Lot Coverage is a Zoning term for the amount of lot area a building occupies. The lot coverage is normally shown in the form of a percentage and is calculated by dividing the applicable building footprint by the lot area and multiplying by 100.
The following definition of lot coverage is based on the New York City Zoning Resolution.
Lot coverage is a zoning term for the area of a lot that would be covered by a building when observed directly from above. Dependent on the circumstance there may be certain areas that can be excluded for example a balcony projecting from the building.
Lot Coverage Calculation:
For this example we will use a lot that is 50 x 100 and a building that has 2,400 square foot footprint.
The Lot area is 5,000 sq ft.
Lot Coverage = (Building Footprint ÷ Lot Area) x 100
If Lot area is 5,000 sq ft and Building Footprint is 2,400 sq ft
Lot Coverage = (2,400 sq ft ÷ 5,000 sq ft) x 100
Lot Coverage = .48 x 100
Lot Coverage = 48%
Lot Coverage Zoning Codes NYC
As an architect, I study Building and Zoning Codes closely, but these are complicated and quite involved issues. In this article, we reviewed some of the basic concepts with regards to Lot Coverage NYC Codes. This post does not assume to cover every possible issue or condition, but provide a general overview of the topic.
Thank you for reading our blog post on Lot Coverage.
I hope this was helpful. If you would like to speak with an architect, you can contact us at Fontan Architecture directly.
This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
