Pierce County zoning controls building bulk mainly through yard-area limits rather than a single lot-coverage percentage. Detached single-story accessory structures may cover up to 25 percent of an interior yard and 50 percent of a rear yard, and on lots under 1 acre they cannot exceed 2,000 total square feet.
Instead of one overall lot-coverage figure, PCC 18A.15.040 limits accessory building footprint by yard: detached single-story accessory structures (other than accessory dwelling units) may occupy 25 percent of an interior yard and 50 percent of a rear yard, each with a 3-foot setback. PCC 18A.37.020 adds that in residential zones, on lots of less than 1 acre, detached unoccupied accessory structures shall not exceed 2,000 total square feet, and structures without a principal use are capped at 576 square feet. Setbacks and height in Table 18A.15.040 further constrain the buildable envelope. Cities apply their own coverage rules.
Accessory buildings that exceed the 25 or 50 percent yard limits, the 2,000-square-foot cap, or the 576-square-foot no-principal-use cap are zoning violations subject to correction, removal, or after-the-fact review.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard residential composting is allowed and encouraged in Pierce County with no permit, but a compost pile that creates odor, attracts vermin, or otherwis...
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Pierce County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting or permitting synthetic/artificial turf on residential lots. Installation must still meet general zon...
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Pierce County encourages native and drought-tolerant plantings and requires native-vegetation retention on many development sites, but homeowners are free to...
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Rooftop rainwater collection is broadly allowed in Washington, and Pierce County has no ordinance prohibiting residential rain barrels or cisterns; larger sy...
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Pierce County government sets no county-wide residential watering schedule; outdoor watering rules are set by your water provider — mainly Tacoma Water and l...
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Every Pierce County landowner has an enforceable duty under RCW 17.10.140 to eradicate class A noxious weeds and control listed class B and C weeds. The Pier...
See how Pierce County's lot coverage limits rules stack up against other locations.
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