Hillsboro, OR Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- CDC Table 12.21.450-1, R-6 zone
- Height cap
- 2½ stories or 35 feet, whichever is less
- Measurement rule
- CDC § 12.50.140(B), from finished grade
- Minimum height
- None
- Exceeding the cap
- Requires Variance/Adjustment, § 12.80.150
- Effective date
- Applies to structures built after Sept. 4, 2014
Summary
In Hillsboro's R-6 (single detached, duplex and triplex) residential zone, Table 12.21.450-1 caps building height at '2½ stories or 35 feet, whichever is less.' Height is measured under Community Development Code § 12.50.140 from finished grade at the center of the front building plane, following the illustrated methods in Figure 12.50.140-A for flat, mansard and pitched or hip roofs; the standard applies citywide within the R-6 zone, one of several residential base zones.
Table 12.21.450-1: Development Standards in the SR-6 Zone ... Maximum Building Height* 2½ stories or 35 feet, whichever is less. See measurement and illustration in Section 12.50.140; see also definition of half-story in Section 12.01.500. Maximum height for cottage clusters is in Subsection 15.50.715.E.4. ... B.Standards and Measurement Methodology.1.Standards. Except as provided under subsections C and D below, structures built after September 4, 2014 must comply with the maximum (and minimum if applicable) building height standards of the applicable base zone... 2. ... building height is measured from finished grade at the center of the front building plane.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
450, sets the base development standards for Hillsboro's R-6 residential zone, including minimum lot sizes of 6,000 square feet for a single detached dwelling, duplex or triplex and 7,000 square feet for a quadplex or cottage cluster, reflecting the middle-housing types Oregon's HB 2001 requires the city to allow. 500. There is no minimum building height in the R-6 zone. 140-A illustrates separate measurement methods for flat roofs, mansard roofs, and pitched or hip roofs, since a peaked roof's highest point is not simply averaged the same way as a flat parapet. 150. 4 rather than the 35-foot cap. 450-A so that height, coverage and setback interact as a single development envelope rather than isolated numbers.
Violations & Fines
Construction exceeding the 35-foot or 2½-story cap in Table 12.21.450-1 without an approved Variance or Adjustment under Section 12.80.150 is a Development Code violation, enforceable through the Building Division's plan-review and permitting process; the Building Official can withhold a building permit or certificate of occupancy for a structure that does not conform to the approved height and measurement standard in Section 12.50.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in Hillsboro's R-6 zone?
How is building height measured in Hillsboro?
Do cottage clusters follow the same 35-foot height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsboro
Compare Hillsboro to another location·View the Oregon building setbacks & zoning overview
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Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washington County handle structure height limits.