Seattle City Council Raises Height Limits, Updates Zoning Rules

The Seattle City Council passed new zoning rules on July 8 that raise maximum building heights from four to six stories in select zones while adding stricter requirements for setbacks and facade materials.

These adjustments arrive as the city faces continued pressure to add housing units amid rising construction costs and limited land supply. The changes replace portions of the 2024 comprehensive plan update and apply to parcels previously limited by single-family overlays.

Changes hit Capitol Hill and Ballard first

Along Broadway in Capitol Hill and near the Ballard Locks on 24th Avenue NW, developers can now submit permits for mid-rise projects that were previously blocked. The Seattle Department of Planning and Development will review the first batch of applications under the revised code starting August 1. Projects must incorporate ground-floor commercial space and use brick or fiber-cement cladding on at least 60 percent of street-facing walls.

City data shows Seattle permitted 4,872 new housing units in 2025, down from 6,103 the prior year. Average asking rents for new apartments reached $2,850 a month in the first quarter of 2026, according to records from the King County Assessor. The updated rules aim to add density without repeating earlier complaints about blank walls and shadow impacts on adjacent properties.

Permitting timeline and next moves

Property owners with lots between 5,000 and 12,000 square feet in the affected zones can request pre-application meetings with planning staff this month. The council set a December 31, 2026 deadline for the first wave of projects to receive expedited review. Anyone planning to build should check the updated height maps on the city website before ordering surveys or hiring architects.