Maximum Height is the vertical distance measured from a specified point on the ground to a defined, fixed, or average point on the structure. Typically, this is the highest point of the structure; however, some codes will allow the vertical distance of parapet walls to be excluded from the measurement, or the measurement may be to the midpoint of a ridgeline for sloped/pitched roofs. Building height may exclude architectural elements not intended for habitation, such as penthouses that house mechanical and elevator equipment, wireless communication facility antenna arrays, smoke and ventilation stacks, flagpoles, etc. A zoning code may prescribe a maximum height either in stories, feet, or both.
