Cambridge, MA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Res. C-1 base height
- 4 stories / 45 feet
- Bonus height with inclusionary housing
- 6 stories / 74 feet
- Bonus lot size minimum
- 5,000 sq. ft.
- Notification trigger
- over 3 stories / 35 feet
- Governing table
- Zoning Ordinance Table 5-1, § 5.30
- Current supplement
- Supplement No. 8, Jan. 2026
Summary
Cambridge caps residential buildings in the Residence C-1 district at 4 stories and 45 feet under the Zoning Ordinance's Table of Dimensional Requirements. A bonus path allows up to 6 stories and 74 feet if the project meets the Inclusionary Housing Requirements and sits on a lot of at least 5,000 square feet.
(2) The height of buildings or portions of buildings used as Residences or Religious Purposes Uses may exceed the base height limit, up to a maximum of 6 stories above grade and 74 feet above grade, if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The building or portions of the building used as Residences complies with the Inclusionary Housing Requirements in Section 11.203 of this Zoning Ordinance, regardless of whether it exceeds the size threshold requiring compliance; and (b) The area of the lot on which the building is located is not less than 5,000 square feet.
Full Breakdown
30 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance sets the base height limit for residential and religious-purpose uses in the Residence C-1 district at 4 stories above grade and 45 feet, per Table 5-1 and Footnote (2). 203 (regardless of whether the project would otherwise trigger that section by size) and the lot is not smaller than 5,000 square feet. 3 explains how these limits attach: residential and religious uses are bounded by both the maximum Stories Above Grade and the maximum height in feet, so tall individual stories cannot be used to reach the foot limit while exceeding the story count.
31 a-j, it may rise above the district's non-residential height limit but never above the residential limit. 1 exclude chimneys, water towers, elevator bulkheads, skylights, ventilators, qualifying solar equipment, and small domes or spires occupying under 10% of the lot area from the height count. Footnote (37) adds a separate procedural check: in a Residence C-1 district, a building permit applicant for a building exceeding 3 stories and 35 feet that does not otherwise require Planning Board Advisory Consultation or a special permit must hold an abutter notification meeting, distribute a flyer, and mail notice to abutters and abutters-to-abutters within 300 feet before the City issues the permit.
Violations & Fines
The Inspectional Services Department (Superintendent of Buildings) reviews building permit applications against the Table 5-1 height and story limits in Section 5.30 before issuance; a proposal exceeding the applicable story or foot limit cannot be permitted as-of-right and requires a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeal under Section 10.30 or qualification for the Footnote (2) inclusionary bonus. Buildings that trigger Footnote (37)'s abutter-notification threshold cannot receive a permit until the developer documents that the meeting, flyer distribution, and mailed notice occurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be built in Cambridge's Residence C-1 district?
Do rooftop features count toward the height limit?
Does a taller building in Residence C-1 require notifying neighbors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
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Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle structure height limits.