Sterling Heights, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

04's area, height and bulk table governs the R-100, R-90, R-80, R-70 and R-60 one-family districts, and item 5 sets the height limit for every one of them identically: maximum height of building, two stories, 30 feet. 01 definition as the vertical distance measured from the established grade to the highest point on the roof surface for flat roofs, to the deck line of mansard roofs, and to the average height between eaves and ridge for gable, hip or gambrel roofs, with sloped-terrain buildings measured from the average grade level at the building wall.

05, Height Limitations and Exceptions, lets the Zoning Board of Appeals modify the ordinance's height limits for church spires, chimneys, flagpoles, belfries, cupolas, domes, water towers, power transmission lines and towers, radio and television towers, masts and aerials, smokestacks, ventilators, satellite dishes, derricks, cooling towers and other similar mechanical appurtenances, so a chimney or antenna above 30 feet is not automatically a violation the way an extra half-story would be. 04 table pairs the height cap with the district's other bulk numbers, including the 30 percent maximum lot coverage and minimum floor area per dwelling unit, so a homeowner planning a two-and-a-half-story addition needs both a height variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals and confirmation the addition still fits the lot coverage and setback limits.