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Hartford, CT Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

House A Coverage (MX-1/MX-2)
35% max building coverage
House A Coverage (N-1)
30% max building coverage
House A Impervious (MX-1/MX-2)
70% max impervious area
House A Impervious (N-1)
40% max impervious area
Semi-pervious credit
Additional 10-15% allowed

Summary

Hartford caps House A building coverage at 30-35% of the lot and impervious surface at 40-70%, with a 10-15% semi-pervious credit, varying by MX-1, MX-2, and N-1 zoning district.

9 Maximum Building Coverage Maximum Impervious Area Additional Semi-Pervious Area 35% 70% 15% NOTE 2 35% 70% 15% NOTE 2 30% 40% 10% NOTE 2

10 Parking & Detached Garage Location rear and/or limited side yard NOTE 3 rear yard; side yard 11 Permitted Vehicular Access one driveway per lot; circular drop-off drive permitted per 4.1.2 I.(4)

Figure 4.14-B House A: Building Siting

***Expand table to lock table headings in place while scrolling***

MX-1 MX-2 N-1

B. Height. Refer to Figure 4.14-C House A: Height & Uses Requirements and 4.18.2 Height for explanation.

12 Minimum Overall Height 2 stories 2 stories 2 stories 13 Maximum Overall Height 3 stories 3.5 stories 3.5 stories 14 All Stories: (Measured floor-to-floor) Minimum Height Maximum Height 9' 14' 9' 14' 9' 14'

C. Uses. Refer to Figure 4.14-C House A: Height & Uses Requirements and 4.18.3 Uses for explanation. Refer to 3.0 for permitted uses. 15 All Stories any permitted use residential uses; number of units per district 16 Parking within Building permitted fully in any basement and in rear of all floors 17 Entrance to Parking within Building rear facade rear facade, interior side facade rear facade, interior side facade, limited on front facade NOTE 4 18 Required Occupied Space minimum 30' deep on all full floors from the front facade, where there is parking within the building

Full Breakdown

Hartford's form-based Zoning Regulations set maximum building coverage and impervious limits per building type and district rather than a single citywide lot-coverage cap. For the House A Building Type, used for large residential buildings on oversized lots, the Building Siting table caps Maximum Building Coverage at 35% in MX-1 and MX-2, dropping to 30% in N-1. Maximum Impervious Area runs 70% in MX-1/MX-2 and 40% in N-1, with an Additional Semi-Pervious Area allowance of 15% (MX-1/MX-2) or 10% (N-1) layered on top. Other building types (Downtown Storefront, Cottage Commercial, Commercial Center) carry their own separate coverage tables.

Violations & Fines

Building without a zoning permit or exceeding coverage or impervious limits is a zoning violation; the zoning enforcement officer issues a citation, and each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense under § 1.4.3.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Hartford cap lot coverage the same way in every zoning district?
No. Hartford's form-based code sets coverage and impervious limits per building type and district. House A buildings allow 35% coverage in MX-1/MX-2 but only 30% in N-1, per Zoning Regulations § 4.14.2.
What counts toward Hartford's impervious limit?
Impervious area covers hardscape like driveways and patios that shed water; Hartford's semi-pervious category (permeable pavers, etc.) gets a separate 10-15% allowance on top of the impervious cap.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Hartford

All Hartford rules

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