Grand Rapids, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- LDR max height
- 35 ft / 2½ stories
- TN/MCN-MDR max height
- 45 ft / 3 stories
- MON-MDR max height
- 52 ft / 3½ stories
- SLU exception ceiling
- up to 120 ft, MON-MDR
- Enforced by
- Planning Director; appeals to BZA
Summary
Grand Rapids caps residential building height at 35 feet (2½ stories) in Low Density Residential districts and up to 52 feet (3½ stories) in Medium Density Residential districts, under the Zoning Ordinance's district height table.
Maximum Height Residential Permitted Use Stories 2 ½ 3 2 ½ 3 2 ½ 3 ½ 5.5.07.B.1. Feet 35 45 35 45 35 52 Residential SLU Stories 3 4 3 6 3 8 5.5.07.B.2 Feet 45 60 45 90 45 120 Non-Residential Stories 3 3 3 3 3 3 ½ 5.5.07.B.1. Feet 45 45 45 45 45 52 Materials Residential R R R R R R 5.5.07.C. Non-residential R R R R R R Façade Variation Multiple-Family and Non-residential R R R R — — 5.5.07.D. Building Orientation R R R R — — 5.5.07.E. Entrance R R R R — — 5.5.07.E. Transparency (% of building wall area) Front All residential 20 20 15 15 15 15 5.5.07.F. Side Detached, attached single-family 3 windows minimum at 6 sq. ft. each — Two-family, multiple-family 10 10 10 10 10 10 — Non-Residential Front 40 40 40 40 40 40 — Side 20 20 20 20 10 10 — Transitional Features R R R R R R 5.5.07.G. Streetscape Design R R R R R R 5.11.13. S = Special Land Use; R = Rules Apply; "-" = Not Applicable.
B.Building Height.1.See Section 5.2.06. Building Height for additional information and exceptions. In keeping with the character of the TN Neighborhood Classification the entire height of the first floor or ground floor shall be at or above grade.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Table 5.5.07.A in Chapter 61 (Zoning Ordinance), Article 5, sets maximum building height for Residential Permitted Uses by Neighborhood Classification and Zone District: 35 ft/2½ stories in every LDR (Low Density Residential) district, rising to 45 ft/3 stories in TN-MDR and MCN-MDR, and 52 ft/3½ stories in MON-MDR. A Residential Special Land Use approved by the Planning Commission can raise these limits substantially, up to 120 feet in MON-MDR. Height itself is measured under Sec. 5.2.06 using story and grade-line rules; the 1969/2008 legacy districts no longer apply.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the district height limit or building without required approvals is a municipal civil infraction under Sec. 5.14.07, escalating to a misdemeanor (up to $500 fine or 90 days) on a fourth offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kent County handle structure height limits.