Building Setbacks & Zoning in Camarillo, CA

Camarillo maintains 132 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with building setbacks & zoning. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Camarillo falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Setback Rules

Camarillo's R-1 single-family zone requires a twenty-foot front yard, side yards of five feet for one-story homes and ten feet for two-story homes, and a twenty-foot rear yard, with a special exception letting the rear setback shrink to the property line on large, flat lots.

Key details: Front yard: 20 ft minimum (Sec. 19.14.070(A)). Side yard, 1-story: 5 ft minimum. Side yard, 2-story: 10 ft minimum. Rear yard: 20 ft, grade capped at 3%.

Building within the required front, side or rear yard setback without an approved variance or applicable exception is a zoning violation the Community Development Department enforces through stop-work orders, correction notices and, if uncorrected, misdemeanor or infraction citation under Title 19's general zoning enforcement authority.

Structure Height Limits

Camarillo caps building height at twenty-five feet in the R-1 single-family zone, exempting only antennas or structures approved through a conditional use permit. The Rural Exclusive zone next door allows ten feet more, capping out at thirty-five feet.

Key details: R-1 zone height cap: 25 feet (Sec. 19.14.100). Exceptions: Antennas, or CUP approval. R-E zone height cap: 35 feet (Sec. 19.12.110). Non-residential CUP ceiling: Up to 75 feet.

Constructing a building or structure that exceeds twenty-five feet in the R-1 zone without an approved conditional use permit is a zoning violation, enforceable by the Community Development Department through stop-work orders, correction requirements, and misdemeanor or infraction citation for uncorrected construction under Title 19's zoning enforcement authority.

Lot Coverage Limits

Camarillo caps building coverage at forty percent of the lot in RPD-4 or smaller residential planned developments, rising to fifty percent for denser RPD projects, under Municipal Code Section 19.16.100. Recreation buildings do not count against the cap, and the limit is enforced through the residential planned development permit review.

Key details: Coverage cap, RPD-4 or less: 40% of lot. Coverage cap, above RPD-4: 50% of lot. Excluded from coverage: Recreation buildings. Building height cap (same zone): 25 feet. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 19.16.100.

Exceeding the coverage cap on an RPD project is a zoning code violation enforced by the Camarillo Community Development Department through the building permit and zone clearance process under Section 19.48.010; a project that does not conform cannot receive a zone clearance or building permit. Violations discovered after construction are treated as unpermitted work and can require modification or removal of the noncompliant portion, with the city able to pursue the same code enforcement and nuisance abatement remedies used across Title 19.

The Bottom Line

Camarillo's building setbacks & zoning rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Camarillo is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Camarillo can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.