The city of Boston parking requirements are based on the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) provided in the table below. First determine your FAR by district from the table below and compare the value with the use tables to determine the required parking ratio.
Boston Floor Area Ratio by District
| DISTRICT | TYPE OF USE | FLOOR AREA RATIO MAX |
|---|---|---|
| S-.3 | 1 family detached | 0.3 |
| S-.3 | Other use | 0.3 |
| S-.5 | 1 family detached | 0.5 |
| S-.5 | Other use | 0.5 |
| R-.5 | 1 & 2 family detached | 0.5 |
| R-.5 | Any other dwelling | 0.5 |
| R-.5 | Other use | 0.5 |
| R-.8 | 1 & 2 family row | 0.8 |
| R-.8 | Any other dwelling | 0.8 |
| R-.8 | Other use | 0.8 |
| H-1-40 | 1 & 2 family row | 1 |
| H-1-40 | Any other dwelling | 1 |
| H-1-40 | Other use | 1 |
| H-1-50 | 1 & 2 family row | 1 |
| H-1-50 | Any other dwelling | 1 |
| H-1-50 | Other use | 1 |
| H-1 | 1 & 2 family row | 1 |
| H-1 | Any other dwelling | 1 |
| H-1 | Other use | 1 |
| H-2 | Any dwelling | 2 |
| H-2 | Other use | 2 |
| H-3-65 | Any dwelling | 3 |
| H-3-65 | Other use | 3 |
| H-3 | Any dwelling | 3 |
| H-3 | Other use | 3 |
| H-4 | Any dwelling | 4 |
| H-5 | Any dwelling | 5 |
| H-5 | Other use | 5 |
| L-.5 | Any dwelling | 0.5 |
| L-.5 | Other use | 0.5 |
| L-1 | Any dwelling | 1 |
| L-1 | Other use | 1 |
| L-2 | Any dwelling | 2 |
| L-2 | Other use | 2 |
| B-1 | Any dwelling | 1 |
| B-1 | Other use | 1 |
| B-2 | Any dwelling | 2 |
| B-2 | Other use | 2 |
| B-3-65 | Any dwelling | 3 |
| B-3-65 | Other use | 3 |
| B-4 | Any dwelling | 4 |
| B-4 | Other use | 4 |
| B-6-90a | Any dwelling | 6 |
| B-6-90a | Other use | 6 |
| B-6-90b | Any dwelling | 6 |
| B-6-90b | Other use | 6 |
| B-8-120a | Any dwelling | 8 |
| B-8-120a | Other use | 8 |
| B-8-120b | Any dwelling | 8 |
| B-8-120b | Other use | 8 |
| B-8-120c | Any dwelling | 8 |
| B-8-120c | Other use | 8 |
| B-8 | Any dwelling | 8 |
| B-8 | Any dwelling | 8 |
| B-10 | Any dwelling | 10 |
| B-10 | Other use | 10 |
| M-1 | Any dwelling | 1 |
| M-1 | Other use | 1 |
| M-2 | Any dwelling | 2 |
| M-2 | Other use | 2 |
| M-4 | Any dwelling | 4 |
| M-4 | Other use | 4 |
| M-8 | Any dwelling | 8 |
| M-8 | Other use | 8 |
| I-2 | Any dwelling | 2 |
| I-2 | Other use | 2 |
| MER-2 | Any dwelling | 2 |
| MER-2 | Other use | 2 |
| W-2 | Any dwelling | 2 |
| W-2 | Other use | 2 |
Excerpt from: Article 13 TABLE B - DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS
Boston Residential Parking Requirements Based on Max FAR
| Maximum Floor Area Ratio Specified in Table B of Section 13-1 | For Each Dwelling Unit There Shall Be Provided at Least |
|---|---|
| 0.3 or 0.5 | 1.0 space |
| 0.8 or 1.0 | 0.9 space |
| 2.0 | 0.7 space |
| 3.0 | 0.6 space |
| 4.0 | 0.5 space |
| 5.0 | 0.4 space |
Article 23 Section 23-1. - Residential Uses
Boston Public Assembly Uses Based on Max FAR
| Maximum Floor Area Ratio Specified in Table B of Section 13-1 | If There Are Seats, provide 1 space for Each: | If There Are No Seats, 1 space for Each square feet of public floor area in structures: |
|---|---|---|
| 0.3 or 0.5 | 5 seats | 100 |
| 0.8 or 1.0 | 6 seats | 120 |
| 2.0 | 8 seats | 160 |
| 3.0 | 15 seats | 300 |
| 4.0 | 20 seats | 400 |
| 5.0 | 20 seats | 400 |
Article 23 Section 23-2. - Public Assembly Uses
Boston Institutional Uses Based on Max FAR
| Maximum Floor Area Ratio Specified in Table B of Section 13-1 | One Space Shall be Provided for Each below amount of square feet of gross floor area |
|---|---|
| 0.3 or 0.5 | 600 |
| 0.8 or 1.0 | 700 |
| 2.0 | 1000 |
| 3.0 | 1800 |
| 4.0 | 2400 |
| 5.0 | 2400 |
Article 23 Section 23-3. - Institutional Uses
Boston Retail and Office Uses Based on Max FAR
| Maximum Floor Area Ratio Specified in Table B of Section 13-1 | One Space Shall be Provided for Each below amount of square feet of gross floor area on ground level | Additionaly One Space Shall be Provided for Each below amount of square feet of gross floor area not on ground level |
|---|---|---|
| 0.3 or 0.5 | 300 | 600 |
| 0.8 or 1.0 | 350 | 700 |
| 2.0 | 500 | 1000 |
| 3.0 | 900 | 1800 |
| 4.0 | 1200 | 2400 |
| 5.0 | 1200 | 2400 |
Article 23 Section 23-4. - Retail and Office Uses
Boston Factory and Warehouse Uses Based on Max FAR
| Maximum Floor Area Ratio Specified in Table B of Section 13-1 | One Space Shall be Provided for Each below amount of square feet of gross floor area |
|---|---|
| 0.3 or 0.5 | 1000 |
| 0.8 or 1.0 | 1200 |
| 2.0 | 1600 |
| 3.0 | 2000 |
| 4.0 | 3000 |
| 5.0 | 3000 |
Article 23 Section 23-5. - Factory and Warehouse Uses
The parking requirements shown here are the typical required parking standards for the city of Boston . Variance or exclusions to the parking count requirements could be allowed by the code for a specific project. The city of Boston parking requirements are for general information. The Boston standard parking requirements for an area can be modified by zoning overlays or other Boston parking code requirements specific to each project.