Everett, MA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Dwelling districts
- 3 stories or 45 feet maximum, and not above neighbor average
- Neighbor average test
- Average height of buildings within 200 feet of the lot
- Apartment districts
- 4 stories, not to exceed 60 feet maximum
- Business districts
- 4 stories, not to exceed 65 feet maximum
- Accessory buildings
- Two stories and/or 20 feet in apartment and business districts
- Zoning fine
- Not more than $20.00 per offense, each day
Summary
In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, a structure in a dwelling district cannot exceed the average height of buildings within 200 feet of the lot, three stories, or 45 feet maximum. Apartment districts allow four stories and 60 feet maximum, and business districts allow four stories and 65 feet maximum, under the Everett Zoning Ordinance.
B. Dimensional Requirements. ... 3. Height: a. No structure shall exceed the average height of buildings within two hundred (200) feet of the lot, exceed three stories, or exceed a height of forty-five (45) feet maximum. i. Not applicable to church spires, belfries, cupolas, chimneys, radio and flag poles, water tanks or hose towers are not more than fifty (50) percent higher than the average height of the roof of the main structure.
Full Breakdown
In the City of Everett, Massachusetts, residential height is set district by district in the Everett Zoning Ordinance. For a dwelling district, Section 4(B)(3) stacks three ceilings in one sentence: no structure shall exceed the average height of buildings within 200 feet of the lot, exceed three stories, or exceed a height of 45 feet maximum. Church spires, belfries, cupolas, chimneys, radio and flag poles, water tanks and hose towers are carved out when they are not more than 50 percent higher than the average height of the roof of the main structure.
Apartment districts allow more. Section 5(B)(4) sets four stories, not to exceed 60 feet maximum, and says penthouses are not subject to the four-story limitation provided the total height of the building including penthouses does not exceed 60 feet. Spires, cupolas, chimneys, water tanks, hose towers and penthouses together cannot exceed 25 percent of the first-floor area in aggregate. Business districts under Section 6(B)(3) allow four stories, not to exceed 65 feet maximum.
Accessory buildings carry their own cap: not more than two stories and/or 20 feet in apartment districts under Section 5(B)(8), and two stories and 20 feet in business districts under Section 6(B)(7). Section 4(A)(1) requires any addition to a converted dwelling to comply with the front, side and rear yard requirements and height limitations, and Section 3(E) permits alteration of a nonconforming single, two or three family residential structure only if the change does not increase its nonconforming nature. Relief from the numbers goes to the Board of Appeals, which hears variances under Chapter 40A, section 10, including variances for uses not permitted by the ordinance.
Violations & Fines
A structure built above the dwelling district limits violates Section 4(B)(3), and Zoning Section 13 sets the fine at not more than $20.00 for each offense and for each day the offense continues. Work started before a building permit issues costs double: Section 4-1(c)(3) doubles the established permit fee, and the fee schedule lists $15.00 per $1,000 of estimated cost with a $40.00 minimum. A taller structure needs a variance from the Board of Appeals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in Everett, Massachusetts?
Do chimneys and flagpoles count toward the height limit?
What are the height limits in apartment and business districts?
Who can grant a taller building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
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Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle structure height limits.