Building Setbacks & Zoning in Boston, MA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Boston, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Boston's Zoning Code sets a separate front, side and rear yard minimum for every district in Table B of Section 13-1. In the base S-.3 single-family district, for example, a lot must carry a 25-foot front yard, a 12-foot side yard and a 40-foot rear yard, with narrower or wider minimums specified district by district.
Boston Yard Setback Minimums by Zone
Some RestrictionsBoston Zoning Code Art. 13, § 13-1, Table B; Art. 18, § 18-1
Minimum lot size, minimum lot area per dwelling unit, minimum lot width, maximum height of buildings, minimum usable open space per dwelling unit, minimum front yard depth, minimum side yard width, minimum rear yard depth, minimum setback distance of parapet from any lot line, and maximum percent of rear yard occupied by accessory buildings for each class of use shall...be as specified in the f...
Structure Height Limits
Article 13's citywide dimensional table caps building height for Boston's standard single- and two-family districts at 2½ stories and 35 feet: S-.3, S-.5 and R-.5 all use that ceiling, and R-.8 allows a third story at the same 35-foot line. Denser H, L, B and M districts step up from there, some capped only by floor area ratio and footnoted overlays near Boston Common.
Boston Residential Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsBoston Zoning Code Art. 13, § 13-1, Table B
Section 13-1. - Dimensional Regulations. Minimum lot size, minimum lot area per dwelling unit, minimum lot width, maximum height of buildings, minimum usable open space per dwelling unit, minimum front yard depth, minimum side yard width, minimum rear yard depth, minimum setback distance of parapet from any lot line, and maximum percent of rear yard occupied by accessory buildings for each clas...
Lot Coverage Limits
Boston's base zoning table (Article 13) does not cap lot coverage for standard S, R and H residential districts; it controls density through floor area ratio instead. The city's Squares + Streets districts (Article 26) are the exception: Table B sets maximum building lot coverage by district and lot size, from 60% in S0 up to 90% in S3 and S4 for lots under 11,000 square feet.
Boston Squares + Streets Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsBoston Zoning Code Art. 2, § 2-1; Art. 26, § 26-2, Table B
Building Lot Coverage. The cumulative percentage of Lot Area covered by the largest Building Floor Plate of each building on the lot. Excludes any one story detached building that is exempt from building code such as small tool or storage sheds, playhouses, and the like. ... C.Dimensional Regulations Applicable in Squares + Streets Districts. Dimensional Regulations for Squares + Streets distri...