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Bonneville County, ID Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

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

Key Facts

R-P Zone cap
40% of lot, structures only
R-1 Zone cap
40%, § 156.253
R-1.5 / RA-3 cap
80% including paving
Attached unit cap
65% interior, 50% corner lots

Summary

In the R-P Residence Park Zone, Bonneville County limits the total area covered by structures to 40% of the lot; the R-1 Residence Zone carries the identical 40% cap, while the denser R-1.5 and RA-3 zones allow up to 80% including paved surfaces.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Bonneville County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

LOT COVERAGE. The total area of structures on a lot shall not exceed 40%.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-1: Ordinance 280-26, passed 1-20-2026).

Full Breakdown

233, titled "Lot Coverage," states flatly that "the total area of structures on a lot shall not exceed 40%" in the R-P Residence Park Zone, the low-density district characterized by larger residential lots. 253 for the R-1 Residence Zone, showing the county treats its two lower-density residential zones the same way for building footprint. 293 for the RA-3 Zone both allow lot coverage, defined there to include all area under roofs plus paved or concrete surfaces, up to 80% of the total lot and parking area, with a separate 65% cap for single-family attached units on interior lots and 50% on corner lots, and the remaining area required to be landscaped.

5/RA-3 80% figure sweeps in driveways and parking too, so the two coverage regimes are not directly comparable percentage-for-percentage. A homeowner in the R-P Zone adding a garage or addition needs to keep the running total of all structures on the lot, house included, at or under 40% of the parcel's area to stay in compliance without a variance.

Violations & Fines

Building coverage beyond the 40% cap in the R-P or R-1 zones, or beyond the applicable 80%/65%/50% tiers in the R-1.5 and RA-3 zones, without an approved variance is a zoning infraction enforceable by the Zoning Administrator under the code's general penalty provisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lot coverage limit in Bonneville County's R-P zone?
Section 156.233 caps the total area of structures on a lot at 40% in the R-P Residence Park Zone. The identical 40% cap applies in the R-1 Residence Zone under Section 156.253.
Are driveways counted in the 40% coverage limit?
No, the R-P and R-1 zone text only counts the area of structures. That contrasts with the R-1.5 and RA-3 zones under Sections 156.273 and 156.293, where the 80% coverage limit explicitly includes roofed area plus paved or concrete surfaces.
Can I exceed the coverage cap with a variance?
The code does not carve out an automatic exception in Section 156.233 itself; a property owner seeking relief would need to apply for a variance through the Planning and Zoning Commission's general variance process under Section 156.090.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bonneville County

All Bonneville County rules

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