Battle Creek, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Battle Creek caps how much of a lot a building can cover through the Maximum Percent of Building Coverage line in each district's dimension table. R-1A Single-Family allows 30. R-1B Single-Family allows 30. R-2 Two Family allows 25 and R-3 Multiple Family allows 25. MFR High Density Multiple Family allows 30 and T-3 Neighborhood Commercial allows 40. The G Green, AG Agricultural and R-1R districts list the cap as Not Required. Section 1230.06 defines Building Coverage as the surface area of a lot or parcel enclosed by the exterior walls of any building located upon the lot, and it excludes the area covered by a swimming pool or a minor accessory structure of less than fifty square feet.

The same definitions list Lot Coverage as the ratio of the enclosed ground floor area of all impervious surfaces, including buildings, parking areas, driveways, sidewalks, patios and other impervious surfaces, to the horizontally projected area of the lot, expressed as a percentage. Accessory buildings for one and two-family dwellings in the AG and R Districts carry their own limits under Section 1260.01(c). All accessory buildings together cannot exceed 10% of the lot area, excluding areas devoted to public road rights-of-way or private access easements. Together they cannot occupy more than 50% of a rear yard, and they must comply with the building coverage requirements of Chapter 1241.

Section 1260.01(d) holds accessory buildings to sixteen feet in height. In a planned unit residential development, the site coverage of buildings and structures cannot exceed one-third of the total computed area of the PURD under Section 1250.01(d)(2)B.