Maximum Size of Single-Family Residences

• Author: Alec LeSher
• Pages: 139-143

139Part 3: Fill Regulatory Gaps

MAXI MUM SIZ E

OF SINGL E-FAMI LY

RESI DEN CES

Alec LeSher (author)

Jonathan Rosenbloom & Christopher Duerksen (editors)

INTRODUCTION

e average house size in the U.S. has increase d by more than seven hundred

square feet since 1973.1 While large homes may be benecial to or desired

by individual owners, they shif t costs to the public and local government.

Older, smaller homes may be demolished and replaced with larger homes

that disturb the character of the neighborhood.2 Large homes also produce

more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to climate change.3

Municipalities can implement ordinances that set a l imit on the size of single-

family homes to mitigate these harmful eects. Typically, these ordinances

seek to limit the spread of “McMansions.” McMansions are large houses in

suburban neighborhoods that are regarded a s oversized in relation to the

character of the neighborhood.4

Ordinances setting a maximum house size ty pically regulate the ma xi-

mum oor area ratio (FAR), which is the portion of the lot that may be

covered by a structure. A municipality may also limit the maximum height,

number of stories, or total square feet of the house. Setback and minimum

yard requirements can also be u sed to limit how much of a lot may be covered

by the house. Some municipalities have varied height restrictions within t he

lot. For instance, a two-story structure may be allowed at the rear of the lot,

whereas only single-story buildings can be constructed near the public right

of way.

A municipality can fu rther tailor the requirements based on individual

neighborhoods, rather than residential zones as a whole. For example, if a

neighborhood has always had larger homes, new la rge homes could con-

tinue to be permitted. However, neighborhoods with smaller homes could

have a more restrictive size limit that would help retain t he character of the

neighborhood and provide many of the economic and environmental ben-

ets discussed below. In this way, developers can still replace old homes, but