Measuring building height

[Patricia Nilsson]

A colleague thinks we should be using the UBC formula for measuring building height for zoning compliance, but I think a simpler method would work better for the planner at the zoning counter. I would be interested in hearing any of your experiences in calculating building height.

 

[Dan]

In zoning administration, I always used a formula to determine the base elevation that would be used in measuring height. It went something like ...

Lowest point building grade + highest point of building grade / 2

 

[Otis]

We use the height from the finished grade to the top of the highest point on the building (except for elevator shafts, chimneys, other uninhabitable spaces), measured at the center of all four sides, summed, and divided by four. We did have one guy try to convince us that he needed a 20-foot high pile of dirt against his building at the center of one side. Now we use "normal" finished grade. It's sort of a straight-face test.