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Kent, WA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

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

Key Facts

A-10 / NR-L zones
30% maximum site coverage
NR-S zone
45% maximum site coverage
NR-2 zone
50% maximum site coverage
NR-3, NR-4A, NR-4B zones
55% maximum site coverage
Mobile home parks
40% cap under KCC 12.05.190
Administrative variance
Up to 25% relief via planning director
Interior yards
Excluded from coverage calculation

Summary

Kent caps building and site coverage by zoning district under KCC 15.04.170(B): 30% in the A-10 agricultural and NR-L low-density zones, 45% in NR-S, 50% in NR-2, and 55% in NR-3, NR-4A and NR-4B. Interior yards do not count toward the total under KCC 15.04.180(5). Mobile home parks follow a separate 40% cap under KCC 12.05.190.

Zoning Districts A-10 NR-L NR-S NR-2 NR-3 NR-4A NR-4B MHP Mobile Home Park Combining

...

(B) Maximum site coverage: percent of site 30% 30% 45%

(5) 50%

(5) 55%

(5) 55%

(5) 55%

(5)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).

Full Breakdown

170, with the number at the intersection setting the limit for that zone. Row (B), "Maximum site coverage: percent of site," sets the residential coverage ceiling: 30 percent in the A-10 agricultural zone and the NR-L low-density zone, 45 percent in NR-S, 50 percent in NR-2, and 55 percent in NR-3, NR-4A and NR-4B, each of the higher figures carrying footnote (5). 180(5), excludes interior yards from the site coverage calculation, so only the building footprint and other impervious features on the buildable portion of the lot count against the percentage.

190 caps coverage at 40 percent of any mobile home lot, counting the mobile home and enclosed accessory structures but excluding open carports. 01 KCC, and conditioned on the change not detracting from the neighborhood's character or threatening public health and safety. 042(D).

Violations & Fines

Exceeding the coverage cap without an approved plan is a Kent City Code violation under Chapter 1.04 KCC: each day the excess coverage remains constitutes a separate offense. A negligent violation is a misdemeanor punishable up to the maximum set in RCW 9A.20.021(3); a knowing or repeat violation is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9A.20.021(2). The building official can also issue a stop work order under KCC 14.08.100 until the site plan is brought back within the zone's percentage limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kent's maximum lot coverage for a single-family home?
Kent sets the limit by zoning district under KCC 15.04.170(B): 30 percent in the A-10 and NR-L zones, 45 percent in NR-S, 50 percent in NR-2, and 55 percent in NR-3, NR-4A and NR-4B. Confirm your parcel's zone with Kent's planning services division before finalizing a building footprint, since the percentage changes at each zone boundary.
Does Kent's lot coverage limit include the whole yard?
No. KCC 15.04.180(5) excludes interior yards from the site coverage calculation, so only structures and other impervious coverage on the buildable portion of the lot count toward the percentage cap set in KCC 15.04.170(B). Driveways, decks and accessory buildings within the buildable envelope still count against the limit.
Can a homeowner exceed Kent's lot coverage percentage?
Only through an administrative variance. KCC 15.09.042 authorizes the planning director to approve up to 25 percent additional coverage beyond the zoning standard, filed as a Process II application under Chapter 12.01 KCC and granted only if the extra coverage will not harm the neighborhood's character or public health and safety. Decisions can be appealed within 14 calendar days.
Do mobile home parks in Kent follow the same coverage limit?
No. Mobile home parks are exempt from the Title 15 zoning table and instead follow KCC 12.05.190, which caps coverage by a mobile home and its enclosed accessory structures at 40 percent of the lot, excluding open carports from the calculation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Kent

All Kent rules

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