Title 18 - Development Regulations - General Provisions : The purpose of this Title is to outline general provisions for development regulations regarding application filing, department review, public notice, time periods, code interpretations, and enforcement and penalties. (18.pdf 65kb PDF)

Title 18A - Development Regulations - Zoning : The major purpose of the Pierce County Development Regulations - Zoning is to implement the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan which is intended to prevent the harm posed by uncoordinated and unplanned growth. These Development Regulations - Zoning are not intended to be the sole method of implementing the Comprehensive Plan. Other methods such as subdivision regulations, taxing strategies, capital facility expenditures, and other implementation techniques will also be employed. (18a.pdf 663kb PDF)

For a quick reference to commonly asked zoning questions, try Zoning - Quick Answers .

Title 18B - Development Regulations - Signs : This Chapter establishes general requirements and regulations for signs and/or street graphics located within Pierce County. (18b.pdf 63kb PDF)

Title 18C - Development Regulations - Site Development : These Regulations establish criteria for review and analysis of all development including, but not limited to, grading, formal subdivision, short subdivision, large lot division, commercial building, binding site plans, planned unit developments, planned development districts, mobile home parks, single family home construction, duplex construction, or other projects when so required by the Pierce County Hearing Examiner or County Council. All proposals for development, whether public or private, which are submitted to the County for review, must conform to these Regulations, which are to be used as the basis for review, design, and construction. (18c.pdf 49kb PDF)

Title 18D - Development Regulations - Environmental : The purpose of this Chapter is to provide County regulations implementing the State Environmental Policy Act of 1971 (SEPA) which are consistent with the SEPA Rules. (18d.pdf 40kb PDF)

Title 18E - Development Regulations - Critical Areas : This Chapter establishes general requirements and regulations for the protection of critical areas which shall apply throughout this Title. By regulating development within and adjacent to or abutting critical areas, this Title seeks to implement the following goals adopted by Ordinance Numbers 88-182, 89-162 and 91-47S: 1)Encourage the retention of open space and development of recreational opportunities, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop parks; 2) Protect the environment and enhance the State's high quality of life, including air and water quality and the availability of water; and, 3) Maintain and enhance the biological and physical functions and values of wetlands. (18e.pdf 278kb PDF)

Title 18F - Land Division and Boundary Changes : The purpose of this Title is to regulate the division of land and to promote the public health, safety and general welfare in accordance with standards established by the State to prevent the overcrowding of land; to lessen congestion in the streets and highways; to promote effective use of land; to promote safe and convenient travel by the public on streets and highways; to provide for adequate light and air; to facilitate adequate provisions for water, sewerage, parks, and recreation areas, sites for schools and schoolgrounds and other regulatory requirements; to provide for proper ingress and egress; to promote conformance with comprehensive plan policies and development regulations; to adequately provide for housing and commercial needs of the citizens of unincorporated Pierce County; and to require uniform monumenting of land division actions and conveyance by accurate legal description.

Title 18G, Conservation Programs, sets up the process and of identifying, pricing, purchasing, and transferring of development rights and is also known as the Transfer of Development Rights Program. The purpose of the program is to provide public benefits by permanently conserving resource and rural farm lands, recreational trails, open space and habitat areas through acquisition and extinguishment of the development rights on those lands which are designated as 'sending sites'. The process for the transfer of density credits redeemable on eligible sites, known as 'receiving sites', is set forth in Title 18G.

Title 18H - Forest Practices and Tree Conservation : This Title provides regulations which set forth procedures and review criteria for approval of Class IV-Special conversion forest practices, Class IV-General forest practices, conversion option harvest plans (COHPs), and certain Class I forest practices, and establishes a process for implementing development moratoria on properties which have been harvested in violation of forest practice requirements. (18h.pdf 60kb PDF)

Title 18I - Development Regulations - Natural Resource Lands : The regulations established in this Title are intended to protect and conserve natural resource land features in Pierce County by regulating development within and adjacent to or abutting natural resource lands. (18i.pdf 49kb PDF)

Title 18J - Development Regulations - Design Standards and Guidelines : This Title shall be officially cited as Title 18J, Development Regulations - Design Standards and Guidelines, and may be commonly referred to as the Pierce County Design Standards and Guidelines.