Lower Merion, PA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 155-3.3 sets the Township-wide method: building height is measured from the mean grade at the corners of the building to the top of the roof, or from the mean grade of the proposed building's corners if no building yet exists on the lot. Stories are measured floor to floor for multistory buildings and floor to roof for single-story buildings, and a residential story is capped at 14 feet, with total building height ultimately governed by the underlying zoning district's table. For LDR1 and LDR2, the lowest-density residential districts covering most of Lower Merion's single-family neighborhoods, Table 4.1.1 sets the principal building at two to three stories up to 35 feet, an accessory building at two stories up to 20 feet, and an accessory structure at one story up to 15 feet.

A footnote allows a principal building up to 40 feet if the required rear and side setbacks are each increased five feet for every additional foot of height above 35 feet. Chimneys and up to one cupola or similar projection may exceed the maximum height by up to 10 feet under Section 155-3.4. Mezzanines occupying more than half the floor below count as an additional story, and mechanical equipment on a roof must be screened to the minimum height needed to shield it from the street and neighboring ground level.

Vertical projections not used for human habitation may exceed the district's maximum height. A property owner who wants to exceed these numeric limits must seek relief from the Zoning Hearing Board under Article XI, Process and Procedures, since the height table is a dimensional standard, not a discretionary permit.