Cities · Snohomish County

Can I build a backyard home in Edmonds?

Since 2023, Washington law lets most city lots hold up to two more homes. Edmonds writes its own rules on top. Here’s what the code says, in plain English — and a free report on what may fit on your lot.

Read from the Edmonds code on October 9, 2026 · confidence high · a summary, not legal advice. Rules change; the report re-reads them for your parcel.

The short version

What Edmonds allows.

The headline standards. Open any card for the full wording and the code section.

ADUs per lot2 on a detached single-family lotFull wording

2 on a detached single-family lot (1 attached + 1 detached, 2 attached, or 2 detached)

Max size1,200 sq ft (1,000 in LDR-S)Full wording

LDR-L and LDR-M: 1,200 sq ft. LDR-S: 1,000 sq ft.

Max height24 ft in all zonesFull wording

24 ft in all zones

Front setbackThe zone’s street setback (ECDC 16.20.030)Full wording

Street setback per ECDC 16.20.030

Side setbackThe zone’s side setback (ECDC 16.20.030)Full wording

Side setback per ECDC 16.20.030

Rear setback25 ft LDR-L · 20 ft LDR-M · 10 ft LDR-S (less for units 15 ft or under; 0 at an alley)Full wording

LDR-L 25 ft; LDR-M 20 ft (10 ft if the unit is 15 ft tall or less); LDR-S 10 ft (7.5 ft if 15 ft tall or less); 0 ft at an alley

Lot coverage35% in every LDR zoneFull wording

35% in every LDR zone — '35% of the total lot area' (ECDC 16.20.030 Table); no ADU-specific coverage allowance in ECDC 16.20.060. ADU table (16.20.060.C): maximum ADU floor area LDR-L 1,200 / LDR-M 1,200 / LDR-S 1,000 sq ft; DADU height 24 ft; DADU rear setback 25 / 20 / 10 ft, reducible to 10 / 7.5 ft for a unit of 15 ft or less, 0 ft abutting an alley; 2 ADUs per detached single-family dwelling; first ADU no parking, second ADU 1 space unless within one-half mile of a major transit stop

ParkingFirst ADU none; second ADU 1 space; none near major transitFull wording

First ADU none; second ADU 1 space; none required within 1/2 mile of a major transit stop

Where a city figure reads stricter than the state floor (RCW 36.70A.681), the floor may control — the report flags it for your parcel.

The rest

Living there, selling it, plans, time and fees.

Each answer is the code’s own wording, with the section it comes from. “Not published yet” means the city hasn’t posted a figure — the report asks the city, not the internet.

Are backyard homes allowed?

Yes

Minimum lot size

None for the ADU. The RS-x zones were renamed LDR-S / LDR-M / LDR-L (Ord. 4397, 2025); minimum parent lot area LDR-S 6,000 sq ft, LDR-M 8,000, LDR-L 12,000 (ECDC 16.20.030 Table)

Do you have to live there?

No — removed

Can it be sold on its own?

Yes — permitted

Pre-approved plans

Yes — launched July 28, 2026. Design licensing capped at $1,000; catalog pending submissions.

How long the city takes

Not published — checked Development Services, Apply for a Permit, the handouts index (under construction during the MyBuildingPermit transition), handouts B73 (new SFR), B2 (ADU) and B2b (pre-approved DADU, which promises only 'faster permit review times'). Ask Development Services for the current estimate

Impact fees

ADU transportation impact fee set at 50% of a single-family detached unit — $4,306.83 per ADU vs $8,613.66 SFR (ECC 3.36.125, Ord. 4423, effective July 1, 2026; assessed at building-permit issuance). Park impact fee $1,367.03 per ADU vs $2,734.05 single-family (ECC 3.36.120) — the city's Development Fees web page still shows the older $1.35/sq ft residential park fee; the code governs. Sewer general facilities charges apply per unit (handout B2). No school impact fee chapter found. Permit fees per the 2026 Planning and Development Fee Guide

Your lot

The code is half the answer. Your parcel is the other half.

Lines and easements

Where the lot lines really are, which setbacks apply on each side, and whether a utility or access easement takes the corner you had in mind.

Critical areas and slope

Steep slopes, wetlands and streams come with buffers that no citywide number shows. The report reads the county’s maps for your parcel.

Sewer, septic, water, trees

Whether sewer reaches the lot or it’s on septic, where the water service is, and which trees a city protects — the things that decide where a unit can actually go.

Free, within a few hours, no obligation.
What Edmonds allows, what could fit on your lot, and a planning cost range. If something won’t fit, the report says so — and shows what might.

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Sources

Where this page comes from.

Read from the Edmonds municipal code and the city’s own pages on October 9, 2026. The same table feeds the HousUp report, so the report and this page never disagree. Cities amend their codes; before you design anything, confirm the current wording with the city.

Nearby

Other places in Snohomish County.

Everett Under 1,000 sq ft by definition Lake Stevens 1,000 sq ft gross floor area Lynnwood 1,000 sq ft Marysville 1,000 sq ft or 50% of the residence, whichever is greater, capped at 1,400 sq ft Mill Creek 1,000 sq ft Mountlake Terrace 200-1,000 sq ft excluding garage All cities →

Find out what your property could become.

Type your address. Within a few hours: what Edmonds allows, what could fit, and a planning cost range. Free, no obligation.

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