A 12,000-square-foot site has a maximum lot coverage of 35%. Based only on that coverage limit, what maximum building footprint is indicated?
Correct Answer
A) 4,200 square feet
The coverage ceiling is 12,000 × 0.35 = 4,200 square feet of footprint. The other 7,800 square feet is not covered by that footprint. Floor area ratio concerns total floor area and is a different measure; setbacks and other regulations can further constrain actual construction.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option A is correct because the maximum footprint is 12,000 square feet x 0.35 = 4,200 square feet. Lot coverage controls footprint, not total floor area. Setbacks and other rules could limit the footprint further, but the coverage limit alone indicates 4,200 square feet.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 7,800 square feet
Option B, 7,800 square feet, is the uncovered part of the site: 12,000 - 4,200 = 7,800. That is the area left open, not the maximum building footprint of 12,000 x 0.35 = 4,200 square feet.
Option C: 420 square feet
Option C, 420 square feet, converts 35% to 0.035 instead of 0.35: 12,000 x 0.035 = 420. Thirty-five percent is 0.35, so the maximum footprint is 12,000 x 0.35 = 4,200 square feet.
Option D: 6,000 square feet
Option D, 6,000 square feet, would apply a 50% coverage limit (12,000 x 0.50). The stated limit is 35%, so the footprint is 12,000 x 0.35 = 4,200 square feet.
Coverage covers the ground
Lot coverage is about the building's shadow on the ground at noon, its footprint; FAR is about all the floors stacked up.
How to use: Use this to decide whether a zoning percentage limits footprint or total floor area.
Exam Tip
Read whether the question asks for footprint or total floor area before choosing between a coverage calculation and a FAR calculation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Reporting the uncovered area as the footprint
- -Misplacing the decimal when converting the coverage percentage
- -Confusing lot coverage with floor area ratio
Concept Deep Dive
Analysis
This question tests the meaning of maximum lot coverage. Lot coverage limits the share of the site that a building footprint may occupy, so the maximum footprint is site area times the coverage percentage. It should not be confused with floor area ratio or with the uncovered remainder.
Background Knowledge
Zoning regulates density and intensity of use through tools such as lot coverage, floor area ratio, setbacks and height limits. Lot coverage caps the ground area a building occupies, while floor area ratio caps total floor area across all stories.
Real-World Application
An appraiser analyzing highest and best use for a small commercial lot checks the zoning code and finds a 35% coverage limit. The appraiser uses it, together with setbacks and parking rules, to estimate the largest building the site can physically and legally support.
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A comparable vacant townhouse site entitled to 8 dwelling units sold for $480,000, cash equivalent. The subject site is entitled to 6 dwelling units and is otherwise equivalent to the comparable. Using price per dwelling unit as the unit of comparison, what is the indicated land value?
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The subject vacant site has off-site utilities available. A comparable vacant site without utilities sold for $310,000. Paired land sales indicate that sites with a utilities connection sell for $38,000 more than sites without one. No other adjustments apply. What is the indicated value of the subject site?