Published by Acre Commercial (ACRE) | July 2026 | Spokane, WA
Estimated read time: 7 minutes | Category: Development & Policy
Zoning reform doesn’t usually move fast, and Washington’s HB 1110 is proof of that even as it reshapes the state’s housing landscape. Passed in April 2023 and effective that July, the law’s real impact is only now landing in 2026 and 2027, as cities work through the staggered implementation tied to their comprehensive plan updates. For developers and investors building mixed-use projects in Washington, this is the year the theoretical policy becomes an actual entitlement pathway.
HB 1110 requires cities across the state to allow middle housing, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhomes, and stacked flats, on lots previously zoned for single-family use only. At minimum, cities must permit six middle housing types on residential lots. That’s a fundamental rewrite of what’s buildable on land that developers may have written off years ago as too restrictively zoned to pencil.
At ACRE, we track zoning and entitlement changes across Eastern Washington closely because they directly affect what’s feasible to build and where. This post breaks down where HB 1110 implementation actually stands in 2026, and what it means for mixed-use development specifically, not just standalone residential.
Where Implementation Actually Stands
HB 1110 took effect statewide in July 2023, but the law ties local ordinance adoption to each city’s Growth Management Act comprehensive plan update cycle, which is why the real-world impact has rolled out unevenly. King, Snohomish, and Pierce County jurisdictions finalized their comprehensive plan updates in December 2024, putting new middle housing ordinances into effect by mid-2025. Other parts of the state, including many Eastern Washington jurisdictions, are on a later timeline, with some updates not due until 2026 or 2027.
For developers evaluating sites today, that means the first question isn’t just “is this parcel zoned for middle housing,” it’s “has this jurisdiction adopted its HB 1110-compliant ordinance yet, and when.” A parcel that pencils poorly under current zoning may pencil very differently twelve months from now once local code catches up to state law.
The Mixed-Use Angle: HB 1042
HB 1110 gets most of the attention, but HB 1042 is the companion piece that matters more directly for mixed-use projects. HB 1042 loosens restrictions on adding housing units within existing multifamily buildings located in commercial and mixed-use zones, specifically by exempting those added units from parking requirements, density limits, and other typical barriers.
That’s a meaningful shift for anyone holding underutilized commercial or mixed-use property. A building with excess floor area or underused upper floors in a commercial corridor can now add housing units without triggering the parking and density calculations that used to make those conversions infeasible. Combined with design regulations already in place for live-work buildings and shopfront housing in mixed-use zones, the state has meaningfully lowered the barrier to adding residential density above and alongside retail and commercial uses.
What This Means for Development Feasibility
The practical effect of these combined reforms is that land use flexibility, historically one of the biggest constraints on mixed-use pro formas, has loosened considerably. Sites that couldn’t support a viable unit count under old parking and density rules may now support enough units to make a mixed-use project feasible where it previously wasn’t. That’s especially relevant in commercial corridors where retail vacancy has created underused ground-floor and upper-floor space that developers have struggled to reposition.
Developers should be running two parallel feasibility models right now: one under current, still-transitioning local code, and one under the fully HB 1110/HB 1042-compliant code that will govern once a jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan update lands. The gap between those two models is often where the real opportunity, or the real risk of overpaying for a site before entitlements catch up, lives.
Risk Factors Developers Should Watch
None of this is a blanket green light. Local jurisdictions retain meaningful discretion in how they implement the state mandate, and design standards, height limits, and infrastructure capacity requirements still vary significantly by city. A parcel in a jurisdiction that has fully adopted its ordinance carries far less entitlement risk than one in a jurisdiction still finalizing its comprehensive plan update. Developers should also watch for infrastructure capacity constraints, water, sewer, and traffic, that can still slow or limit a project even when zoning technically allows greater density.
Frequently Asked Questions: HB 1110 and Mixed-Use Development
What is Washington’s HB 1110 and when does it take effect?
HB 1110 is a Washington state law passed in April 2023 that requires most cities to allow middle housing types, duplexes through sixplexes, townhomes, and stacked flats, on lots previously zoned for single-family use only. While the law took effect in July 2023, actual local implementation is staggered based on each city’s comprehensive plan update schedule, with many jurisdictions adopting compliant ordinances between 2025 and 2027.
Does HB 1110 apply to mixed-use or commercial zones?
HB 1110 itself focuses on residential zoning, but the companion law HB 1042 directly affects mixed-use and commercial zones by exempting added housing units in existing multifamily buildings from parking requirements, density limits, and similar barriers. Together, the two laws make it significantly easier to add residential density within and adjacent to commercial corridors.
How does HB 1110 affect commercial real estate development in Spokane?
Spokane-area jurisdictions are on a staggered timeline for adopting HB 1110-compliant ordinances tied to their comprehensive plan updates. Developers evaluating sites in Eastern Washington should confirm each specific jurisdiction’s adoption status before underwriting a project, since feasibility can shift significantly once local code catches up to the state mandate.
Is it worth buying land now in anticipation of HB 1110 zoning changes?
It can be, but only with a clear understanding of a jurisdiction’s specific implementation timeline. Land priced under pre-HB 1110 assumptions may become significantly more valuable once compliant zoning takes effect, but buying too far ahead of adoption carries entitlement timing risk. Work with a local commercial real estate advisor who tracks jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction adoption status before committing capital.
How Acre Commercial Helps Developers Navigate Zoning Reform
Acre Commercial monitors comprehensive plan updates and middle housing ordinance adoption across our Eastern Washington and North Idaho markets, translating state-level policy changes into practical, site-specific feasibility guidance. We help developers identify parcels where HB 1110 and HB 1042 create genuine near-term upside, and flag jurisdictions where adoption timing still carries real risk.
If you’re evaluating a site for mixed-use development or considering repositioning an existing commercial building to add housing, our team can walk through the current zoning status, adoption timeline, and feasibility math specific to that parcel.
Contact Acre Commercial: 43560.com
Zoning reform this significant doesn’t happen often, and the developers who understand exactly where each jurisdiction stands in its implementation timeline will be the ones who capture the upside before it’s fully priced into land values. The window to buy ahead of that repricing is open now, but it won’t stay open in every jurisdiction for long.
