Kirkland, WA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard cap
- 50% lot coverage
- RSA 1 zone exception
- 30% (footnote DD-6)
- Governing table
- KZC 15.30 Density/Dimensions
- Applies to
- Detached Dwelling Unit, Low Density Residential zones
- Coverage defined at
- KZC 5.10.510
Summary
Kirkland caps a single-family lot at 50 percent impervious lot coverage under KZC 15.30.060, the Density/Dimensions Table for the city's Low Density Residential zones. RSA-zoned lots share the 50 percent cap, but RSA 1 lots are held to just 30 percent under footnote DD-6.
15.30.060 Detached Dwelling Unit ... Maximum Lot Coverage ... 50% RSA: 50%6 ... DD-6. Except 30 percent for RSA 1 zone. See RSA General Regulation 1 (KZC 15.10.030(1)) and KZC 15.05.020(3). / 5.10.510 Maximum Lot Coverage. The maximum percentage of the surface of the subject property that may be covered with materials which will not allow for the percolation of water into the underlying soils.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4945, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
30. 060 lists Maximum Lot Coverage at 50 percent across the RS, RSX, WD II, PLA 3C, PLA 6E and PLA 16 zones. 020(3) for the added restriction. 510, so it captures the house footprint plus driveways, patios, decks over a certain height and other hardscape, not just the building itself. 40 (Development Standards Table) for related standards. A property owner proposing to exceed the listed percentage needs either a variance through the City's land use review process or must reduce impervious surface elsewhere on the lot to stay under the cap; the Planning and Building Department reviews building permit applications against this table before issuance.
Violations & Fines
Building permits are checked against the KZC 15.30 coverage figures before issuance, so a plan that exceeds 50 percent (or 30 percent on an RSA 1 lot) is rejected until the design is revised or a variance is obtained. Coverage installed without a permit, or a permitted structure later expanded past the cap, is enforceable through the City's code enforcement process under the Planning and Building Department, which can require removal or reduction of the excess impervious surface to bring the lot back into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum lot coverage for a house in Kirkland?
What counts toward lot coverage in Kirkland?
Can I get a variance to exceed Kirkland's lot coverage limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkland
Compare Kirkland to another location·View the Washington building setbacks & zoning overview
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle lot coverage limits.