Can I build a backyard home in Lakewood?
Since 2023, Washington law lets most city lots hold up to two more homes. Lakewood 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 Lakewood allows.
The headline standards. Tap any one for the full wording and the code section.
ADUs per lot2Full wording
2 — 'Up to two (2) ADUs shall be allowed as accessory uses in conjunction with any detached single-family structure, duplex, triplex, townhome, or other housing unit'; a lot may hold no more than two. 1 on a lot with critical areas or their buffers (LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)(a)-(b)).
Max size1,200 sq ft (garage not counted)Full wording
1,200 sq ft, excluding the garage, for a detached ADU or one added onto the house; an ADU inside the existing house is limited only by the zone (LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)(e)). Minimum size: enough to meet LMC Title 15, the building code ((B)(1)(f)) — the old 1,000 sq ft minimum is gone.
Max height35 ft in R1–R4 and MR1 (same as the house)Full wording
35 ft in the residential zones R1–R4 and MR1 — the zone's building height; the ADU follows the same height rule as the house, with no separate ADU limit (LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)(d); LMC 18A.60.030(A)). MR2 50 ft, MF1 45 ft, MF2 65 ft, MF3 80 ft. Confirmed by the city's planning counter, Nov. 2026.
Front setback10 ft in R3 and R4Full wording
10 ft in R3 and R4 (15 ft in R1 and R2; 5 ft in MR1 and MR2; 10 ft in MF1–MF3); 20 ft to a garage or carport; 25 ft from a principal arterial or state highway (LMC 18A.60.030(A); the ADU meets the zone setbacks, LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)(d)).
Side setback5 ft for a detached building in R1–R4, MR1 and MR2Full wording
5 ft for a detached building in R1–R4, MR1 and MR2 (0 ft attached); 8 ft in MF1–MF3 (LMC 18A.60.030(A), interior setback).
Rear setback10 ft in R3 and R4Full wording
10 ft in R3 and R4 (15 ft in R1 and R2 for 1–3 units, 10 ft for more; 5 ft in MR1 and MR2; 10 ft in MF1–MF3). On an alley 0 ft, 3 ft to a garage door off the alley (LMC 18A.60.030(A), (B)(3)).
Lot coverage45% building coverage in R1, R2 and R3Full wording
45% building coverage in R1, R2 and R3; 50% in R4 (55% MR1, 60% MR2 and MF); LMC 18A.60.030(B)(2) also sets 45% for a lot with three or fewer units. Impervious surface: 45% in R1 and R2, 60% in R3, 70% in R4 (LMC 18A.60.030(A)).
Parking1 per ADU, on top of the house’s; none near frequent transitFull wording
1 off-street space per ADU in addition to the house's (LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)(h)); none within 1/4 mile of a Pierce Transit bus route or 1/2 mile of the Sound Transit Lakewood Station, commuter rail, bus rapid transit or a 15-minute stop, where the Director finds adequate street capacity ((B)(1)(i)).
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 — an ADU may be added to, created within, or detached from a principal dwelling; permitted in R1, R2, R3, R4, MR1, MR2, MF1 and MF2 (LMC 18A.40.027 table and footnote 27; LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)).
Minimum lot size
None found in LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1); zone minimum applies to new lots.
Do you have to live there?
No — LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1) (Ord. 814 text) contains no owner-occupancy requirement.
Can it be sold on its own?
Yes — discrete ownership of an ADU may be created through a residential binding site plan (LMC 18A.40.110(B)(1)(l)).
Pre-approved plans
Not confirmed yet — ask the city. (none seen in the city documents reviewed; not specifically searched).
How long the city takes
Not published
Impact fees
Not found; RCW 36.70A.681 caps ADU impact fees at 50% of the principal unit's. City Engineer interpretation says Lakewood may still require street frontage improvements for ADUs (RCW 36.70A.681(1)(l); LMC 12.09.031(3)(a) 13-trip threshold, 6 trips assumed per ADU).
Plans Lakewood has already approved.
A pre-approved plan skips the design review: Lakewood has already checked the drawings, so the permit review is about your lot.
Loading the plans…
Pictures are the official pages’ own. A pre-approved plan is not a permit: the city still reviews your site.
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 Lakewood 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 Lakewood municipal code and the city’s own pages on November 6, 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.
2 sources, read November 6, 2026
Find out what your property could become.
Type your address. Within a few hours: what Lakewood allows, what could fit, and a planning cost range. Free, no obligation.