Leominster, MA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- RC district height cap
- 35 ft, 3 stories (40 ft on 5+ acres)
- RA/RR district height cap
- 30 ft, 2.5 stories
- BB business district height cap
- 60 ft, 5 stories
- Industrial (abutting residence) cap
- 90 ft, 5 stories
- Exempt from height cap
- Chimneys, spires, antennas, towers
- Fine for violation
- Up to $300 per day
Summary
Leominster caps residential building height by zoning district in the Table of Dimensional Regulations at City Code § 22-40. In the RC district a building tops out at thirty-five feet, rising to forty feet on lots of five acres or more, while commercial BB-district buildings may reach sixty feet across five stories.
District Qualifier Minimum Lot Area, Square Feet (acres) Maximum Impervious Coverage, Percent of Total Lot Area Minimum, Feet Maximum Lot Frontage Lot Width Side Yard Front Yard Rear Yard Height, Feet Number of Stories ... RC Conversion of single- or two-family residence for one additional dwelling unit 5,000 None 50 70 8 15 15 35 8 3 ... BB All 5,000 None 20 None 10 3 None None 60 5 ... 8 Lots with at least five acres in area will have a maximum of forty feet in height.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24).
Full Breakdown
Section 22-40's Table of Dimensional Regulations sets a maximum height, in feet, and a maximum number of stories for every zoning district, and the two figures do not move together in a simple way. In the Residence C (RC) district, which allows conversions for an additional dwelling unit and multi-family development, the table lists a thirty-five-foot, three-story maximum, but footnote 8 raises that ceiling to forty feet for lots that have at least five acres of area. The single-family RA district caps height at thirty feet and two and one-half stories, and the rural RR district uses the same thirty-foot, two-and-one-half-story figure.
Commercial and industrial districts allow considerably more. The BB business district permits a sixty-foot, five-story building, and, unlike the residential districts, the table lists 'None' for BB's front and rear yard columns, meaning that district trades yard setbacks for its taller building envelope. The industrial (I) district allows a ninety-foot, five-story building where it abuts a residence district. Overlay districts push higher still: the health care overlay district (HCO) allows up to ninety-eight feet and five stories in parts of the district, and the downtown overlay district (DO) allows nonresidential redevelopment up to seventy-five feet and six stories under Section 22-30.4.1.1. Section 22-36.7 separately exempts chimneys, spires, domes, radio towers, antennas and similar roof-mounted appurtenances from the height limit outside airport flight paths.
Violations & Fines
A building that exceeds the height or story limit listed for its district violates the zoning ordinance, and the director of inspections can withhold a building permit for plans that show a structure taller than Section 22-40 allows. Section 22-15 punishes a zoning violation with a fine of up to three hundred dollars per violation, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense, or the city may pursue noncriminal disposition tickets starting at one hundred dollars for a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a house in Leominster?
Why can a larger lot in the RC district have a taller house?
Do chimneys or antennas count toward the height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Leominster
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