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Lot coverage / porch above a basement - what counts, and for which level?

Porchypine

Porchypine

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Hi all,


Here's an issue we are facing: is a porch excluded from lot coverage for the main level where it is located, if there is basement space underneath it?


• The project involves a residential property with a basement and a main level.

• The main level would have a covered porch in the front. According to our local regulation, covered porches (in this specific situation) are excluded for lot coverage. The basement and the main level each meet the lot coverage requirements of our county (in this case around 2.000 sqft).

• However, the front porch is located above the basement. The whole basement is below grade (the only exception being the garage door). There is nothing above the front porch (it is just a basement + main level, so the roof of the porch is the roof of the house).

• Would you think the covered front porch is still excluded from lot coverage calculations of the MAIN level (where it is located), if there is below grade basement space beneath it? Of course, the basement space below the porch would still count for the lot coverage calculation of the BASEMENT (our county clarified that both the basement and the main level separately need to meet lot coverage requirements, hence the question).


Any thoughts / experiences are much appreciated.
 
My city only counts things with a roof for lot coverage. Basements don't count since they are underground. A porch/patio/deck/whatever you call it counts if there is a roof. We do allow for overhang up to 3' if that counts for anything. Got a gazebo or a shed, we count that too. We also only count the under roof. So if you have two stories that are exactly the same then we only count the 1 story.
 
Porchypine said:
Hi all,


Here's an issue we are facing: is a porch excluded from lot coverage for the main level where it is located, if there is basement space underneath it?


• The project involves a residential property with a basement and a main level.

• The main level would have a covered porch in the front. According to our local regulation, covered porches (in this specific situation) are excluded for lot coverage. The basement and the main level each meet the lot coverage requirements of our county (in this case around 2.000 sqft).

• However, the front porch is located above the basement. The whole basement is below grade (the only exception being the garage door). There is nothing above the front porch (it is just a basement + main level, so the roof of the porch is the roof of the house).

• Would you think the covered front porch is still excluded from lot coverage calculations of the MAIN level (where it is located), if there is below grade basement space beneath it? Of course, the basement space below the porch would still count for the lot coverage calculation of the BASEMENT (our county clarified that both the basement and the main level separately need to meet lot coverage requirements, hence the question).


Any thoughts / experiences are much appreciated.
Click to expand...
If it has building's basement foundation under the porch, it's lot coverage in my professional opinion.

Think about it in terms of this area being enclosed (three dimensionally) in the future, it would be lot coverage in that scenario.
 
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