Kent, WA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

170 development standards table for the agricultural (A-10) and residential (NR-L, NR-S, NR-2, NR-3, NR-4A, NR-4B) zoning districts sets four separate yard lines: minimum front yard, minimum side yard, minimum side yard on the flanking street of a corner lot, and minimum rear yard. A-10 and NR-L require a 20-foot front yard, 15-foot side yards, a 20-foot flanking-street side yard on corner lots, and a 20-foot rear yard (15 feet in NR-L). NR-S drops to a 10-foot front yard, 5-foot side yards, a 10-foot corner flanking yard, and a 5-foot rear yard.

NR-2 matches NR-S on front and side yards but requires a 10-foot rear yard. NR-3, NR-4A and NR-4B keep the 10-foot front yard and 5-foot side yard but raise the corner flanking-street yard to 15 feet and the rear yard back to 20 feet. 180 modify these baseline numbers: footnote (6) lets porches and private shared courtyard features be built within the front setback line; footnote (8) allows the planning manager to approve a front yard of less than 20 feet based on public works review of traffic and right-of-way needs; footnote (11) caps each side yard at no more than 30 feet regardless of lot width, with a 10-foot minimum for enhanced service facilities; and footnote (30) permits a 3-foot side yard for single-family and middle housing in place of the standard 5 feet if fire hydrants are spaced no more than 300 feet apart with a 1,500 gpm minimum flow and emergency access roads reach within 150 feet of the structure, subject to Washington State Building Council approval. 180(12) sets a 50-foot setback from any property line for structures housing or feeding animals other than household pets.