Building Setbacks & Zoning in Cambridge, MA (2026)
2 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Cambridge, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Residence C-1 lots in Cambridge must keep a 10-foot front yard and a 5-foot side or rear yard under the Zoning Ordinance's dimensional table. A dwelling need not set back further than the average of its immediate neighbors' setbacks, and shared-wall buildings can drop the side or rear setback to zero.
Cambridge Yard Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsCambridge Zoning Ordinance § 5.30, Table 5-1, Footnotes (3) and (4)
(3) A dwelling need not be set back from the street line, or building line where such may have been established on the lot, more than the average of the setbacks of the buildings, other than accessory buildings, on the lots adjacent thereto on either side. (4) The required side or rear yard setback may be reduced in either of the ways described below: (a) No side or rear yard setback shall be r...
Structure Height Limits
Cambridge caps residential buildings in the Residence C-1 district at 4 stories and 45 feet under the Zoning Ordinance's Table of Dimensional Requirements. A bonus path allows up to 6 stories and 74 feet if the project meets the Inclusionary Housing Requirements and sits on a lot of at least 5,000 square feet.
Cambridge Residential Height Limits
Some RestrictionsCambridge Zoning Ordinance § 5.30, Table 5-1, Footnote (2)
(2) The height of buildings or portions of buildings used as Residences or Religious Purposes Uses may exceed the base height limit, up to a maximum of 6 stories above grade and 74 feet above grade, if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The building or portions of the building used as Residences complies with the Inclusionary Housing Requirements in Section 11.203 of this Zoning Ordinan...