Lynnwood, WA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum lot coverage
- 70% in ACC zone
- Minimum lot area
- 1 acre
- Minimum interior setback
- 10 feet
- Density range
- 30 to 70 units per acre
- Comparable P-I zone coverage cap
- 50%
Summary
In Lynnwood's Alderwood-city center transition area (ACC) zone, LMC 8.30.0440(B)(1) caps building coverage at 70 percent of the lot, paired with a minimum 1-acre lot, a 10-foot minimum interior setback, and density running 30 to 70 units per acre.
| Minimum Density | 30 Units per Acre | +--------------------------+-------------------+ | Maximum Density | 70 Units per Acre | +--------------------------+-------------------+ | Minimum Lot Area | 1 Acre | +--------------------------+-------------------+ | Minimum Lot Width | 150 ft | +--------------------------+-------------------+ | Maximum Building Height | None | +--------------------------+-------------------+ | Minimum Interior Setback | 10 ft | +--------------------------+-------------------+ | Maximum Lot Coverage | 70% | +--------------------------+-------------------+
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The ACC zone sits between Lynnwood's city center and Alderwood zones in Snohomish County and is meant to buffer nearby residential neighborhoods from the more intense commercial and residential development allowed closer to the mall and light-rail station. 0440's development standards table sets a minimum density of 30 units per acre and a maximum of 70 units per acre, a minimum lot area of 1 acre, a minimum lot width of 150 feet, no maximum building height cap in the base table (height is instead controlled by a separate distance-from-36th-Avenue-W table), a 10-foot minimum interior setback, and a maximum lot coverage of 70 percent.
Street setbacks vary by frontage: 50 feet along 36th Avenue W (with a required 10-foot landscaping buffer inside that 50 feet), 25 feet along 188th Street SW, and 10 feet along Alderwood Mall Boulevard, while 33rd Avenue W and the future 194th Street SW extension carry no minimum but a 10-foot maximum to keep buildings pulled close to the street. 0720(B) caps lot coverage lower, at 50 percent. These are live Unified Development Code standards; the 70 percent figure does not appear in the repealed Title 21 zoning code that this chapter replaced as of June 30, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Building coverage exceeding 70 percent of an ACC lot without an approved variance or reduction is a Unified Development Code violation. The development and business services department may issue a notice of violation and order corrective action, and unresolved violations accrue civil penalties under LMC Chapter 1.40 starting at $100 for the first day and rising to $500 per day, with the city able to place a lien on the property if the penalty is not paid within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of a lot can be covered by buildings in Lynnwood's ACC zone?
Is the lot coverage limit the same throughout Lynnwood's commercial zones?
Does the old Title 21 zoning code control lot coverage in Lynnwood today?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynnwood
Compare Lynnwood to another location·View the Washington building setbacks & zoning overview
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle lot coverage limits.