Allegany County, MD Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Table 2, Lot Size, Setback and Height Requirements, at § 360-126 sets the Maximum Height column that governs every principal structure by use rather than by zoning district. A single-family dwelling or mobile home tops out at 30 feet no matter whether the lot runs on public water and sewer, public sewer only, public water only, or a private well and septic system; only the minimum lot area and width change with the utility source, not the height cap. Two-family dwellings, duplexes and townhouses are likewise capped at 30 feet, while multifamily buildings housing three or more families climb to 40 feet.

On the accessory-structure side of the table, a residential accessory building is capped at 30 feet, footnoted to note that height and area limitations are further controlled by the Building Code of Allegany County, meaning the structural building code can impose an additional ceiling beyond the zoning number. Nonresidential uses run taller: major commercial, neighborhood commercial and commercial uses sited in the GU District are each capped at 40 feet, and institutional uses reach 50 feet, all under the same Building Code footnote. Industrial principal structures and nonresidential accessory structures carry no fixed maximum, listed as 'N/A' in Table 2's height column, leaving the Building Code and any special setback and height requirements in § 360-128 as the operative limits for those uses. Anyone building above these figures needs a variance from the Board of Appeals rather than a routine land use permit.