Boston City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 13
TABLES
TABLE B - DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS
(As amended on April 14, 1967, February 17, 1971, March 20, 1972, July 9 and September 27, 1973, October 22, 1974, July 7, 1977, February 28 and April 11, 1979, October 31, 1980, June 18 and August 20, 1981, June 16, 1982, June 24, 1985, April 2, June 17, and September 23, 1987, and August 30 and October 12, 1988.)
NOTE: Figures in parentheses refer to footnotes below table.
If a district with a second numerical suffix (e.g., H-2-55) is not listed in this Table, see footnote (15) and Section 3-1A(i).
| DISTRICT | TYPE OF USE |
LOT SIZE
minimum sq. ft. |
LOT AREA
minimum sq. ft. for each add'l dwell. unit |
LOT WIDTH
minimum feet |
FLOOR AREA RATIO
maximum (1) | HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS |
USABLE OPEN SPACE
minimum sq. ft. per dwell. unit |
FRONT YARD
minimum depth feet (14) |
SIDE YARD
minimum width feet |
REAR YARD
minimum depth feet |
SETBACK OF PARAPET
minimum distance from lot line |
REAR YARD
maximum % occup. by accessory buildings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stories | feet | ||||||||||||
| S-.3 | 1 family detached | 9,000 | none | 70 | 0.3 | 2½ | 35 | none | 25 | 12 | 40 | none | 25 |
| Other use | 9,000 | 6,000 | 70 | 0.3 | 2½ | 35 | none | 30 | 15 | 50 | none | 20 | |
| S-.5 | 1 family detached | 6,000 | none | 60 | 0.5 | 2½ | 35 | none | 25 | 10 | 40 | none | 25 |
| Other use | 6,000 | 4,000 | 60 | 0.5 | 2½ | 35 | none | 30 | 12 | 50 | none | 20 | |
| R-.5 | 1 & 2 family detached | 5,000 | 3,000 | 50 | 0.5 | 2½ | 35 | none | 20 | 10 | 40 | none | 25 |
| Any other dwelling | 2 acres | 3,000 (2) | 200 | 0.5 | 2 | 35 | 1,000 | 25 | 10 | 40 | none | 20 | |
| Other use | 5,000 | 3,000 | 50 | 0.5 | 2½ | 35 | none | 25 | 10 | 40 | none | 20 | |
| R-.8 | 1 & 2 family row | 3,000 | 2,000 | none | 0.8 | 3 | 35 | 800 | 20 | 10 | 40 | none | 25 |
| Any other dwelling | 5,000 | 1,500 | 50 | 0.8 | 3 | 35 | 800 | 20 | 10 | 40 | none | 25 | |
| Other use | 5,000 | 1,500 | 50 | 0.8 | 3 | 35 | none | 25 | 10 | 40 | none | 20 | |
| H-1-40 | 1 & 2 family row | 2,000 | 1,500 | none | 1.0 | 4 | 40 (11) | 400 | 20 | (4) | 30(6) | H + L
1
6 for all uses | 25 |
| Any other dwelling | 5,000 | 1,000 | 50 | 1.0 | 4 | 40 (11) | 400 | 20 | (4) |
10 + L(6)
20 | 25 | ||
| Other use | 5,000 | 1,000 | 50 | 1.0 | 4 | 40 (11) | none | 25 | (4) | 25 | |||
| H-1-50 | 1 & 2 family row | 2,000 | 1,500 | none | 1.0 | - | 50 (11) | 400 | 20 | (4) | 30(6) | H + L
1
6 for all uses | 25 |
| Any other dwelling | 5,000 | 1,000 | 50 | 1.0 | - | 50 (11) | 400 | 20 | (4) |
10 + L(6)
20 | 25 | ||
| Other use | 5,000 | 1,000 | 50 | 1.0 | - | 50 (11) | none | 20 | (4) | 25 | |||
| H-1 | 1 & 2 family row | 2,000 | 1,500 | none | 1.0 | none | none (15) | 400 | 20 | (4) | 30(6) | H + L
1
6 for all uses | 25 |
| Any other dwelling | 5,000 | 1,000 | 50 | 1.0 | none | none (15) | 400 | 20 | (4) |
10 + L(6)
20 | 25 | ||
| Other use | 5,000 | 1,000 | 50 | 1.0 | none | none (15) | none | 25 | (4) | 25 | |||
| H-2 | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none (15) | 150 | 20 | (4) |
10 + L(6)
20 | H + L
1
6 all uses | 30 |
| Other use | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none (15) | none | 20 | (4) | 30 | |||
| H-3-65 | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 3.0 | - | 65(9) | 50 | (10) | (4) |
25% of
lot depth all uses | H + L
1
(9)
6 all uses | 40 |
| Other use | none | none | none | 3.0 | - | 65(9) | none | (10) | (4) | 40 | |||
| H-3 | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 3.0 | none | none (15) | 100 | 15 | (4) |
10 + L(6)
20 | H + L
1
6 all uses | 35 |
| Other use | none | none | none | 3.0 | none | none (15) | none | 15 | (4) | 35 | |||
| H-4 | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 4.0 | none | none | 50 | 15 | (4) |
10 + L(6)
20 | H + L
1
(6) all uses | 40 |
| Other use | none | none | none | 4.0 | none | none | none | 15 | (4) | 40 | |||
| H-5 | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 5.0 | none | none (13), (15) | 50 | 15 | (4) |
10 + L(6)
20 | H + L
1
6 all uses | 40 |
| Other use | none | none | none | 5.0 | none | none (13), (15) | none | 15 | (4) | 40 | |||
| L-.5 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 0.5 | 2½ | 35 | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | none | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 0.5 | 2½ | 35 | none | 15 | none (5) | 20(7) | none | - | |
| L-1 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 1.0 | 3 | 35 | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | none | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 1.0 | 3 | 35 | none | 10 | none (5) | 20(7) | none | - | |
| L-2 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 2.0 | none | none (15) | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none (15) | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-1 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 1.0 | 3 | 40 | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 1.0 | 3 | 40 | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-2 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 2.0 | none | none (15) | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
