How tall can a Burien DADU be?
✓ Verified against code · August 19, 2026
Genuinely unclear — and worth a direct question to the city. There's no ADU-specific limit, and the accessory-structure formula (primary's height + 10 ft, max 35 ft) could compute below the state's 24-ft minimum on a low house. Ask Burien Community Development for a written answer for your lot; we track this conflict on our watchlist.
Citation: BMC 19.17.060(2)(B)
How current is this?
Burien’s ADU rules run under BMC 19.17.070 (Burien Municipal Code, post-Ordinance 868) (Ordinance 868). Ordinance 868 — Burien's comprehensive Title 19 rewrite for HB 1110/1337 — took effect July 9, 2025. Fair warning: the city's own ADU handout (last updated May 2024) still shows the pre-868 rules, including an 800 sq ft detached cap that no longer exists. We verified this answer against primary sources on August 19, 2026, and every change we catch is logged in the changelog.
More Burien ADU questions
- How big can a detached ADU be in Burien?
- Do I need parking for a Burien ADU?
- I have an unpermitted ADU — can I make it legal?
- What utility work should I budget for?
All Burien ADU rules → · Compare Washington cities →
Not legal advice — lot-specific overlays can change the answer for your parcel. The citation above points at the governing code section; check it, or ask the city to confirm.