Overview
Worth knowing
- Washington State HB 1110 (effective 2024) mandates duplex by-right in single-family zones for all cities and fourplex by-right in transit-accessible single-family zones (RCW 36.70A.620)
- Washington State HB 1337 (effective 2024) mandates one ADU by-right on single-family residential lots statewide (RCW 36.70B.030)
- Washington State HB 2057 provides density bonus for EV charging infrastructure
+ 8 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 3com 3res_mf 2ind 2res_th 1cbd 1off 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF | Single-Family (SF) | res_sf | 7,201 sf | 35 ft | 0.35 | 0.45 | 6 | 2 | 20 / 5 / 25 |
| SF-MD | Single-Family Medium Density (SF-MD) | res_sf | 5,000 sf | 35 ft | 0.45 | 0.55 | 8.5 | 1.5 | — / — / — |
| Cluster-SF | Cluster Single-Family (Cluster-SF) | res_sf | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — / — / — |
| Cluster-ATT | Cluster Attached (Cluster-ATT) | res_th | — | 40 ft | — | — | 12 | — | — / — / — |
| MF/R | Multi-Family/Residential (MF/R) | res_mf | — | 50 ft | — | 1.5 | 20 | 1.25 | — / — / — |
| HDR | High Density Residential (HDR) | res_mf | — | 65 ft | — | 2.5 | 30 | 0.75 | — / — / — |
| C-1 | Local Commercial (C-1) | com | — | 45 ft | — | 1 | — | 2.5 | — / — / — |
| C-2 | General Commercial (C-2) | com | — | 55 ft | — | 1.5 | — | 3 | — / — / — |
| C-3 | Regional Commercial (C-3) | com | — | 65 ft | — | 2 | — | — | — / — / — |
| C-3/DBO | Downtown Commercial (C-3/DBO) | cbd | — | 75 ft | — | 3 | — | 0.5 | — / — / — |
| OFF | Office (OFF) | off | — | 50 ft | — | 1.25 | — | 2 | — / — / — |
| LI | Light Industrial (LI) | ind | 50,000 sf | 45 ft | 0.5 | 0.8 | — | — | — / — / — |
| HI | Heavy Industrial (HI) | ind | 100,000 sf | 50 ft | 0.6 | 1 | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
DBO
Downtown Bellingham Overlay District
DTDowntown core and mixed-use commercial corridors
| parking_maximum_ratio | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| build_to_line | 0 |
| ground_floor_nonresidential | 1 |
| multifamily_by_right | When ≥40% affordable units |
UV
Urban Village Overlay District
TODDesignated urban village areas within 0.25 mile of transit
| density_increase | 0.2 |
|---|---|
| parking_reduction | 0.25 |
| multifamily_permitted | In commercial/industrial when ≥40% affordable |
SMP
Shoreline Master Program
ENVShoreline jurisdiction (marine waters and associated uplands)
| shoreline_buffer | 25 |
|---|---|
| wetland_protection | 1 |
| flood_hazard_area_restriction | 1 |
SA
Sensitive Areas Overlay
ENVWetlands, critical aquifer recharge areas, fish and wildlife habitat, geologically hazardous areas
| buffer_requirement | 1 |
|---|---|
| critical_areas_impact_assessment | 1 |
Adopted building codes
Statewide; update sched May 2026
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- Washington State HB 1110 (effective 2024) mandates duplex by-right in single-family zones for all cities and fourplex by-right in transit-accessible single-family zones (RCW 36.70A.620)
- Washington State HB 1337 (effective 2024) mandates one ADU by-right on single-family residential lots statewide (RCW 36.70B.030)
- Washington State HB 2057 provides density bonus for EV charging infrastructure
- Transit-accessible zone defined as within 0.5-mile walking distance of major transit corridor; fourplex mandate applies in these zones
- Cluster subdivisions allow higher density through open space dedication and density transfer mechanism; provides neighborhood-specific height and density advantage
- Downtown Bellingham Overlay (DBO) applies to commercial core with 0-foot build-to-line (except historic preservation exceptions), requires ground-floor activation, and limits parking to 0.5 spaces per unit
- Urban Village Overlay adds +20% density bonus and 25% parking reduction for transit-proximate mixed-use development; requires ≥40% affordable units for multifamily in commercial/industrial zones
- Whatcom Creek riparian constraint affects development in sensitive areas; fish and wildlife habitat protections apply throughout county
- Neighborhood-specific height limits vary (45-75 ft depending on area) in addition to district-level height limits
- State density bonus provisions allow stacking of affordability bonus, EV charging bonus, and transit proximity bonus
- Shoreline Master Program jurisdiction applies to marine waters and associated uplands; minimum 25 ft shoreline buffer required
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Measured to roof peak for pitched roofs, to eave height for flat roofs; includes architectural features but may exclude antennas and minor protrusions depending on district
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint including all structures; setback calculations account for tower spacing and urban form variations
- density
- Expressed as dwelling units per acre; state HB 1110 mandates duplex by-right in transit cities and fourplex by-right in transit cities; HB 1337 mandates ADU by-right statewide
Capacity calculations
- state_duplex_mandate
HB 1110 — Duplex by-right in transit cities- state_fourplex_mandate
HB 1110 — Fourplex by-right in transit cities (RCW 36.70A.620)- state_adu_mandate
HB 1337 — ADU by-right statewide (RCW 36.70B.030)- state_density_bonus_affordable
RCW 36.70A.540 — Density bonus for affordable housing developments- state_density_bonus_ev_charging
HB 2057 — Density bonus for EV charging infrastructure- transit_accessible_zone_perimeter
0.5 mile walking distance from major transit corridor- neighborhood_height_limit_variation
Downtown Bellingham and specific neighborhoods have height limits (45-75 ft depending on neighborhood)
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
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Parking
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Max density
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Min lot size
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Research status
Data quality
86%completeness68 confirmed3 partial2 inferred
Documented gaps
- Specific design standards for building types and architectural features (if any district-specific requirements exist beyond dimensional standards)
- Exact nonconforming use protections and legal nonconforming structure modification limits
- Specific conditions and standards for variance and conditional use permits
- Detailed Shoreline Master Program regulations beyond minimum buffer specifications
- Specific wetland mitigation ratio requirements for sensitive areas overlay
Known issues
schema:v1-legacypriority:mediumdata:gaps-present
Other cities in this state
Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.