Building Setbacks & Zoning in Medford, MA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Medford, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Medford's Table of Dimensional Requirements sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks by use and zoning district. A detached single-family home in an SF-1 district needs a 15-foot front yard, 7½-foot side yard, and 15-foot rear yard.
Medford Zoning Yard Setback Minimums by District
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 94-4.1 (Table B)
(feet) Landscaped Usable Front Side Rear Feet Stories ... ... 1. Detached single-family dwelling (a) In SF-1 districts N/A 7,000 35 50 55 N/A N/A 15 7½ 15 40% 35 2½
Structure Height Limits
Medford zoning caps any structure within 100 feet of an SF-1, SF-2, GR or APT-1 district boundary at four stories or 50 feet under § 94-4.2.6.3. Certain rooftop features such as church spires, water towers and chimneys may instead rise to 150% of the principal structure's height under § 94-4.2.6.2.
Medford Height Limit Near Low-Density Zones
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 94-4.2.6
94-4.2.6 Application of Height Requirements.1.The height restriction will be determined in accordance with the definition in section 94-4.2.6. ... 3.No structure within 100 feet of the boundary of an SF-1, SF-2, GR or APT-1 district shall exceed four stories, or 50 feet, in height.
Lot Coverage Limits
In the City of Medford, Massachusetts, the zoning ordinance caps lot coverage in the Mixed Use Zoning (MUZ) District at 45 percent for most buildings, or 85 percent where the principal structure is parking. The city council can raise either cap by special permit, to 49.5 percent or 93.5 percent. Below-grade parking does not count toward coverage under Section 94-9.1.3.
Medford MUZ District Lot Coverage Cap
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 94-9.1.3, 94-11.3.2
94-9.1.3 Landscaped Open Space; Lot Coverage. ... 2.Any lot in a MUZ District, other than a lot having a principal structure devoted primarily to parking uses, shall have lot coverage which does not exceed 45 percent, except that the city council may, by special permit granted pursuant to section 94-11.6, increase by ten percent (i.e., to 49.5 percent) the maximum lot coverage. Any lot in a MUZ...