Commercial Districts (C-1 to C-4) – Bulk and Yard Regulations
Baltimore City Code, Article 32, Table 10-401 (Commercial Districts (C-1 to C-4) – Bulk and Yard Regulations)
in effectTable 10-401 Commercial Districts (C-1 to C-4) – Bulk and Yard Regulations
Categories | Specifications (Per District)
C-1 | C-1-VC 1 | C-1-E | C-2 | C-3 | C-4
Minimum Lot Area
Dwelling: Live-Work, Multi-Family, or Rowhouse | 300 sq.ft/du | 5,000 sq.ft /du | 550 sq.ft /du | 225 sq.ft /du | 300 sq.ft /du | 300 sq.ft /du
Residential-Care Facility (Age-Restricted) | 200 sq.ft/du | 200 sq.ft/du | 200 sq.ft/du | 120 sq.ft/du | 120 sq.ft/du | None
Rooming House | None | 2,500 sq.ft/ru | None | None | None | N/A
All Other Uses | None | None | None | None | None | None
Maximum Gross Floor Area by Use
Restaurant | None | 4,000 sq. ft. | None | None | None | None
Retail Goods Establishment (Food Store) | 10,000 sq. ft. | 15,000 sq. ft. | 20,000 sq. ft. | None | None | None
All Other Uses | 10,000 sq. ft. | 2,000 sq. ft. | 10,000 sq. ft. | None | None | None
Maximum Bldg Height
Dwelling: Multi-Family | 68 feet | 40 feet | 60 feet | 68 or 100 feet 2 | 60 or 100 feet 2 | 60 feet
Mixed-Use w/ Dwelling Above the Ground Floor | 68 feet | 40 feet | 60 feet | 68 or 100 feet 2 | 60 or 100 feet 2 | 60 feet
Residential Care Facility (Elderly) | 68 feet | 40 feet | 60 feet | 68 or 100 feet 2 | 60 or 100 feet 2 | 60 feet
All Other Uses | 40 feet | 40 feet | 40 feet | 60 feet | 60 feet | 60 feet
Minimum Bldg Height
All Uses | 20 feet | None | 20 feet | 20 feet | 20 feet | None
Maximum Floor Area Ratio
All Uses | None | 0.8 | None | None | None | None
Minimum / Maximum Front Yard
All Uses | No front yard required but, if one is provided, it may not exceed 5 feet | 20 feet | No front yard required but, if one is provided, it may not exceed 5 feet | No front yard required but, if one is provided, it may not exceed 5 feet | None | None 3
Minimum Interior-Side Yard
All Uses | No interior-side yard required but, if one is provided, it must be a minimum of 10 feet | No interior-side yard required but, if one is provided, it must be a minimum of 10 feet | No interior-side yard required but, if one is provided, it must be a minimum of 10 feet | No interior-side yard required but, if one is provided, it must be a minimum of 10 feet | No interior-side yard required but, if one is provided, it must be a minimum of 10 feet | None 4
Minimum Corner-Side Yard
All Uses | For 1st 25 ft. from front lot line: Where structure is to be located, must build to corner-side lot line. After 1st 25 ft.: No yard requirement. | For 1st 25 ft. from front lot line: Where structure is to be located, must build to corner-side lot line. After 1st 25 ft.: Minimum corner-side yard of 25 ft. | For 1st 25 ft. from front lot line: Where structure is to be located, must build to corner-side lot line. After 1st 25 ft.: No yard requirement. | None | None | None 5
Minimum Rear Yard
All Uses | If rear yard abuts a street or an alley: None. Otherwise: 20 ft. | 30 feet | If rear yard abuts a street or an alley: None. Otherwise: 20 ft. | If rear yard abuts a street or an alley: None. Otherwise: 20 ft. | 20 feet | 20 feet
1 In the C-1-VC District, no change to an existing setback or yard may be made unless approved by the Board as a variance. 2 For a structure that contains dwellings above a non-residential use, a height of up to 100 feet may be allowed by the Board as a conditional use. Otherwise, the maximum height is 60 feet or 68 feet, depending on the zoning district in which the structure is located. 3 All outdoor storage areas and parking areas must be set back 10 feet from the front lot line. 4 However, if the interior-side lot line abuts a Residential Zoning District or an Office-Residential Zoning District, a minimum interior-side yard of 10 feet is required. 5 All outdoor storage areas must be set back 10 feet from the corner-side lot line and the front lot line.
(Ord. 25-015 Section 1; Ord. 22-181; Ord. 18-171; Ord. 17-015; Ord. 16-581.)
Source: City of Baltimore Department of Legislative Reference, City of Baltimore Law Library (codes.baltimorecity.gov; Open Law Library bulk XML)URL: https://codes.baltimorecity.gov/us/md/cities/baltimore/code/32/zoning-tables/10-401Fetched: 10/25/2026