Parma, OH Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max building coverage
- 15% of lot (apartment districts)
- Min landscaped area
- 50% of lot
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances § 1187.04
- Single/two-family lots
- controlled by lot area, not %
- Reviewing body
- Parma Planning Commission
Summary
Parma caps apartment-house building footprints at 15% of the lot in Multifamily Districts and requires at least half the site to stay landscaped, keeping density and impervious surface in check under the Planning and Zoning Code.
Not more than fifteen percent of the area of any lot, parcel or site upon which any apartment house building is situated shall be covered with buildings. The term "building," as used herein, includes each main building, accessory building and structure on such lot, parcel or site. The building coverage of any such lot, parcel or site shall be construed as the total area of the: (1) Largest level (in area) of each main building; (2) Ground level of each accessory building and structure; and (3) Exposed roof of each accessory building or structure which extends beyond four feet from a building wall.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
04, any lot, parcel or site holding an apartment house building may not have more than fifteen percent of its area covered by buildings, counting each main building, accessory building and structure, measured at the largest level of the main building, the ground level of accessory structures, and any exposed roof extending more than four feet beyond a wall. The same section requires at least fifty percent of the site to be landscaped, defined as walks, terraces, recreation areas, lawns, shrubs, trees or other plantings, exclusive of driveways, parking and loading areas.
01 (as small as 4,800 square feet with sanitary sewers in a 'B' Area District) and through the yard and setback requirements in Chapters 1189, 1191 and 1193. A developer proposing an apartment project should calculate both the 15% building coverage ceiling and the 50% landscaping floor before submitting site plans to the Planning Commission, since exceeding the coverage cap or falling short on landscaping will stall plan approval regardless of parking or unit-count compliance.
Violations & Fines
A site plan exceeding the 15% coverage limit or missing the 50% landscaping minimum is rejected at Planning Commission review under Section 1123.99, the general Planning and Zoning Code penalty section; a builder who proceeds without correcting the plan is guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, plus all costs and expenses of the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Parma limit lot coverage for a single-family house?
What counts toward the 15% apartment coverage limit?
Can the landscaping requirement be reduced for parking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
Compare Parma to another location·View the Ohio building setbacks & zoning overview
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