(6) all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none (15) | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-3-65 | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 3.0 | - | 65(9) | 50 | (10) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
(9)
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 3.0 | - | 65(9) | none | (10) | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-4 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 4.0 | none | none | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 4.0 | none | none | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-6-90a | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 6.0 | - | 90 | 50 | (10) | (3) | 5 | none (16) | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 6.0 | - | 90 | none | (10) | none (5) | 5 | none (16) | - | |
| B-6-90b | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 6.0 | - | 90 | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
(16)
7 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 6.0 | - | 90 | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-8-120a | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 8.0 | - | 120 | 50 | (10) | (3) | 5 | (16) | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 8.0 | - | 120 | none | (10) | none (5) | 5 | (16) | - | |
| B-8-120b | Any dwelling | none | none | none | 8.0 | - | 120 | 50 | (10) | (3) | 20 | none | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 8.0 | - | 120 | none | (10) | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | none | - | |
| B-8-120c | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 8.0 | - | 120 (13) | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
(16)
7 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 8.0 | - | 120 (13) | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L
1
(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-8 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 8.0 | none | none (13) | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
7 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 8.0 | none | none (13) | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| B-10 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 10.0 | none | none (13) | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
8 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 10.0 | none | none (13) | none | none | none (5) |
10 + L(7)
20 | - | ||
| M-1 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 1.0 | 2½ | 35 | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 1.0 | 2½ | 35 | none | none | (5) | 20 | - | ||
| M-2 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 2.0 | none | none (15) | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none (15) | none | none | (5) | 12 | - | ||
| M-4 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 4.0 | none | none | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 4.0 | none | none | none | none | (5) | 12 | - | ||
| M-8 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 8.0 | none | none | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 8.0 | none | none | none | none | (5) | 12 | - | ||
| I-2 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 2.0 | none | none | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none | none | none | (5) | 12 | - | ||
| MER-2 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 2.0 | none | none | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none | none | none | (5) | 12 | - | ||
| W-2 | Any dwelling | (3) | (3) | (3) | 2.0 | none | none | (3) | (3) | (3) | (3) | H + L
1
6 all uses | - |
| Other use | none | none | none | 2.0 | none | none | none | none | (5) | 12 | - | ||
Key:
L = Length of wall parallel (or within 45° of parallel) to lot line, measured parallel to lot line.
H = Height of building above the height below which no setback is required.
L1 = Length of wall parallel (or within 45° of parallel) to lot line, measured parallel to lot line at greatest length above the height below which no setback is required.
Footnotes to Table B
(1)
See Section 15-4 for cases where the maximum floor area ratio may be exceeded.
(2)
No additional lot area for first 30 dwelling units.
(3)
See Section 13-4.
(4)
Ten feet plus one twentieth of the length of the wall parallel (or within 45° of parallel) to the side lot line. See further Section 19-4.
(5)
See Section 19-5.
(6)
See Section 20-4.
(7)
See Section 20-5.
(8)
Deleted.
(9)
See Section 16-7 for regulations for pre-Code structures.
(10)
Twenty feet on east-west streets, none on north-south streets. A bay window, as defined in Section 2-1, may protrude into a front yard, Section 18-1 notwithstanding. See also Sections 18-1 and 18-2.
(11)
See Section 16-4.
(12)
Deleted.
(13)
See Section 16-6 for height limits for buildings within 100 feet of streets that bound Boston Common and the Public Garden. See Section 16-9 for height limit provisions for block bounded by Bladgen and Exeter Streets and Huntington Avenue.
(14)
See also Section 18-2.
(15)
Except in a district designated with two numerical parts, in which case the second number is the maximum height in feet. See Section 3-1A(i).
(16)
See subsections (b) and (c) of Section 21-2.