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

2-1 caps residential building height in the R-A zone at 3 stories and 38 feet, with no height limit stated for non-residential uses in that district. 3-1 repeats the identical 3 stories and 38 feet cap for residential buildings in the R-90 zone, but adds a 45-foot cap for non-residential buildings there. 4-1) again caps residential height at 3 stories and 38 feet with a 45-foot non-residential cap, and the RB residential buffer zone repeats the same 3-story, 38-foot residential figure. Denser zones scale the limit to the housing type built: the R-20 zone allows single-family detached and most residential uses only 3 stories and 38 feet, but permits townhomes, stacked, triplex and quadplex dwellings up to 4 stories and 48 feet, and multifamily attached buildings up to 6 stories and 72 feet.

The R-18 zone follows the same tiered pattern for its denser housing types. 9-1 and instead limiting rear setback increases (one additional foot of rear setback for every foot of building height above 72 feet). 11-1.