In unincorporated Kern County, carports are regulated as residential accessory structures, and the combined size of all detached accessory buildings on a residential parcel is capped by lot size -- from 600 square feet on lots under 1/4 acre up to 5,000 square feet (or three times the dwelling's square footage) on lots of 3 acres or more. Carports may not occupy a required front, side, or rear yard and generally may not sit closer to the front property line than the main dwelling.
Kern County Zoning Ordinance Section 19.04.624 defines residential accessory structures to include carports, along with detached garages, greenhouses, storage buildings, and swimming pools, and requires them to be clearly subordinate to the residential use of the property. Section 19.08.180 sets the location and size standards: on residentially zoned parcels under 1/4 acre, detached accessory buildings are limited to a combined 600 square feet and may not exceed the height of the principal dwelling; on parcels between 1/4 and 1/2 acre, the cap is 1,000 square feet or the dwelling's square footage, whichever is greater; on parcels between 1/2 acre and 3 acres, the cap is 3,600 square feet or twice the dwelling's square footage, with height up to 20 feet or the dwelling's height; and on parcels of 3 acres or more, the cap is 5,000 square feet or three times the dwelling's square footage, up to the district height limit. Except for a detached garage, accessory buildings may not be located closer to the front property line than the principal dwelling, and no accessory building may be placed within a required front, side, or rear yard. Larger sizes or heights may be approved by the Planning Director after a public hearing under Section 19.08.180(A)(5). A hillside exception in subsection E allows one detached private garage to occupy the required front yard of a steep interior lot in the E, R-1, R-2, or R-3 districts if kept at least 5 feet from the side and front property lines and under 35 feet in height.
Accessory buildings that exceed the size or height caps require Planning Director approval through the public-hearing procedure in Section 19.08.180(A)(5). Carports built without required permits or placed in required yards are subject to Kern County code-compliance enforcement and may have to be permitted, modified, or removed.
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