Maximum building height in unincorporated Pierce County is set by zone. Residential zones such as Suburban Residential (SR), Residential Resource (RR), and ROC are capped at 35 feet, while rural zones like R5 through R40 allow 40 feet. Denser and commercial zones permit more.
Table 18A.15.040 caps maximum building height by zone: ROC, RR, and SR at 35 feet; ARL, FL, R5, R10, R20, R40, and similar rural zones at 40 feet; MHR, HRD, and Middle Housing at 45 feet; and mixed-use, employment, and center zones at 55 to 65 feet. Building height is measured from the average finished grade on each wall to the top of a flat, shed, or mansard roof, or to the average between eaves and ridge on a pitched roof. Spires, chimneys, antennas, and rooftop mechanical equipment may project above the limit under stated conditions. Community-plan overlays can be more restrictive.
Exceeding the zone height limit without a variance is a zoning violation. Enforcement can require redesign, a stop-work order, or removal of the over-height portion before a permit is finalized.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard residential composting is allowed and encouraged in Pierce County with no permit, but a compost pile that creates odor, attracts vermin, or otherwis...
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Pierce County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting or permitting synthetic/artificial turf on residential lots. Installation must still meet general zon...
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Pierce County encourages native and drought-tolerant plantings and requires native-vegetation retention on many development sites, but homeowners are free to...
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Rooftop rainwater collection is broadly allowed in Washington, and Pierce County has no ordinance prohibiting residential rain barrels or cisterns; larger sy...
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Pierce County government sets no county-wide residential watering schedule; outdoor watering rules are set by your water provider — mainly Tacoma Water and l...
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Every Pierce County landowner has an enforceable duty under RCW 17.10.140 to eradicate class A noxious weeds and control listed class B and C weeds. The Pier...
See how Pierce County's structure height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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