Residential Development Brochure

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
ONE OR TWO - FAMILY HOMES AND ACCESSORY STRUCTURES

Department of Community Development Updated: 03/24/2020
Brochure #47 Kitsap County

Building a home may seem like a daunting task, but Kitsap County is here to help. This brochure will provide
a general overview of the density, setbacks, height, lot coverage and impervious surface area covered in
Code 17.420 that is required before building may begin. Please consider the following and know that Kitsap
County is excited to partner with you in order to start making your dream a reality.

Density Reading Density Charts

When building in Kitsap County, one of the most important The example density chart image below provides the
aspects to keep in mind is building density. Building minimum and maximum density for the Urban Low (UL)
density is the amount of dwelling unit per acre permitted on Zone in Kitsap County. As shown, the minimum density
a parcel within the designated zone. for the zone is five units per acre and the maximum is
nine units per acre. If the calculation does not equal a
All residential new construction permits are evaluated to whole unit, it must be rounded down if under .5 and
make sure they meet density requirements for the rounded up if it is .5 and over.
designated zone. The purpose of this is to provide the
opportunity to optimize development in specific areas to
increase sustainability and ensure complementary use of
the land in question.

The Calculations

Maximum Base Density: Calculated on gross acreage of This is an example chart. The full chart can be found
the site. Minimum Density: Calculated on net develop-able HERE
acreage. Net develop-able acreage refers to the total area of
Please note - Minimum density requirements apply to
land available for development, not the total area of a Urban Restricted, Green Belt, Urban Low, Urban Cluster
Residential, Urban Medium, and Urban High zones.
property itself. Note: If the calculation does not meet the
size of a full dwelling, the dwelling will either be rounded up

or down depending on calculation outcome.

Example: Design Standards

if the net develop-able area of a property zoned UL is .25 Certain areas in Kitsap County have a vision for their
acres, the minimum required number of residential units community and to achieve that, design standards
would be: 1.25 units. Going off the net develop-able acreage have been implemented to help bring the physical
rule, this would be rounded down to equal one unit, also aspects of the vision to life. Standards are intended to
known as a Single-Family Residence (SFR). The maximum promote the character of the town and support local
density for this example would be 2.25, which would be economic vitality while simultaneously encouraging both
rounded down to equal two units, or a duplex. conformity and creativity. All new buildings must meet
the design standard designated by their community. To
see if you fall under one of these design standards,
please see our County Design Districts Page.

Your partner in building safe, resilient, sustainable communities

Kitsap County Department of Community Development Phone: (360) 337-5777
www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/ Page 1 of 3
Revision Date:03/24/2020

Lot Coverage and Impervious Surface Area Setbacks

Lot coverage is calculated by dividing the area of land Setbacks are the minimum distance, measured in feet,
covered by buildings into the total lot area. Impervious that a building needs to be from the front, side and rear
surface coverage is calculated by dividing the total area of property lines. Setbacks are are created for Kitsap
the land covered by buildings, structures, and all other County through ordinances and Building Codes. The
impervious surfaces (sidewalks, driveways, and patios) purpose of setback requirements is for safety, privacy,
into the total area. Please see the image below for a and environmental protection.
visual interpretation.
How do I find out the setbacks for my project?

• Step 1- Locate your parcel

Visit Parcel Search and choose your search option,
once you enter the information, hit the
“Enter” key on your keyboard.

• Step 2 - Determine Zone of Lot/Parcel

Setbacks are determined by the zone in which your

parcel is located. Once you locate your parcel, click on

the details tab at the top and go to “Land & Location”.

Your zoning is listed as the third item down.

Height • Step 3 – Determine Setbacks for Zone

Height is measured using the roof as the reference data

point. The reference points need to be determined by Refer to the Zoning table below and locate your zone
reading through Code 17.420 - Density, Dimensions, and and the appropriate setback information. Additional
Design. setback requirements are in Kitsap County Code (KCC)
17.420.050 a-d must be considered.
Illahee and Manchester Properties
Both property areas have specific height restrictions. Please

refer to our brochure that outlines those requirements Setbacks Zoning Table
HERE.

Height Measurement Example
The below visual is and example to aid height

measurement understanding.

Setback Exceptions

Projection Exceptions
Building setbacks are measured from the property line to
the exterior wall of the house. However, some items may
project into the setbacks (see table on next page).

Your partner in building safe, resilient, sustainable communities

Kitsap County Department of Community Phone: (360) 337-5777
Development www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/ Page 2 of 3
Revision Date:03/24/2020

Setbacks Continued Front Yard Requirement Exceptions

Adjoining Lots

If there are houses on BOTH adjoining lots (adjoining
front yards) that have front yard setbacks that are
smaller than required by zoning, then the new
home’s minimum front yard setback is the average of the
two adjoining front yard setbacks.

If there is a house on only ONE adjoining lot and the
other adjoining lot is vacant, then the new home’s
minimum front yard setback is the average of the
front yard setback of the house on the adjoining lot
and the required front yard setback.

Solar Access
A front yard setback may be modified in order to
maximize a home’s solar access (see brochure
#14—Exceptions from Residential Zoning and Critical
Area Numerical Standards).

Lots Served by Private Easements
If a property takes its access from a private easement
that has the potential to serve five lots or more, the front
yard setback will be measured from the interior edge of
the easement and not the property line.

Commonly Asked Questions

Are zoning setbacks added to buffers?
No, whichever is more restrictive or larger will apply.

Are setbacks just for new construction?
Setbacks apply to new buildings as well as additions
or remodels that change the footprint of the building.

Are zoning setbacks added to buffers?
No, whichever is more restrictive or larger will apply.

Your partner in building safe, resilient, sustainable communities

Kitsap County Department of Community Phone: (360) 337-5777
Development www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/ Page 3 of 3
Revision Date:03/24/2020