Bellingham, WA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard multifamily cap
- 35% of site area
- Level 4 maximum
- 75% coverage
- Trade-off for higher coverage
- Covered parking required
- Excluded areas
- View, shoreline, flood, steep slope
Summary
Bellingham caps standard multifamily lot coverage at 35% of the site under BMC 20.32.040(D), but BMC 20.32.050(C) lets developers build up to 45%, 55%, 65%, or 75% coverage by meeting stricter wall-to-property-line ratios and covered-parking requirements.
Lot Coverage Option. The 35 percent coverage requirement may be exceeded to the maximum allowed for the applicable level, provided the conditions for that level are satisfied... Lot Coverage Level 4 (Maximum 75 Percent Coverage) – Conditions... The wall to property line ratio on all property lines is at least 1:5... All required parking is covered.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-06-015, passed June 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The city's residential multi zoning (BMC 20.32.040(D)) sets a baseline lot coverage limit of 35% of total site area for transition- and multiple-qualifier development. Under the optional standards in BMC 20.32.050(C), that cap can rise through four fixed levels -- 45%, 55%, 65%, or 75% coverage -- each tied to a stricter minimum wall-to-property-line ratio (from 1:2 up to 1:5) and a rising share of required parking that must be covered, up to all of it at Level 4. The option is unavailable on property in a designated view, shoreline, flood, or steep-slope (over 30%) area, or one abutting residential single zoning outside the Lettered Streets exceptions.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the applicable coverage cap without qualifying for a higher option level, or building under the option without meeting the wall-ratio and covered-parking conditions, is a zoning violation subject to city enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the standard lot coverage limit for Bellingham multifamily development?
How high can lot coverage go under the optional program?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellingham
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