Billings, MT Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- N1 district max coverage
- 60% of lot
- Side-street lot max coverage
- 80% of lot
- Governing table
- Table 27-300.3, item 9
- Projections count toward coverage
- Eaves/cornices over 2 ft
Summary
In Billings' N1 neighborhood district, principal and accessory buildings can cover at most 60% of the lot, rising to 80% on side-street lots.
9 Maximum Building Coverage (%) 60 ... D. Supplemental regulations. 1. Side street lots... Lots with only side street frontage are allowed maximum building coverage of eighty (80) percent.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Billings' zoning code (BMCC Ch. 27) sets maximum building coverage by neighborhood district rather than a single citywide impervious cap. In the N1 district (early-1900s single/two-family neighborhoods), Table 27-300.3 caps building coverage at 60% of the lot. Side-street lots (fronting the short end of a block) get a bump to 80% coverage under Sec. 27-304.D.1. Eave, cornice, and other architectural projections beyond 2 feet into a required yard also count toward lot coverage under Table 27-300.2. Other neighborhood districts (N2, N3, etc.) carry their own coverage caps in their respective sections.
Violations & Fines
Building without a permit that exceeds the district's maximum coverage % triggers a zoning compliance review; oversized construction can be red-tagged and required to be reduced or demolished to the non-conforming portion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Billings have one citywide lot coverage limit?
Do porches and decks count toward lot coverage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Billings
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