Can I build a backyard home in Everett?
Since 2023, Washington law lets most city lots hold up to two more homes. Everett 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.
What Everett allows.
The headline standards. Open any card for the full wording and the code section.
ADUs per lotNo limit in NR, UR and MU zones (NR-C: 2)Full wording
No limit on dwelling units per lot in NR, UR and MU zones; NR-C zone 2 ADUs per lot. Only the first two ADUs per lot qualify for reduced development costs.
Max sizeUnder 1,000 sq ft by definition; a bigger unit is simply another dwelling unitFull wording
An ADU is defined as under 1,000 sq ft (EMC 19.04.030). A larger unit is simply an additional dwelling unit, which NR/UR/MU allow.
Max heightDetached: 18 ft on a non-alley NR lot, 24 ft on an alley lot (the house: 35 ft)Full wording
Principal buildings in NR and NR-C: 35 ft, 3 floors intended (EMC 19.22.020 Table 22-1); UR4 45 ft. Detached accessory residential buildings (Table 22-2): NR nonalley lots 1½ floors up to 18 ft; NR alley lots 2 floors up to 24 ft with a 6:12 or steeper roof (18 ft / 1½ floors if flatter); UR4 2 floors up to 24 ft nonalley / 28 ft alley. The code treats an ADU as a dwelling unit (EMC 19.04.030; setbacks per 19.06.020.F are the principal-building setbacks) and EMC 19.08.110 bars bedrooms and kitchens from 'accessory buildings', which points to Table 22-1 (35 ft) for a detached ADU — confirm with Everett Planning which table they apply; plan designs to Table 22-2 until they answer
Front setbackSame as the house: 10 ft in NRFull wording
Same as the principal building — 'Building setbacks for accessory dwelling units (ADU) are the same as for principal buildings' (EMC 19.06.020.F). Table 6-2: NR 10 ft; NR-C 20 ft; UR4/UR7/MU none. Accessory buildings may not sit in the front or street-side setback (Table 6-3)
Side setbackSame as the house: 5 ft in NR (none at an alley)Full wording
Same as principal (EMC 19.06.020.F, Table 6-2): NR interior 5 ft (none when the side lot line abuts an alley, fn. 5), street side 5 ft; NR-C interior 5 ft, street side 10 ft; UR4 interior 5 ft (10 ft abutting NR), street side 5 ft
Rear setbackSame as the house: 5 ft in NR, none with an alleyFull wording
Same as principal (EMC 19.06.020.F, Table 6-2): NR 5 ft without an alley, none with an alley; NR-C 20 ft; UR4 5 ft without an alley, none with an alley. Accessory buildings: 5 ft nonalley, none on alley lots (Table 6-3)
Lot coverageNR: 50%, +5% with two dwelling units (55%)Full wording
NR 50% lot coverage by building, +5% on lots with two dwelling units, +10% with three or more (so a house + ADU may cover 55%) — EMC 19.06.010 Table 6-1 fn. 2; NR-C 35%; UR4/UR7/MU no coverage limit (N/A). Porches/entrances are excluded from coverage (19.08.020.B). Private or shared yard required per dwelling: private yard ≥ 8 ft any direction and ≥ 80 sq ft, or shared yard ≥ 15 ft / 300 sq ft (19.08.030.C)
ParkingNone under 1,200 sq ft (one bicycle space)Full wording
None for dwellings under 1,200 sq ft; a bicycle space is required
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.
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 — dwelling units, including attached and detached ADUs, are permitted in all zones except Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial
Minimum lot size
None for an ADU on an existing lot. Zone minimums for new lots (EMC 19.06.010 Table 6-1): NR 5,000 sq ft, NR-C 9,000 sq ft, UR4/UR7/MU 5,000 sq ft; min width 50 ft, depth 80 ft, frontage 40 ft. Lot averaging in land divisions down to 4,000 sq ft (3,000 on alley lots) per 19.06.070
Do you have to live there?
No — not required (prohibited by state law inside the UGA)
Can it be sold on its own?
Yes — condominium creation requires all owners' signatures on the application (RCW 64.34)
Pre-approved plans
Yes — Residential Basics pre-approved designs. 3 ADU designs of 820-1,000 sq ft by Fivedot Architects, unveiled June 2026; licensing about $1,500; city target is a permit in about 3 months.
How long the city takes
City target of about 3 months for a pre-approved design
Impact fees
School impact fees waived. Transportation impact fee waived on the first ADU, reduced 50% on the second. Park impact fees reduced 50% for the first two ADUs. Water and sewer system development charges apply where a new standalone meter is required; dollar amounts not published in a retrievable form. Permits, plan review and structural engineering typically $3,000-$8,000.
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.
What Everett 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.
Where this page comes from.
Read from the Everett municipal code and the city’s own pages on October 2, 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.
- everett.municipal.codes/EMC/19.06
- everett.municipal.codes/EMC/19.06.020
- everett.municipal.codes/EMC/19.22.020
- everett.municipal.codes/EMC/19.08.110
- everett.municipal.codes/EMC/19.08.030
- www.everettwa.gov/3089/Accessory-Dwelling-Units
- www.everettwa.gov/3387/Pre-Approved-Designs
- RCW 36.70A.681 — the state floor for accessory dwelling units
Find out what your property could become.
Type your address. Within a few hours: what Everett allows, what could fit, and a planning cost range. Free, no obligation.