Lot Coverage and Setback Guidelines

All projects within the Town of Bristol must follow the requirements set for lot coverage as well as setbacks. To further understand how these items affect your project, the Land Use Department has provided definitions, guidelines and a handy calculation worksheet.

Definitions:

• Lot Coverage by Impervious Cover - This is the percent allowed for covering a lot, with construction of any kind, in a Zoning district. Please refer to the Lot Coverage and Setback Guidelines for the percents allowed in each district.
• Impervious Cover - Permanent surface having the potential to cause runoff during a rain event. Examples include— but are not limited to—asphalt roads, hardpack, metal or shingled roofs, and concrete sidewalks.
• Setback - The distance between the street right-of-way line or any other lot line and the edge of a structure (excluding fences) or any projection thereof excluding uncovered steps. 
  • Basically, property setbacks tell you where you can and cannot build something. Setbacks may also impact how far a building, structure, or septic system must be set away from a river or other stream, a shore or floodplain or any other place which is deemed to need protection.
  • Are setbacks set in stone? - If you have a special property with a condition that imposes hardships to your land, like a stream or an oddly shaped plot, you may qualify for a Variance (exception to the Ordinance), to build in a manner that would violate the setback requirement.

Lot Coverage and Setback Guidelines Chart: 

• This Chart provides guidelines for each district of the minimum lot size requirements, the setback requirements, and the maximum percent lot coverage allowed.

Lot Coverage Calculation Worksheet: 

• This worksheet is a handy tool for calculating a property's lot coverage. It can be used to determine the existing percents of coverage on a property versus any proposed changes for a property.