Building Setbacks & Zoning in Whatcom County, WA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
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.
Whatcom County Building Setback Requirements
Some RestrictionsWCC 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.
Structure Height Limits
Whatcom County caps building height by zoning district instead of countywide: WCC § 20.32.400 sets 35 feet in the Residential Rural district, matching the Urban Residential and Rural districts, while neighboring districts run higher or lower and every district must also clear the airport-overlay limits of WCC § 20.80.675 where a mapped Part 77 surface applies.
Whatcom County Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsWCC § 20.32.400
§ 20.32.400. Height limitations. 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.
Lot Coverage Limits
In Whatcom County's Residential Rural (RR) zone, the base rural zoning covering most of the unincorporated county, structures may occupy no more than 5,000 square feet or 20 percent of a lot, whichever is greater, capped absolutely at 25,000 square feet under WCC § 20.32.450. Rural community facilities may cover up to 35 percent, and farm buildings are exempt.
Whatcom County Rural Lot Coverage Cap
Some RestrictionsWhatcom County Code § 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. Public community facilities that serve a predominantly rural area shall occupy or cover no more than 35 percent of a lot, with no limitation on structure (or combination of structures) size. B...
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Whatcom County
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Whatcom County ordinances
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