Prince George's County, MD Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

7 dwelling units per net acre. Within that zone, Section 27-4202(e)'s Intensity and Dimensional Standards table sets a hard cap: a single-family detached dwelling may cover no more than 35 percent of the lot's net area, while any other permitted principal use on an RSF-65 lot may cover up to 60 percent. Section 27-2201's Measurement standard defines exactly what counts: the total horizontal land area of the lot covered by all buildings, covered structures, and areas used for vehicular access and parking of vehicles, divided by net lot area and multiplied by 100.

That means driveways, parking pads, garages, porches, and covered patios all count toward the ceiling, not just the house's footprint. Net lot area itself excludes public street or alley rights-of-way, private street easements, and any land inside the 100-year floodplain, so a flood-prone rear yard cannot be used to stretch the allowable coverage. Before DPIE issues a building or use and occupancy permit, staff verify the proposed coverage percentage against the submitted plat and site plan. A homeowner who cannot meet the 35 percent cap, for example to add a garage or expansion, must apply for a dimensional variance to the Board of Zoning Appeals under Section 27-3613, which requires showing that strict application of the standard would create an unnecessary hardship; unlike the IE industrial zone, RSF-65 lot coverage variances are not on the Ordinance's list of barred variance requests.