3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Whatcom County, Title 20 zoning sets minimum yards from property lines. Rural Residential lots hold between 20 and 45 feet off the road depending on its classification, plus 5-foot side and rear yards. Bellingham, Lynden, and Ferndale write their own.
WCC 20.80.210
All structures, including accessory structures, shall be placed on their lots in compliance with the requirements of the setback table (subsection (5)(b) of this section), except as may otherwise be provided in this title.
Whatcom County caps building height by zoning district. The Rural Residential district limits structures to 35 feet under WCC 20.32.400. Land near Bellingham International Airport carries added height limits under WCC 20.80.675. Cities set their own caps.
WCC 20.32.400
Maximum height shall be limited to 35 feet. Height of structures shall also conform, where applicable, to the general requirements of WCC § 20.80.675.
Whatcom County limits how much of a lot structures may cover, set by zoning district. Rural Residential lots may be covered by the greater of 5,000 square feet or 20 percent, capped at 25,000 square feet. Farm buildings are exempt.
WCC 20.32.450
Except as follows, no structure or combination of structures shall occupy or cover more than 5,000 square feet or 20 percent, whichever is greater, of the total lot area, not to exceed 25,000 square feet.
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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