Somerville height limits run from 2.5 stories in NR districts to 6+ stories in MR and transit-oriented areas around Union Square and Assembly.
The Somerville Zoning Ordinance caps building height by district. Neighborhood Residence (NR) districts limit principal buildings to 2.5 stories and roughly 35 feet to preserve the triple-decker streetscape. Urban Residence and Mid-Rise districts step up to 4 to 6 stories, and Commercial Corridor (CC) and Commercial Business (CB) districts along Broadway, Somerville Ave, and Highland Ave allow 5 stories. Assembly Square, Union Square, and Boynton Yards have specialized overlay districts permitting 7 to 20+ stories with design review. Height is measured per the SZO definition and excludes specified rooftop mechanicals, parapets up to 4 feet, and solar arrays within limits. Accessory structures such as sheds and garages are capped near 15 feet. Historic district buildings have additional restrictions.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Somerville, MA
Somerville restricts amplified music through its noise ordinance and entertainment licensing, with plainly-audible standards at property lines and stricter c...
Somerville, MA
Somerville limits construction noise to daytime and early-evening weekday hours with shorter Saturday windows and a full Sunday and holiday prohibition, refl...
Somerville, MA
Overnight street parking in Somerville requires a resident permit citywide. Snow emergencies trigger odd-even or posted-side bans.
Somerville, MA
Commercial vehicles over 2.5 tons cannot park overnight on Somerville residential streets. Loading zones are time-limited and signed by block.
Somerville, MA
Most Somerville streets are resident-permit zones. Non-residents are limited to 2 hours on posted blocks from 8 AM to 8 PM daily including weekends.
Somerville, MA
Somerville requires a building permit for most fence installations, with historic districts adding a Historic Preservation Commission review step for visible...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle structure height limits.
See how Somerville's structure height limits rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.