Building Setbacks & Zoning in Wicomico County, MD (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Unincorporated Wicomico County measures every building setback against the Schedule of District Regulations in § 225-74, but § 225-70 fixes hard numbers for accessory structures: five feet from rear and side lines for accessory buildings in residential and A-1 districts, and an eight-foot maximum fence height with its own five-foot front setback.
Wicomico County Yard Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsWicomico County Code § 225-70
A. No portion of any building may be located on any lot closer to any lot or property line than is authorized in the table set forth in § 225-74. ... (1) All accessory buildings and structures shall be contained within the setback requirements as established for the front, rear and side setback requirement provisions of the principal building within each district, except as enumerated below ......
Structure Height Limits
In unincorporated Wicomico County, § 225-71 sets the method for measuring building height, from average finished grade to the roof peak, mansard deck, or mid-point between eaves and ridge, with district-specific maximums fixed in the § 225-74 Schedule of District Regulations. Belfries, chimneys, flagpoles, silos and similar rooftop features are exempt from those height caps.
Wicomico County Building Height Rules
Some RestrictionsWicomico County Code § 225-71
A. For purposes of this section: ... (1) The height of a building is the vertical distance measured from the average elevation of the proposed or existing finished grade to the highest point of the roof for flat roofs ... and to the mean height between eaves and ridge for gable, hip and gambrel roofs. ... ... B. Subject to the remaining provisions of this section, building height limitations in...
Lot Coverage Limits
In the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area of unincorporated Wicomico County, § 125-20H caps man-made impervious surface at 15% of the gross site area, with higher grandfathered limits for small parcels that existed before December 1, 1985: up to 25% for a half-acre lot, or 31.25% under added mitigation conditions.
Wicomico County Critical Area Impervious Limit
Significant RestrictionsWicomico County Code § 125-20(H)
H. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection for stormwater runoff, man-made impervious surfaces are limited to 15% of the gross site area except as follows: ... (1) If a parcel or lot 1/2 acre or less in size existed on or before December 1, 1985, then man-made impervious surfaces are limited to 25% of the parcel or lot. Impervious surfaces on such parcels or lots may cover up to 31.25% ...
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