{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-36.70a.815","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 36.70A.815","heading":"Façade modulation and upper-level setbacks on residential projects.","body":"(1) A city or county planning under RCW 36.70A.040 may not require façade modulation or upper-level setbacks as a condition of permitting the following types of residential projects:\n(a) Affordable housing;\n(b) New construction meeting passive house requirements;\n(c) The retrofit of existing buildings meeting passive house requirements;\n(d) The conversion of existing buildings to housing or mixed-use development that includes housing;\n(e) Modular construction; or\n(f) Mass timber construction.\n(2) For the purposes of this section:\n(a) \"Façade modulation\" means a change in building plane, either a recess or a projection, that changes the shape of the exterior massing of the building.\n(b) \"Mass timber construction\" means a building with structural components primarily made of mass timber products as defined in RCW 19.27.570.\n(c) \"Modular construction\" means a multistory residential or commercial building constructed of standardized components produced off-site, which are transported and assembled at a final location.\n(d) \"Passive house requirements\" means the criteria for certification as a passive house by Phius or the international passive house institute.\n(e) \"Upper-level setback\" means a required distance between the lot line and the building façade applied only to portions of the building above a specified height.","path":["Title 36","Chapter 36.70A"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=36.70A.815","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T02:31:23Z","sha256":"42582b065dd9ed764ecab546a49bb42de0860912d0596f9d2e77d9b2708c954d","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-36.70a.813","next":"us-wa/rcw-36.70a.816"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}