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Free zoning calculation tool

Lot Coverage Calculator for Building Permits

Calculate existing and proposed lot coverage, compare it with a zoning limit, and see how much buildable footprint may remain.

✓ Instant calculation✓ No account required✓ Nothing uploaded
LOT COVERAGE INPUTS

Calculate Your Coverage

Your calculation will appear here

Enter the project measurements, then select Calculate. Nothing is uploaded or stored.

How to use the calculator

Start With Verified Property Measurements

  1. Find the total lot area from a survey, recorded plat or parcel record.
  2. Add the footprints of existing structures that your jurisdiction counts.
  3. Enter the ground-level footprint of the proposed project.
  4. Enter the maximum coverage allowed in the applicable zoning district.
FORMULA USED

Lot coverage (%) = total counted building footprint ÷ total lot area × 100.

Lot coverage normally measures the portion of a parcel occupied by building footprints. A city may count houses, garages, sheds, covered patios, pools or other features differently, so the local definition controls the final permit calculation.

Calculation questions

Lot Coverage Calculator FAQs

These answers explain the planning calculation. Verify local definitions before using the result in a permit package.

Is lot coverage the same as floor area ratio?+

No. Lot coverage uses ground-level building footprints. FAR compares the counted floor area on all levels with the lot area.

Does a driveway count toward lot coverage?+

Some codes regulate building coverage and impervious coverage separately. A driveway may be excluded from building coverage but included in impervious coverage.

Where do I find the maximum percentage?+

Check the zoning table for the property’s district or ask the city or county planning department. Do not rely on a general percentage from another jurisdiction.

Can this result be submitted with my permit?+

The calculation is a planning estimate. A permit submission normally needs a scaled site plan showing the source dimensions and the jurisdiction’s required coverage table.

Need drawings, not just a calculation?

Turn the Measurements Into a Clear Permit Plan

Send the property address, proposed project and any city checklist. We will confirm the drawing scope before you order.

Calculation methodology reviewed August 2026 · Educational planning tool, not a zoning determination or survey.