Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Key FactsOrdinance TextFull BreakdownViolationsFAQSourcesMore in Skagit County

Skagit County, WA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Eligible zones
8 zones only, SCC 14.78.040
Example density
Ag-NRL: 80 ac min, 1 du/40 ac, 6/cluster pod
Sole-source aquifer
No density bonus on Guemes Island absent outside water
Samish River Basin
Bonus capped per SCC 14.24.340(3)(c)
Alternative water system
Type 3 Hearing Examiner review, SCC 14.06.150

Summary

Unincorporated Skagit County lets a conservation and reserve development (CaRD) cluster smaller lots than the base zone allows, but SCC 14.78.050(2)(c) strips that density bonus entirely in sole-source aquifer areas like Guemes Island unless water comes from outside the aquifer, and (2)(d) caps the bonus further in the Samish River Basin.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Skagit County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(c) In areas designated as having a “sole-source aquifer,” e.g., Guemes Island, there is no density bonus for CaRD developments above the density limits in the underlying zone unless the source of water is from a public water system whose source is outside the sole-source aquifer area or from an approved alternative water system pursuant to SCC Chapter 12.48. ... (d) In the Samish River Basin, the CaRD density bonus is limited as provided in SCC 14.24.340(3)(c).

View official code

Full Breakdown

030(1). 040: Agriculture-NRL, Industrial Forest-NRL, Secondary Forest-NRL, Rural Resource-NRL, Rural Intermediate, Rural Reserve, Rural Village Residential, and the Hamilton Urban Reserve. 050-1 sets, per zone, the minimum contiguous acreage needed to use a CaRD, the maximum gross residential density, and the maximum number of dwelling units allowed in a single cluster pod; in the Ag-NRL zone, for example, a CaRD needs 80 contiguous acres to reach 1 dwelling unit per 40 acres with up to 6 units per cluster pod. 050(2) then narrows that density bonus in two places the county treats as sensitive.

150, with the Examiner required to find no adverse impact on the aquifer. 340(3)(c). Development rights also cannot be shifted from a higher-density zone to a lower-density zone within a mixed-zone CaRD, per (2)(e).

Violations & Fines

A CaRD application on Guemes Island or elsewhere within a designated sole-source aquifer that cannot show a qualifying outside water source is capped at the underlying zone's ordinary density, with the extra clustered lots denied. Seeking the alternative-system route instead routes the application through a Type 3 Hearing Examiner review under SCC 14.06.150, where the county can reject the water system on aquifer-impact grounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Skagit County allow a density bonus for clustering rural lots?
Yes, through a conservation and reserve development (CaRD) under SCC Chapter 14.78, but only in eight listed zones such as Ag-NRL and Rural Intermediate, and only when open space is permanently set aside per SCC 14.78.030.
Can a CaRD get a density bonus on Guemes Island?
Not from local groundwater. SCC 14.78.050(2)(c) blocks any CaRD density bonus in sole-source aquifer areas like Guemes Island unless the project's water comes from a public system sourced outside the aquifer or an approved alternative system reviewed by the Hearing Examiner.
What limits the CaRD bonus in the Samish River Basin?
SCC 14.78.050(2)(d) caps the CaRD density bonus there at whatever SCC 14.24.340(3)(c) allows, a separate critical-areas restriction tied to the Samish watershed rather than the standard Table 14.78.050-1 density.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Skagit County

Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash LawsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: FireworksSome Restrictions

All Skagit County rules

Compare Skagit County to another location·View the Washington zoning overlays & bonuses overview

Get notified when Density Bonus Law in Skagit County, WA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.