Spokane setbacks are set in SMC 17C.110. Single-family residential zones typically require 15-ft front, 5-ft side, and 15-ft rear setbacks. HB 1110 middle-housing reform (2023) mandates flexibility for duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes on single-family lots.
Spokane Municipal Code 17C.110 governs residential setbacks. In Residential Single-Family (RSF) zones, typical minimums are 15 feet front, 5 feet side, and 15 feet rear, with reductions allowed for corner lots and narrow lots. Washington HB 1110 (2023, codified in RCW 36.70A.635) requires cities over 25,000 like Spokane to allow at least two units on all lots zoned for detached single-family residences, and up to four units in areas near frequent transit by June 30, 2025. This law preempts certain restrictive setback, lot-area, and density standards when they prevent middle-housing development. Spokane is updating its zoning code to comply. The Shoreline Master Program adds setbacks along the Spokane River. Critical-area buffers (wetlands, steep slopes) can exceed zoning setbacks.
Structures encroaching into setbacks require removal, variance, or after-the-fact permits with penalty fees (typically 2x normal).
Spokane, WA
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Spokane, WA
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See how Spokane's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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