New Bedford, MA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- RA/RB/RC/RAA/MUB residential
- 30% (40% on corner lots)
- Business/Industrial (PB, IA-IC, WI, AMC)
- 50%
- KH-TOD/CC-TOD, sites under 1 acre
- 80%
- KH-TOD/CC-TOD, sites 1 acre or more
- 50%
- Source table
- Appendix B, Dimensional Regulations
Summary
New Bedford caps building footprint at 30% of the lot in its RA, RB, RC, RAA and MUB residential districts, rising to 40% on corner lots, 50% in the Planned Business, Industrial A/B/C, Waterfront Industrial and AMC districts, and 50-80% in its two transit-oriented overlay districts depending on lot size.
APPENDIX B - TABLE OF DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS ... Lot Coverage by Buildings - maximum (%) ... 30; 40 on corner lots ... 30; 40 on corner lots ... 50 50 50 50 50 50% Sites <1 acre: 80% Sites ≥ 1 acre:50% Sites <1 acre: 80% Sites >1 acre:50%
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19).
Full Breakdown
Appendix B, the Table of Dimensional Regulations to the Zoning Ordinance, sets 'Lot Coverage by Buildings - maximum (%)' at 30%, rising to 40% on corner lots, across the RA, RB, RC, RAA and MUB residential districts (the MUB figure applies to uses allowed in a residential district; other MUB uses have no residential-style coverage cap). The Planned Business (PB), Industrial A, B and C (IA, IB, IC), and Waterfront Industrial (WI) districts, plus the AMC district, all cap coverage at 50%. In the Kings Highway and City Center Transit-Oriented Development overlay districts (KH-TOD, CC-TOD), sites under one acre may cover up to 80% of the lot, while sites of one acre or more are capped at 50%, the same table pairing each coverage limit with a minimum Green Space and Public Realm percentage, ranging from 35% in residential districts down to 10%-20% in business, industrial and larger overlay-district sites. The table was adopted with the original 2003 Zoning Ordinance and has been amended repeatedly, most recently through the Ordinance of August 21, 2025.
Violations & Fines
The Inspector of Buildings will not issue a building permit for plans that exceed the applicable district's lot coverage maximum, since Section 5450 ties permit issuance to site plan and zoning compliance. A landowner seeking relief from the cap must obtain a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals under M.G.L.A. c. 40A rather than build over the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum lot coverage for a house in New Bedford?
Can I build over the lot coverage limit in a New Bedford business district?
Are New Bedford's transit-oriented overlay districts different?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Bedford
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Lot Coverage Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bristol County handle lot coverage limits.