the excess height continues treated as a separate offense, plus liability for the costs and expenses of the case.

The Bottom Line

Parma'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 Parma is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Parma can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.