Boston, MA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing table
- Zoning Code Art. 13, § 13-1, Table B
- S-.3 / S-.5 / R-.5 cap
- 2½ stories, 35 feet
- R-.8 cap
- 3 stories, 35 feet
- H-1-40 (row house) cap
- 40 feet, per footnote 11
- Variance authority
- Board of Appeal, Zoning Code Art. 7
- Enforcing office
- Building Commissioner (Art. 5, § 5-1)
Summary
Article 13's citywide dimensional table caps building height for Boston's standard single- and two-family districts at 2½ stories and 35 feet: S-.3, S-.5 and R-.5 all use that ceiling, and R-.8 allows a third story at the same 35-foot line. Denser H, L, B and M districts step up from there, some capped only by floor area ratio and footnoted overlays near Boston Common.
Section 13-1. - Dimensional Regulations. Minimum lot size, minimum lot area per dwelling unit, minimum lot width, maximum height of buildings, minimum usable open space per dwelling unit, minimum front yard depth, minimum side yard width, minimum rear yard depth, minimum setback distance of parapet from any lot line, and maximum percent of rear yard occupied by accessory buildings for each class of use shall ... be as specified in the following table. ... DISTRICT TYPE OF USE ... HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS stories / feet ... S-.3 1 family detached ... 2½ / 35 ... S-.5 1 family detached ... 2½ / 35 ... R-.5 1 & 2 family detached ... 2½ / 35 ... R-.8 1 & 2 family row ... 3 / 35.
Full Breakdown
Section 13-1 directs that maximum height of buildings for each class of use, along with lot size, lot width, floor area ratio and yard depths, shall be as specified in the following table, Table B of Article 13. 5 district applies the same 2½ stories and 35 feet to one- and two-family detached dwellings. 8, which allows one- and two-family row houses, still holds to 35 feet but permits a third story. The table does not use one flat citywide number: the H series of districts steps the cap upward by footnoted formula (H-1 through H-5 run from 40 feet to no fixed maximum, governed instead by floor area ratio), and two footnotes carve out separate height ceilings for buildings within one hundred feet of the streets bounding Boston Common and the Public Garden (Section 16-6) and for the block bounded by Blagden and Exeter Streets and Huntington Avenue (Section 16-9).
A district written with a second numerical suffix, such as H-2-55, substitutes that number as its maximum height in feet in place of the 'none' shown in Table B, per footnote 15 and Section 3-1A(i). For a typical one- or two-family house in Boston's low-rise residential neighborhoods, 35 feet and 2½ stories is the operative ceiling.
Violations & Fines
Building above the Table B ceiling without relief violates Article 4, Section 4-1's conformity requirement, and Section 4-3 blocks a certificate of occupancy until the Building Commissioner certifies the completed structure meets the applicable regulations. The Building Commissioner enforces the code under Section 5-1; an owner seeking additional height must obtain a variance from the Board of Appeal under Article 7, filed on the Board's prescribed form and decided after a public hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the height limit for a single-family home in Boston?
Does every Boston district use the same height cap?
Are there special height rules near Boston Common?
Can I build taller than Table B allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boston
Compare Boston to another location·View the Massachusetts building setbacks & zoning overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle structure height limits.